# Wisconsin commission recommends felony charges against Trump fundraising organization

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wisconsin-commission-recommends-felony-charges-against-trump-fundraising-organization/997987>\
**Category:** Politics & Elections\
**Tags:** trump\
**Created:** [February 23, 2024, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wisconsin-commission-recommends-felony-charges-against-trump-fundraising-organization/997987 "2024-02-23T16:29:20Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\
**Post date:** [February 23, 2024, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wisconsin-commission-recommends-felony-charges-against-trump-fundraising-organization/997987/1 "2024-02-23T16:29:20Z")

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We’re gonna need a new thread for this one.

> **[Wisconsin ethics commission refers Trump fundraising arm for prosecution](https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/02/23/wisconsin-ethics-trump-fundraising-charges/?pwapi_token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJyZWFzb24iOiJnaWZ0IiwibmJmIjoxNzA4NjY0NDAwLCJpc3MiOiJzdWJzY3JpcHRpb25zIiwiZXhwIjoxNzEwMDQ2Nzk5LCJpYXQiOjE3MDg2NjQ0MDAsImp0aSI6ImQ2YjQzZDJjLWZjYjEtNDBlZi1hZGVjLTNiZmMyNTQzODYxYSIsInVybCI6Imh0dHBzOi8vd3d3Lndhc2hpbmd0b25wb3N0LmNvbS9wb2xpdGljcy8yMDI0LzAyLzIzL3dpc2NvbnNpbi1ldGhpY3MtdHJ1bXAtZnVuZHJhaXNpbmctY2hhcmdlcy8ifQ.SQu-6qdDGdlwSSJFLSHi_GfiVvvUBeV8ciZogvU0Rn0&itid=gfta)**
>
> The bipartisan body recommended felony charges against Donald Trump’s Save America committee as well as other Republicans.

My questions:  
-Does this include Trump personally?  
-Will this affect their fundraising in the immediate future?  
-What will be the political fallout of this charge?  
-Are we likely to see similar charges in other states?

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**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\
**Post date:** [February 23, 2024, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wisconsin-commission-recommends-felony-charges-against-trump-fundraising-organization/997987/2 "2024-02-23T17:16:18Z")

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I’m no campaign ethics lawyer, but I don’t see how this is different than what is done all the time, everywhere. Isn’t that the whole purpose of the party organizations? I get emails all the time from the DCCC asking for money, which I assume they give to candidates.

> Individuals and most political entities can give a maximum of $1,000 each to candidates for the Wisconsin Assembly under state law, but arms of political parties can give them unlimited amounts. The commission alleges Steen, Steen’s campaign and three county Republican parties arranged to sidestep campaign finance laws by having donors give money to one of the county parties, which would then steer it to Steen’s campaign or his vendors, according to the records released Friday.
> 
> Save America donated $15,000 to the county parties — $5,000 each to the Republican parties of Chippewa, Florence and Langlade counties.

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**Author:** ![Stratocaster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stratocaster/32/16393_2.png) [@Stratocaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stratocaster)\
**Post date:** [February 23, 2024, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wisconsin-commission-recommends-felony-charges-against-trump-fundraising-organization/997987/3 "2024-02-23T19:26:24Z")

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Sounds like money laundering to me. If there’s a non-public deal to send person A’s mega-$$$ through entities who aren’t subject to the restrictions on individuals’ contributions, that smells really bad.

If that’s legal, don’t even pretend the individual restrictions have any weight at all.