James Daley Answers on State Republican Party Funding For His Campaign Raise More Questions

MADISON, Wis. — In an interview with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Wisconsin Supreme Court candidate James Daley’s attempts to downplay eyebrow raising contributions from the Republican Party of Wisconsin to his campaign raises more questions. Daley’s claim that nearly $7,000 was for help getting his name on the ballot is at odds with what he reported on his campaign finance report filed last month.

“James Daley taking money directly from the Republican Party of Wisconsin and his attempts to downplay and explain what that campaign cash was used for just don’t add up,” said One Wisconsin Now Executive Director Scot Ross “That he either doesn’t know what his campaign is actually taking in or intentionally misled with his answer raises even more questions.”

Daley attempted to dismiss concerns about the direct contributions of a state political party claiming he’s “not asking for the support from the party” and that nearly $7,000 of “in-kind” contributions from the Republican Party of Wisconsin were to help circulate the nomination papers, due in early January, needed to get his name on the ballot.

However, an earlier analysis of Daley’s campaign finance reports by One Wisconsin Now found Daley’s campaign finance report on file with the Government Accountability Board included an in-kind contribution of $2,500 on January 7 from the Republican Party of Wisconsin for services from America Rising, LLC, a GOP opposition research group. On January 31 Daley received another in-kind contribution of $4,375 from the state GOP for “wages – campaign staff.”

Reports for Daley’s campaign activity since mid-February are not yet available, preventing the public from knowing what if any continuing support he is receiving directly from Republican Party as he campaigns for a nonpartisan office.

What is known however is that Daley has publicly changed his positions on issues to align himself with the wishes of Gov. Walker and the Republican Party and has publicly appealed for spending on his behalf from conservative special interest groups.

Ross concluded, “If James Daley is going to solicit the special interests and partisan political parties in his attempt to get elected the least he could do is get his stories straight and shoot straight with the public about what he’s up to and whose side he’s on.”