Liberal Milwaukee County Judge Janet Protasiewicz, one of four candidates vying for a seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court, has taken in nearly $2.2 million in campaign donations — much of it from big money, left-wing interests, according to a review of campaign finance statements.
Wisconsin voters head to the polls today in a primary election to winnow down to two the field of four — two liberals, two conservatives — for an ultimate showdown in April. That nationally watched election will determine whether conservatives or liberals control Wisconsin’s high court.
Protasiewicz definitely controls the money, according to the latest campaign finance reports. In the last two weeks alone, the court campaign’s money chase leader has brought in more than $530,000 in donations — the vast majority at $1,000 or more.
Protasiewicz raised $1.6 million between Jan. 1, 2022 and Feb. 8 of this year, and her 2.2 million total far outpaces her competitors,
As of Friday, Waukesha County Judge Jennifer Dorow, one of two conservatives running, reported a total of nearly $756,000 in contributions, according to her campaign finance reports. Former Supreme Court Justice Daniel Kelly, the other conservative in the race, has reported about $467,000 in donations. And liberal Dane County Judge Everett Mitchell has raised $223,319, according to his campaign finance filings.
Protasiewicz far outpaces her rivals in out-of-state donations, with about 44 percent of her campaign contributions coming from outside Wisconsin. That compares to about 19 percent for Kelly and 4.1 percent for Dorow.
Protasiewicz’s most recent filings show 10 donors giving the maximum $20,000 contribution. All of them are from out of state.
They include Stacy Schusterman, heiress and billionaire businesswoman. Schusterman is the daughter of oil executive Charles Schusterman and chair of Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Philanthropies. She has said the nonprofit has a codified commitment to “equity–defined as building societies in which all people have true access to resources and opportunities to realize their full potential as a core value.”
Lynn Schusterman also contributed the maximum $20,000 to Protasiewicz’s campaign.
Big-ticket contributors also include Jeffrey Lawson, billionaire CEO of cloud communications platform Twilio, James McClave, a big shot trader for Jane Street Capitol, a New York-based global liquidity provider and trading firm, Yaron Minsky, who heads the Technology group at Jane Street, and Sandor Lehoczky, described by The New York Times as a “star trader” for Jane Street.
Why so much money coming from key players at a trading firm The Financial Times has described as “one of the world’s largest market makers”? That’s not clear, but Jane Street Capitol has given a lot of money to political organizations, according to Open Secrets.
Also of interest, Allan “Bud” Selig, former commissioner of Major League Baseball and past owner of the Milwaukee Brewers, which is looking for hundreds of millions of dollars from the state for upgrades to its ballpark. Selig recently cut Protasiewicz’s campaign a $15,000 check.
The Democratic Party of Wisconsin also reported an in-kind contribution to the candidate.
“Liberal billionaires are setting up a pipeline of money to Milwaukee Judge Janet Protasiewicz because she supports the soft-on-crime policies of her former boss [Milwaukee County District Attorney] John Chisholm, and has promised to be a rubber stamp for the Democrats’ agenda,” Wisconsin Republican Party of Wisconsin Executive Director Mark Jefferson said in a statement. “That’s why Wisconsin law enforcement overwhelmingly stands with the conservative candidates for Supreme Court and the out of state billionaires favor the liberals, who will continue to let violent criminals run roughshod over our cities,” said Jefferson.
Collectively, Mitchell and Protasiewicz have less than 10 endorsements from law enforcement.
Meanwhile, Kelly’s campaign has most recently received maximum donations from Virginia attorney Leonard Leo, co-chair of the Federalist Society’s Board of Directors, and from Diane Hendricks, billionaire owner of ABC Supply Co. and a major donor to the Republican Party.
Dorow’s latest contributions include $5,000 from billionaire Stanley Stub Hubbard, chairman and chief executive officer of Hubbard Broadcasting.
– – –
M.D. Kittle is the National Political Editor for The Star News Network.
Photo “Janet Protasiewicz” by Janet for Justice. Background Photo “Wisconsin Supreme Court” by Daderot. CC0 1.0.
