MADISON, Wis. — Did Rep. Bob Donovan (R-Greenfield) get sign-off from state ethics regulators or other legal approval before paying himself thousands of dollars in campaign funds to help cover his housing costs? Based on a request made to his state legislative office by A Better Wisconsin Together under the state open records law, the answer appears to be “no.”
“Rep. Donovan took almost $6,000 in special interest donors’ money to pay himself for housing costs, apparently with no idea if it was even legal,” commented A Better Wisconsin Together Deputy Director Mike Browne. “No wonder he was scrambling to cover up what he was doing as soon as his scam got exposed in the media.”
As first reported in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Donovan was paying himself $850 every month out of campaign account for housing costs after he rented an apartment to have a residence in the state assembly district he represents while also maintaining a home outside of the district.
In response to a request from ABWT under the state open records law for “… any ethics or legal guidance you or your staff sought or received regarding using campaign funds for housing expenses” Donovan’s office responded that they “… have no records responsive to your request.”
According to state law, politicians are prohibited from using their campaign funds to pay for personal expenses. At an August meeting of the state Ethics Board, commissioners unanimously adopted a formal opinion that campaign funds may not be used to purchase computer equipment or pay for cell phones if any portion of the usage is personal.
Browne noted that this is not the first time Rep. Donovan has found himself in ethical hot water as a public official. As detailed in another recent story in Urban Milwaukee, Donovan was previously investigated by and reached a deal with the office of the U.S. Attorney in Milwaukee for mixing campaign funds and personal and family business that included him paying thousands of dollars as a penalty.
He concluded, “While Rep. Donovan is scrambling to cover up what he did and refusing to answer questions about his housing scam, everything points to him either being ignorant of the law or willing to ignore it. Neither is acceptable from an elected official.”
