During the county executive campaign, we learned of Abele's habitual violations.
For example:
Chris Abele: Parking Tickets
Chris Abele: OWI
Chris Abele: Fireworks
Chris Abele: Tax Lien
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports that Abele not only had a history of dismissing the rules, but it's still a pattern he follows.
Abele's campaign solicited from county employees
Milwaukee County Executive Chris Abele's campaign improperly solicited donations from county employees, seeking their attendance at a $50-per-person fundraiser held at Abele's home, an Abele campaign aide said Wednesday.
Abele said he was unaware of the county ban and would do whatever was necessary to ensure such solicitations won't happen again.
"I want to avoid even the appearance of impropriety," Abele said. Soliciting campaign contributions from county workers "sends the wrong message," he said. "I certainly in no way expect, nor have I asked, nor would I ever ask, any employee to support anyone other than someone they felt good with."
Patrick Gurasci, a campaign aide to Abele, took responsibility for what he called a mistake and said the telephone solicitation for a barbecue fundraiser at Abele's Lake Drive mansion on Monday had likely been made to about 30 to 40 county staffers. Gurasci said an automated phone call inviting people to the event came from a list of Abele supporters, as well as others.
The barbecue fundraiser was also listed on Abele's campaign website as his "Annual BBQ with Chris Abele." It suggested donations of $50 for supporters to $3,000 for his "executive's circle." There was no intention of targeting county staffers in the solicitation, Gurasci said.
He said the campaign so far had discovered only one $100 donation from one county employee and his spouse from the Monday event. The money was returned, Gurasci said. That donation was from Jeff Bentoff, Abele's spokesman and deputy chief of staff, and Bentoff's wife, Julie Penman, a former Milwaukee city official.
...Violations of the county ethics code carry fines of up to $1,000.
Assistant District Attorney Bruce Landgraf said he hadn't received any complaints about donation solicitations under the county ordinance. In similar instances of violations of campaign law that appear inadvertent and were corrected by the candidate, "we have considered that it was a good faith mistake," Landgraf said.
Good grief.
Abele was in violation of the county ethics code but the violation of campaign law appears to be inadvertent. It was a "good faith mistake."
When did the Journal Sentinel ever cut Scott Walker this kind of slack?
The newspaper would have tarred and feathered Walker for soliciting from county employees.
Abele is extremely inexperienced. But don't his aides have a bit more awareness of something like the county ethics code?
Apparently not.
No problem. The liberal media aren't troubled with Abele being caught soliciting from county employees.
Abele just made a tiny "good faith mistake."
