Corporate money flowing to political parties and it will only get worse

Expert says corporations are “greasing the wheels
each way” for Republicans and Democrats

The corporate donations are big and only going to get bigger this year. That’s the view of Matt Rothschild, who directs the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign.

He’s alarmed by the nearly $300,000 that corporate donors had already dumped into Wisconsin elections in the first four months of this year.

The biggest spender so far, according to the group, is Wisconsin Beer Distributors. 

It’s just been recently that corporations were allowed to make any political donations. Those donations now are limited to $12,000 per group. They’re still not permitted to donate directly to candidates. But Rothschild said the flow of money from corporations to political parties and committees will surge now that the primary is over. 

Most of that money will go to the Republicans, though Democrats will get plenty.

“(Corporations) have a preference for Republicans but they’re going to win either way – that’s how rigged the system is,” Rothchild said. “They’re going to win if a Democrat manages to win for governor for two years or if a Republican manages to hold on.

“They’re just greasing the wheels every which way.” 

Wisconsin Beer Distributors has spent $24,000 on Republicans and $12,000 on Democrats.

“They may be setting records,” Rothchild said. “They’re setting records already with this corporate money and there may be records with this dark money, where we don’t even know where the money is coming from.” 

Rothchild expects the pace of spending to quicken substantially.

“For 110 years it was illegal in Wisconsin – going back to the era of fighting Bob La Follette – and now we’re back to the throwing money around by corporations into the political system is fine and dandy evidently,” Rothchild said. “It used to be in Wisconsin that no person or entity could give more than $10,000 aggregate. Now, these guys are throwing money around like its going out of business.”