Wisconsin Right Now

Following nearly a year of investigations into political donation platform ActBlue, Republican Rep. Bryan Steil has introduced legislation he says will increase transparency and prevent illegal straw donations in online political donations. The Secure Handling of Internet Electronic Donations Act, or SHIELD Act , would prohibit political campaigns from accepting contributions from gift cards or other prepaid credit cards, and require them to obtain and verify the CVV of all online credit and debit donations. It would also require political campaigns to get the affirmative consent of donors before they make a recurring contribution. “American elections should always be free from foreign interference,” Steil said Monday. “The SHIELD Act will take a crucial next step in blocking foreign funding in our elections and certifying that every political contribution received is actually coming from the individual whose name is on the contribution. By passing the SHIELD Act, we will increa...

The new year is beginning just where 2021 ended, with a stalemate in the investigation into the 2020 election in Wisconsin. Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway on Monday once again issued a defiant response to former Supreme Court Justice Mike Gableman’s latest subpoenas. “Attorney Gableman and his team are yet again demonstrating that they have learned nothing about election administration in Wisconsin,” Satya Rhodes-Conway said. “Their ‘investigation’ is a waste of time and taxpayer dollars. Here in Madison, we continue to focus on the real work of making sure that everyone eligible can cast a ballot safely and easily.” Her opposition to Gableman’s questions is not new, she has been fighting with him since late last year. His latest subpoenas, however, are new. Gableman filed subpoenas just before New Year's, asking for information from both Rhodes-Conway and Wisconsin Elections Commission members that include emails, internet logs, and individual voter information. Gab...