Campaign accusations flip script
Madison — A series of recent videos by a conservative activist could change the narrative in Wisconsin when it comes to how much candidates and outside groups can work together.
For years, conservatives have railed against an investigation — now terminated — into GOP Gov. Scott Walker campaign’s close ties to issue groups during recall elections.
But now conservatives are accusing Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton’s campaign of the same type of behavior, alleging it illegally worked with those who planned protests at Republican events.
Democrats, meanwhile, have ripped Walker for his campaign activities but say there is no reason to look further into Clinton’s, in part because the activist who produced the recent videos has misleadingly edited his secret recordings in the past and was convicted of a misdemeanor for one of his operations.
The shifting stances on the issue are coming in response to three videos by James O’Keefe and his group Project Veritas Action that purport to show evidence of a voter fraud scheme and campaign coordination.
Wisconsin Attorney General Brad Schimel is investigating the matter, his spokesman said Monday. But the state Department of Justice has not yet contacted Project Veritas, according to the group.
O’Keefe on Friday filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission seeking an investigation into whether Clinton’s campaign illegally coordinated with groups seeking to help her.
He released a new video on Monday that says Clinton’s campaign and the Democratic National Committee were involved in a plan to have people dressed in Donald Duck costumes protest Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump. That work was ultimately done by outside groups in a way that O’Keefe argues violates campaign finance laws.
Clinton's campaign laughed off the claim.
"Wow," said a statement from Clinton spokesman Zac Petkanas. "The latest so-called blockbuster video from this discredited right-wing activist who was funded by Donald Trump's sham foundation uncovers a legal ploy to highlight that the Republican nominee hasn't released his tax returns. By the way, did we mention that Donald Trump still hasn't released his tax returns?"
The alleged campaign coordination is similar to what led to the investigation of Walker’s campaign. The state Supreme Court concluded nothing illegal occurred and threw out that investigation last year.
Veritas spokesman Stephen Gordon said Monday there were “key distinctions” between the two issues. Walker’s campaign was investigated under state campaign finance laws that many considered vague, while Clinton’s campaign is operating under “very clear FEC regulations which have been tried in various open courts many times and have been upheld,” Gordon said by email.
The separate probe by the Republican attorney general will presumably look into comments by Scott Foval of Wisconsin about how to cover up voter fraud. It is not clear from the videos if Foval is speaking hypothetically or about a specific plan. In a statement last week, he said he was involved in “above-board, legal, legitimate organizing work” and the videos show him having only “speculative conversations.”
Foval was fired from Americans United for Change after Veritas began releasing its videos last week.
An investigation might provide the public with a look at the unedited videos, which Veritas has declined to release.
The group produced videos of ACORN in 2009 that led to the dismantling of the community organizing group. They also resulted in O’Keefe agreeing to pay a $100,000 legal settlement to a former ACORN employee.
In 2010, O'Keefe pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor for unlawfully entering federal property when he and people disguised as telephone workers entered the office of then-U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu.