By Laura Conaway
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Fri Nov 4, 2011 6:48 PM EDT
A small-time donor to Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker filed papers today to recall him. This is the first day the recall process could begin. The Wisconsin Democratic Party had been planning to start its own Walker recall on November 15.
It turns out that today's filer, David Brandt of Muskego, gave the Walker campaign $50 last year. Mr. Brandt also gave the state GOP $38.25 this year, the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reports. Mr. Brandt is calling his campaign committee "Close Friends to Recall Walker." By establishing a committee, Mr. Brandt opens the way for Governor Walker to begin raising unlimited funds right away. State Democrats condemned the filing as a "ploy to bolster Scott Walker's recall campaign with unlimited special interest cash." In state senate recall elections this summer, Republicans stood fake Democrats in primaries to delay the process.
State Republican leaders tell the Milwaukee paper they have never heard of David Brandt before today. Another report, from Channel 3000, said the state GOP spokeswoman "twice refused to answer" whether the party had anything to do with today's filing.
In his papers (pdf), Mr. Brandt said he won't raise more than $1,000, which means he may be exempt from filing campaign finance reports. He also said he's doing this "to fulfill my friend's last request."
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