Story originally printed in the Vernon Broadcaster or online at www.vernonbroadcaster.com
Published - Wednesday, May 07, 2008
Political advertising gaffe leads to citation
The Vernon County District Attorney’s office reported Tuesday that a group that paid for a political advertisement in two Vernon County newspapers prior to the April general election will receive a citation
The citation was issued because the group did not disclose the name of its treasurer in the ad.
The group, Citizens for Agriculture and Friends of the Environment, (C.A.F.E.), through it' s representative, James Mlsna, of Hillsboro has been issued a forfeiture citation pursuant to sec. 11.30(2)(b).
While CAFE’s advertisement, which ran in late March, included its name, it did not include Mlsna’s name. Mlsna said he is the group’s treasurer.
The Wisconsin State Statute in question says, “Every such communication the cost of which is paid for or reimbursed by a committee or group, or for which a committee or group assumes responsibility, whether by the acceptance of a contribution or by the making of a disbursement, shall be identified by the words ‘Paid for by’ followed by the name of the committee or group making the payment or reimbursement or assuming responsibility for the communication and the name of the treasurer or other authorized agent of such committee or group.”
The district attorney’s office received a complaint regarding the ad from Tom Wilson, a candidate who ran in the April general election. The CAFE ad supported a slate of candidates. The missing name of the treasurer of CAFE raised the legal question, another candidate, George Wilbur, said as Wilson was forming his complaint.
“The attempt to influence our local elections by last- minute anonymous ads should not be tolerated,” Wilbur, formerly the county’s district attorney, said.
The ad ran in both the Vernon County Broadcaster and La Farge Episcope newspapers.
The maximum penalty is a fine of not more than $500. The initial court appearance for Mlsna is May 27 at 9 a.m.
All stories copyright 2006 Vernon Broadcaster and other attributed sources.