Wisconsin prosecutor Susan Opper has decided not to bring charges against Republican lawmaker Rep. Janel Brandtjen for allegedly trying to evade state campaign finance laws to unseat Assembly Speaker Robin Vos. This decision comes despite the bipartisan Wisconsin Ethics Commission recommending felony charges against Brandtjen and others involved in the effort. This is not the first time prosecutors have decided against filing charges, with Opper being the fourth county prosecutor to make this determination. Ultimately, the state attorney general, Democrat Josh Kaul, may be asked to prosecute the cases.
The allegations against Brandtjen and Trump’s fundraising committee involve a scheme to bypass campaign finance laws in support of Vos’s Republican primary challenger in 2022. Vos had previously angered Trump by firing a former state Supreme Court justice who was investigating Trump’s claims of election fraud in the 2020 presidential election. Despite initially launching the probe under pressure from Trump, Vos distanced himself from Trump’s efforts to overturn President Biden’s win in Wisconsin. Trump and Brandtjen then attempted to unseat Vos by supporting a GOP primary opponent, Adam Steen. Vos ultimately defeated Steen by a narrow margin in the primary.
The Wisconsin Ethics Commission has alleged that Trump’s Save America political action committee, Brandtjen, Republican Party officials, and Steen’s campaign conspired to avoid state fundraising limits by directing at least $40,000 towards the effort to defeat Vos. Opper clarified that her decision not to bring charges against Brandtjen does not absolve her of any potential wrongdoing, but rather, there is insufficient evidence to proceed with criminal charges. In her statement, Opper explained that while intercepted communications, such as audio recordings, may appear compelling to the public, they may not meet the standards required in a court of law.
The ongoing controversy highlights the deep divisions within the Republican Party in Wisconsin, as well as the influence of former President Trump on local politics. Vos’s actions regarding Trump’s election fraud claims and subsequent fallout led to a rift between the two, prompting Trump and Brandtjen to seek to unseat him in the 2022 primary. Despite their efforts, Vos managed to secure victory over his challenger by a narrow margin. The involvement of the Wisconsin Ethics Commission and potential intervention by the state attorney general further underscore the severity of the allegations against Brandtjen and others involved in the campaign finance scheme.
As the legal proceedings continue, the political ramifications of these events are likely to reverberate throughout Wisconsin and beyond. The decision not to bring charges against Brandtjen raises questions about the effectiveness of campaign finance regulations and the accountability of elected officials. With the potential involvement of the state attorney general in prosecuting these cases, the outcome remains uncertain, but the impact on Wisconsin’s political landscape is already significant. The outcome of this case could have far-reaching implications for the future of campaign finance laws and the integrity of the electoral process in Wisconsin.
