LA CROSSE (WXOW) – The La Crosse County Democratic Party has filed two ethics complaints with the Wisconsin Ethics Commission. The complaints target the La Crosse County Republican Party and County Board Candidate Robert Haines for alleged improper campaign transactions.
According to the La Crosse County Democratic Party, the County Republican Party provided $500 to Robert Haines before he registered his campaign. Haines then did not file a required campaign finance report by the January 15 deadline, which should have noted the transaction.
“This is about transparency and ensuring that everyone plays by the same rules,” said Wyatt Molling, chairman of the La Crosse County Democratic Party in a press release. “If the Democratic Party wants to give money to local candidates, we dot every ‘i’ and cross every ‘t’ to make sure we’re following the law.”
Molling emphasized the importance of campaign finance rules as safeguards against corruption and called for a full audit of Haines’s campaign finances to ensure compliance with all laws.
The complaints also highlight that the County Republican Party wrongfully transferred $3,500 to seven county board candidates, including Haines, by giving money directly to them rather than to their campaign committees. Other candidates involved include Josh Dirks, Kevin Decker, Jeff Fimreite, Jack Pogreba, Chris Muller, and Ken Johnson.