{"id":5800,"date":"2023-09-23T05:03:44","date_gmt":"2023-09-23T05:03:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wifamily.news\/?p=5800"},"modified":"2023-09-23T06:04:32","modified_gmt":"2023-09-23T06:04:32","slug":"far-left-wisconsin-supreme-court-justices-campaign-accused-of-smurfing-or-money-laundering-donations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wifamily.news\/?p=5800","title":{"rendered":"Far-Left Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice\u2019s Campaign Accused of \u2018Smurfing\u2019, or Money Laundering Donations"},"content":{"rendered":"

This post originally appeared at https:\/\/wisconsindailystar.com\/politics\/far-left-wisconsin-supreme-court-justices-campaign-accused-of-smurfing-or-money-laundering-donations\/mkittle\/2023\/09\/23\/<\/a><\/p>\n

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The Wisconsin Ethics Commission launched an investigation into newly installed Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Janet Protasiewicz\u2019s campaign on allegations of money laundering and fraud.<\/p>\n

The investigation, first reported by conservative talk show host Dan O\u2019Donnell of NewsTalk 1130 WISN<\/a> in Milwaukee, claims the far-left justice\u2019s campaign engaged in \u201csmurfing,\u201d using unwitting small-dollar donors to launder substantial cash donations.<\/p>\n

Protasiewicz\u2019s campaign and liberal allies quickly attacked the complaint and the \u201celection denier\u201d leading it, attempting to brush it off as another conspiracy from \u201cright-wing extremists.\u201d<\/p>\n

The complaint, filed earlier this month by New London, WI-based Election Watch<\/a>, alleges it has identified more than $1 million of illegally laundered money into Janet for Justice\u2019s<\/a> election campaign.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt appears individuals, or those being smurfed, are largely used to aggregate mostly less than the $200 reporting limit of individuals to avoid detection,\u201d the group said, according to O\u2019Donnell\u2019s story.<\/p>\n

Election Watch officials told O\u2019Donnell that within a day and a half of filing the complaint, the ethics commission launched an investigation. A commission representative reportedly told the organization that they may want to pursue a criminal investigation. The ethics commission is not empowered to issue criminal charges.<\/p>\n

Agency officials cannot comment on complaints, including whether one has been filed.<\/p>\n

A smurf, in short, is a money launderer engaged in what is commonly referred to as \u201cstructuring.\u201d Structuring involves breaking down large financial transactions into multiple smaller amounts (in this case donations) to avoid regulatory scrutiny.<\/p>\n

\u201cBy keeping each transaction below the reporting threshold, smurfs aim to conceal the true nature and source of the funds being laundered,\u201d according to Sanction Scanner<\/a>, an anti-money laundering solutions provider.<\/p>\n

The contributions, relatively tiny, like the 1980s blue cartoon characters, have been made in the names of people who have no idea that they have ultimately \u201cgiven\u201d thousands of dollars to a campaign.<\/p>\n

Smurfing is what methamphetamine makers do to buy the regulated precursor chemicals to manufacture the illicit drug.<\/p>\n

\u201cBy keeping each transaction below the reporting threshold, smurfs aim to conceal the true nature and source of the funds being laundered,\u201d the anti-money laundering firm writes in a blog<\/a>. \u201cHowever, it\u2019s important to note that smurfing is a serious criminal offense with severe legal consequences. In fact, financial institutions and authorities are actively working to detect and prevent smurfing, as it poses a significant threat to the integrity of the financial system.\u201d<\/p>\n

Election Watch said it has identified thousands of small-dollar donations made in the names of hundreds of mostly elderly donors, none of whom had any idea that they had made such donations when a private investigator asked about them, according to the complaint.<\/p>\n

As O\u2019Donnell notes, one such alleged smurf, an 84-year-old man who lives in Whitewater, donated $856.75 to Janet for Justice in 71 different contributions \u2014 some for as little as $1.67. This donor, according to Federal Election Commission data, made 15,620 different donations totalling $62,410.01 over the past three election cycles.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe did not make anywhere near these number of contributions or dollar amounts,\u201d said Election Watch, noting that the man confirmed as much to a private investigator.<\/p>\n

Protasiewicz, in April, won a decisive seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court, shifting control of the state\u2019s highest court to liberals for the first time in 15 years. At a cost of more than $50 million, the Supreme Court election is the most expensive judicial race<\/a> in U.S. history.<\/p>\n

Election Watch is led by Peter Bernegger and includes reporting by James O\u2019Keefe, the lightning rod founder of Project Veritas who was ousted by the conservative investigative reporting nonprofit in February.<\/p>\n

Both men are controversial, to be sure. Bernegger served time in federal prison on mail fraud and bank fraud convictions. He was sentenced to 70 months and ultimately ordered to pay $1.7 million in restitution, according to court records. Bernegger has spent years trying to get the conviction vacated.<\/a><\/p>\n

