Connect the Dots: Indicted Felon Scott Jensen Still Pulling the Strings for Assembly GOP?

MADISON – While he awaits retrial on several felony misconduct in office charges, former Assembly Republican Speaker Scott Jensen is apparently spending his time campaigning for Assembly Republicans. Jensen currently works for Alliance for Choice in Education, which is affiliated with the Michigan-based group All Children Matter that is now running political swift boat attacks against Assembly Democratic candidates in Wisconsin.

All Children Matter was fined $5.2 million for illegally assisting Republicans in Ohio, and has returned to Wisconsin with a series of negative ads and mailings designed to help Republican Assembly candidates. The group has given over $130,000 to Republican legislative candidates in Wisconsin, and is also currently under investigation by the Wisconsin Government Accountability Board for an illegal campaign mailing sent to the 21st Senate District in 2006.

“This isn’t rocket science; anyone with a computer and some free time can connect the dots. I just don’t understand how Scott Jensen and the groups he is associated with can continually break the law and get away with it,” said Joe Wineke, Chair of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin. “At some point, there has to be some justice.  At some point, the legal system has to hold these people accountable. If not, these baseless negative attacks will be a part of Wisconsin elections forever.”

Today, Wineke outlined the connections between the Jensen group and All Children Matter, based in Grand Rapids, Michigan, who have been roundly criticized for sending out millions of dollars in false and misleading ads in Wisconsin this fall. Wineke also questioned whether the connection between the two groups constituted a violation of federal election laws.

According to research compiled by the Democratic Party, All Children Matter Executive Director Greg Brock paid a $750 registration fee to Jensen’s organization in 2006, the same year his group was also running attack ads against Wisconsin Democrats. The two groups are also connected through the Board of Directors of Jensen’s organization. According to its website, Betsy DeVos – whose husband and Amway founder Dick DeVos founded All Children Matter — is a board member for Alliance for School Choice. The DeVos family are widely known to be the primary financial backers of All Children Matter.

“We already know that All Children Matter has broken the law in the past and it appears they may be doing it again,” said Wineke. “In 2006 they received the biggest fine for illegal political activity in history, $5.2 million, for illegally funneling money to Republican candidates in Ohio. They are also currently under investigation by the Wisconsin Government Accountability Board for an illegal campaign mailing sent to the 21st Senate District in 2006.”