Reynolds,
Petrie & Stocking threaten storyhill.net
Oct.
23 -- State Sen. Tom Reynolds and the Petrie
& Stocking law firm are threatening to sue storyhill.net
over a story about Reynolds' campaign fund that appeared
on the site.
The
threat "is a blatant attempt to intimidate a constitutent,"
said storyhill.net editor Gretchen Schuldt. "It's
absurd. Reynolds and Petrie & Stocking can't even
get their own story straight."
A
copy of the threat letter was sent to the Story Hill
Neighborhood Association as well.
"I'm
surprised that Petrie & Stocking would stoop to
such low-rent bully tactics," Schuldt said.
The
storyhill.net
posting reported that individuals were considering filing
complaints with the State Elections Board over Reynolds'
use of campaign funds to pay for some utility costs
at his headquarters, which he lists on his campaign
finance reports as his home.
The
story reported that using campaign funds for private
purposes is illegal, but did not accuse Reynolds of
doing that.
Reynolds
Reynolds'
lawyer, Petrie & Stocking attorney Thomas Frenn,
said last week that Reynolds (R-West Allis) would sue
unless the utility story is retracted. Schuldt owns
the site, and operates it on a volunteer basis.
"Unless
a retraction is published on the Story Hill Website
and in any other posted location of your statements,
Mr. Reynolds will sue you and the owner of the website
for libel and slander," Frenn wrote.
Frenn
erroneously said Schuldt accused Reynolds of violating
election laws.
Dawn
Martin, a Reynolds' constituent, did file a complaint
about the utility payments with the State Elections
Board. Martin also is Milwaukee County Democratic Party
treasurer. In addition, Reynolds does list his campaign
address as his home.
Reynolds
contends, however, that his campaign headquarters is
really another building, but just which one is unclear.
Frenn
said last week the headquarters was on the same property
as Reynolds' house at 9430 W. Schlinger Ave.
Reynolds,
though, issued a statement that said his campaign headquarters
was behind another building he owns at 9500 W. Schlinger
Ave.
"Frenn
even said that the Reynolds' home itself is 'equipped
with items to run his campaign including printing presses,'
" Schuldt said. "I think Frenn meant to say
the the equipment is in the headquarters, wherever they
eventually decide that is. I'm just wondering now if
Frenn is going to threaten to sue himself."
Schuldt
said sending the threat letter to the Story Hill Neighborhood
Association was a clear effort to suppress free discussion
in a well-organized neighborhood.
"The
only reason to disseminate that letter to the association
is to say 'watch what you say or we'll go after you
next,' " she said. "It's almost Halloween,
but I don't think either the Democrats or Republicans
in Story Hill are very scared."
The
entire flap only raised a new question about Reynolds'
campaign finance report, Schuldt said.
"Reynolds
says he uses a building that has heat, electricity and
maybe even printing presses for his campaign,"
she said. "He told the Milwaukee Journal
Sentinel he uses it almost exclusively for
campaign purposes. Yet there's no rent listed on Reynolds'
campaign finance report, nor is there an in-kind donation
listed for the fair market value of use of whatever
building we're talking about. We have asked Mr. Frenn
why that might be."
State
law requires candidates to report contributions of value,
whether they are cash or in-kind donations.
"We
do hope someone at Petrie & Stocking will help Mr.
Frenn understand that we are not accusing anyone of
anything," Schuldt said. "We are just asking
the question."
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Reynolds
criticizes Milwaukee legislators
North side families barely exist,
he says
Oct.
5, 2006 -- State legislators from Milwaukee's
north side "were more concerned with preserving"
social services than they were with restoring strong
families, State Sen. Tom Reynolds (R-West Allis) said
Wednesday evening.
Reynolds,
responding to a question about safety in the city, said
he met with north side legislators, but they resisted
his attempts to engage them in his ideas for improving
their constituents' family situations.
Tom Reynolds
(R-West Allis)
"You
go on the north side of the city of Milwaukee,"
he said during a debate with Democratic challenger Jim
Sullivan. "You find that families barely...even
exist."
The
debate, held at Grace Community Church in West Allis,
drew about 75 people. Reynolds attends the church, and
the debate was governed by ground
rules developed by the incumbent.
There
were few fireworks during the event, though the candidates
clearly differed on the issues. The two are vying for
the 5th District Senate seat. The 5th District includes
Story Hill.
Sullivan,
for example, said the state needed to invest in a broad
variety of energy alternatives, including biomass, wind
energy, and clean coal plants, while Reynolds touted
just one energy alternative: nuclear power.
Jim
Sullivan (D-Wauwatosa)
Reynolds
said he would push legislation to site nuclear energy
in the state. Reynolds said he had not fully researched
the issue of how to dispose of nuclear waste, adding
that researchers are "coming up with waste that
is less and less detrimental."
Sullivan,
a Wauwatosa alderman, said he supported exploring the
possibilities of nuclear energy. The waste disposal
issue "is a critical limit to that particular technology,"
he said.
The
two candidates also took opposite stands on amending
the state constitution to limit local property tax increases.
Reynolds
cited a list of what he said were state legislators
convicted of crimes.
"In
Madison, there are people without internal constraints,"
he said.
Sullivan
said that Reynolds' argument was a good reason for not
enacting local tax limits -- local governments manage
budgets better than the state does.