Project Veritas filed a lawsuit against O\u2019Keefe in May, accusing him of breach of contract by allegedly engaging in \u201cincredibly troubling workplace and financial misconduct,\u201d including screaming at colleagues and asking staffers to run errands for him, such as picking up laundry and cleaning his boat, according to CBS News.<\/a><\/p>\n

None of that means that Election Watch\u2019s charges aren\u2019t merited.<\/p>\n

Yet, the Wisconsin Law Journal,<\/em> the only publication other than O\u2019Donnell\u2019s WISN website that bothered to report on the smurfing allegations, hammered home Bernegger\u2019s background in attempting the undercut the validity of Election Watch\u2019s complaint.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe same election denier and convicted felon who allegedly stalked Elections Commission chair Meagan Wolfe has filed a complaint against Wisconsin Supreme Court Candidate Janet Protasiewicz,\u201d the story states<\/a> in its lead sentence.<\/p>\n

The Law Journal<\/em> quoted Madison-based Big Labor lawyer Lester Pines, who endorsed<\/a> Protasiewicz in the spring election and contributed more than $1,100 to her campaign<\/a>, as an expert source on the subject.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s basically an idle rumor that someone is pedaling to get more listeners for a talk show. It\u2019s worthless,\u201d Pines told the publication.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnyone who believes an allegation from a radio talk show host is wasting their time. Maybe there is an investigation and complaint. People make complaints all of the time, that doesn\u2019t mean they are true. It\u2019s just like the complaint the election was fraudulent. It wasn\u2019t. It\u2019s not even worth the paper it is written on. Why should we believe him?\u201d Pines added.<\/p>\n

Investigators might tell you why shouldn\u2019t the complaint be believed. The Wisconsin Ethics Commission can only conduct an investigation upon a finding of reasonable suspicion.<\/a> Apparently, the commission has found reasonable suspicion.<\/p>\n

The Law Journal<\/em> also quoted Sam Roecker, spokesperson for Protasiewicz\u2019s campaign. Roecker, perhaps not surprisingly, agreed with Pines.<\/p>\n

\u201cRight-wing extremists are desperate and peddling conspiracy theories about an election they lost by 11 points. The campaign is complying with election laws, despite what a widely discredited individual who\u2019s obsessed with attacking our democracy says,\u201d the campaign spokesperson told the publication.<\/p>\n

The Wisconsin Law Journal<\/em> said it reached out to O\u2019Donnell, but apparently did not reach out to Bernegger, according to the story.<\/p>\n

Bernegger did not return The Wisconsin Daily Star\u2019s<\/em> request for comment. But he did write on his X account (formerly Twitter) that there is \u201cso much more to come.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAn AMENDMENT adding more illegal transactions and dollar amounts has already been filed against Janet For Justice. Up next: criminal complaint against Janet For Justice, against Janet and her minions who participated in this scheme. Stand up Americans, take back our country. The corrupt liberals did this nationwide.,\u201d he wrote.<\/p>\n

\n

Mr. O’Donnell is reporting on this again right now with more information about political campaign money laundering, i.e. Smurfing. 1130 WISN or iheardradio. So much more to come. https:\/\/t.co\/IQygq8dHQY<\/a> Appreciate your donations to help us fight this massive corruption. An\u2026 https:\/\/t.co\/5UxPcphxKx<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Peter Bernegger (@PeterBernegger) September 21, 2023<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\u2013 \u2013 \u2013<\/p>\n

M.D. Kittle is the National Political Editor for The Star News Network.
\n<\/strong><\/em>Photo \u201cJanet Protasiewicz\u201d by\u00a0Janet for Justice<\/a>. Background Photo \u201cWisconsin Supreme Court\u201d by\u00a0Daderot<\/a>. CC0 1.0.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

The post Far-Left Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice\u2019s Campaign Accused of \u2018Smurfing\u2019, or Money Laundering Donations<\/a> appeared first on The Wisconsin Daily Star<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This post originally appeared at https:\/\/wisconsindailystar.com\/politics\/far-left-wisconsin-supreme-court-justices-campaign-accused-of-smurfing-or-money-laundering-donations\/mkittle\/2023\/09\/23\/ The Wisconsin Ethics Commission launched an investigation into newly…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":77,"featured_media":3495,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[23],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5800","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-wi-daily-star"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wifamily.news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5800","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wifamily.news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wifamily.news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wifamily.news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/77"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wifamily.news\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=5800"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/wifamily.news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5800\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5801,"href":"https:\/\/wifamily.news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5800\/revisions\/5801"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wifamily.news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/3495"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wifamily.news\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=5800"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wifamily.news\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=5800"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wifamily.news\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=5800"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}