Sullivan
took a few shot at some of Reynolds' past proposals,
such as building an autobahn between Madison and Milwaukee.
"That
shows a disconnect, particularly with road building
and public works budgets," Sullivan said.
Reynolds,
for his part, said he wanted to strengthen the Transportation
Projects Commission, which is supposed to review and
approve major highway projects, but that is often side-stepped
by state legislators.
"This
is a commission that has never been fully utilized because
of the pressure of the road builders," Reynolds
said.
On
another topic, Sullivan said he opposed the "marriage
amendment" that will be on the Nov. 7 ballot. The
proposed amendment that residents will vote on reads:
"Only
a marriage between one man and one woman shall be
valid or recognized as a marriage in this state. A
legal status identical or substantially similar to
that of marriage for unmarried individuals shall not
be valid or recognized in this state."
Sullivan
said he opposed the measure, in part, because it would
have a "disproportionate impact on seniors"
and would affect things like hospital visitation.
He
also said he was concerned the amendment was an effort
to drive up the conservative vote by people who would
"try and find something out there to appeal to
sort of the worst angels of our nature."
Reynolds,
focusing on same-sex relationships, said it is "a
crazy day trying to call that type of relationship a
marriage. It's just not right."
Sullivan
said he opposed proposals that would allow residents
to carry concealed weapons, but that he believes they
have the right to own guns for sport, hunting, and to
protect their homes.
Reynolds
did not directly address the topic, but has supported
such proposals in the Legislature. Reynolds also has
accepted $500 in donations from the Wisconsin Concealed
Carry Movement from Jan. 1, 2005 through June 30, 2006.
While
Sullivan said he wanted the district to return to the
"responsible moderation," Reynolds said he
would continue to represent the "conservative values"
of the district.
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Complaint
eyed over Reynolds' utility bill payments
Sept.
27, 2006 -- The campaign of Democratic state
senate candidate Jim Sullivan said a complaint may be
filed with the State Elections Board over State Sen.
Tom Reynolds' use of campaign funds to pay utility costs
for his campaign headquarters -- which Reynolds lists
as his home.
"It's
just the whole ethics question," Sullivan campaign
manager Lewis Rosser said. "How ethical is that?"
It
is illegal to use campaign funds for non-campaign purposes
Rosser
said Wednesday the Sullivan campaign would not file
the complaint, but had been contacted by others who
may do so. A decision likely will be made by the end
of the week, he said.
Rosser
clarified on Wednesday remarks he made Monday indicating
the Sullivan campaign may file a complaint. That was
never the intent, he said.
"No
wonder he (Reynolds) is having trouble raising money,"
Rosser said, adding that potential donors might be turned
off by how Reynolds is using his campaign fund.
Sullivan,
a Wauwatosa alderman, is seeking to unseat incumbent
Tom Reynolds (R-West Allis) in the race for the 5th
District state senate seat.
The
5th District includes Story Hill.
Robert
Dohnal, publisher of The Conservative Digest and a close
ally of Reynolds, said the payments actually were to
cover the costs of electricity used to run printing
equipment for campaign and other materials.
"It
is irrelevant where the machines are located, the electricty
(sic) and use has to be logged for any campaign or fundraising
for which they are used," Dohnal wrote in an e-mail
to the blog Milwaukee Rising.* "Since Reynolds
is constantly using them for fundraisng (sic) letters,
invites to other events that cannot be state business
he must report that use otherwise he would get ited
(sic) by the state. When these things come up he confers
with the election and ethics board.. Wwhenever (sic)
the liberals cannot debate the real issues of education,
taxes, immigration, transportation they resort to vicious
personal smears."
Reynolds
has spent $2,564 from his campaign fund on utility bills
since Sept. 2002. The 40 payments range from $23.42
to $239.85.Reynolds said on campaign finance reports
that most were for his campaign headquarters.
The
Reynolds' campaign gave the following explanations for
the utility spending on its finance reports:
- "Electric
bill," listed three times.
- "Campaign
headquarters utilities," listed three times.
- "Electric
and heat for headquarters," listed once.
- "Electric
expense," listed once;
- "Electric/gas
for campaign headquarters," listed once;
- "Gas
and electric for campaign headquarters," listed
twice;
- "Gas
and electric for campaign office," listed once;
- "Gas/electric
bill for campaign headquarters," listed once;
- "Heat
and electricity for office space," listed once
- "Utilities
for campaign headquarters," listed 23 times;
and
- "Utilities
for campaign office," listed three times.
Update
on Oct. 22, 2006 -- The story changes: Tom
Frenn, a lawyer for Tom Reynolds, said last week that
Reynolds' campaign did not pay utility costs for Reynolds'
house.
"Tom
Reynolds has his campaign office on the same property
as his home, which is equipped with those items to
run his campaign including printing presses,"
he wrote in a letter.
Reynolds
now says, however, the utility payments were not for
a separate campaign headquarters at 9500 W. Schlinger
Ave.
"In
the back of 9500 West Schlinger Avenue there is a
warehouse building which is used as a campaign headquarters.
These are the WE Energy bills which are paid from
my campaign treasury," he said in a press release.
*Full
disclosure: storyhill.net editor Gretchen Schuldt writes
for Milwaukee Rising
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