Yes, before he jets off to lecture at Stanford, Senator Feingold will be in Wisconsin as well.
And so will someone who fits the exact same description …
Hillary Clinton.
Clinton’s visit to Wisconsin is a reminder that Senator Feingold and Hillary Clinton share much in common – particularly scandals and hypocrisy.
Professor Feingold – who charges quite a bit for a lecture like Clinton, can feel free to share this analogy with his students:
Senator Feingold championing campaign finance reform: Feingold using his PAC as a slush fund: Hillary Clinton promising a transparent government: Clinton setting up a secret server.
BACKGROUND:
Feingold Used Money From Progressives United’s PAC And 501(c)(4) To Pay Himself And His Former Senate Staff:
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Just 5 Percent Of The Money Feingold’s Progressives United Raised Went Toward Candidates And Causes As He Paid Himself And His Former Senate Staff: “Former U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold — long a champion of campaign finance reform — founded a political action committee that has given a mere 5% of its income to federal candidates and political parties. Instead, nearly half of the $7.1 million that Progressives United PAC has spent since 2011 has gone to raising more money for itself, according to data compiled by OpenSecrets.org. The data also show the group has paid another sizable chunk of money on salaries or consulting fees for Feingold, his top aide and eight former staffers.” (Daniel Bice, “Russ Feingold’s PAC Funded Fees, Salaries For Former Staffers, Himself,” Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, 6/15/15)
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Progressives United PAC Paid Feingold $77,000 From Over Three Years. “Feingold and nine of his former campaign and U.S. Senate staffers drew salaries or consulting fees from the PAC, federal election records show. Five of them also spent time on the payroll of Progressives United Inc., the nonprofit. … Feingold received $77,000 from the two groups, one of which spent $42,609 to buy hundreds of copies of the ex-senator’s latest book, ‘While America Sleeps.’ A Feingold spokesman said the candidate received no royalties from book sales to his PAC under an agreement with his publisher.” (Daniel Bice, “Russ Feingold’s PAC Funded Fees, Salaries For Former Staffers, Himself,” Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, 6/15/15)
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The PAC and 501(c)(4) Were Used To Pay Other Feingold Staffers. “Mary Irvine — Feingold’s longtime chief of staff — was paid a total of $317,823 by the PAC and nonprofit from February 2011 until July 2013, when she left to take a job joining Feingold at the U.S. State Department. Irvine was listed on federal tax reports as vice president of Progressives United Inc.” (Daniel Bice, “Russ Feingold’s PAC Funded Fees, Salaries For Former Staffers, Himself,” Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, 6/15/15)
- Feingold’s PAC Was Used To Pay Members Of Current Campaign Staff. “Cole Leystra — Feingold’s campaign comptroller for seven years — was paid $291,112 by Feingold’s PAC and nonprofit since February 2011, the month after Feingold left public office. Nancy Ballweg — Feingold’s executive assistant at the Senate for 18 years — was paid $169,403 from his PAC since 2011. Her LinkedIn page says Ballweg also worked as a consultant to a Middleton dermatologist during much of this same period. Christopher Louderback — another veteran Feingold campaign staffer — pulled down $164,389 from the PAC and nonprofit, acting as the treasurer for both groups. Louderback now is listed as the assistant treasurer for Feingold’s U.S. Senate campaign fund, which was registered with the federal election officials last month.” (Daniel Bice, “Russ Feingold’s PAC Funded Fees, Salaries For Former Staffers, Himself,” Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, 6/15/15)
Feingold, A Critic Of Speaking Fees As Senator, Cashed In Out Of Office. "During his nearly two decades in Washington, D.C., former U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold fashioned himself as Mr. Clean — a lawmaker not interested in the perks of public office…But Feingold didn’t hesitate to trade in on his time as a D.C. lawmaker by taking such fees as soon as he could. From February 2012 to June 2013 — a window during which he was out of public office — Feingold collected $103,117 to make appearances on or give speeches to universities, think tanks and a liberal TV talk show, "Real Time with Bill Maher," according to federal filings. (Daniel Bice, “Russ Feingold, critic of speaking fees as senator, cashed in out of office,” Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, 8/17/15)
An August DSCC Fundraising Letter Sought Support For Russ Feingold. "…a fundraising letter sent to supporters in August by the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, signed by Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren. "If we pick up just four seats, we take back the majority. Some really incredible Democrats are already stepping up to run," the letter reads. "In Wisconsin, former Senator Russ Feingold — a strong and steadfast voice for the values we share — is running to return to the Senate in 2016." (Jessie Opoien, "Maybe Russ Feingold doesn’t care what we call him, after all," The Capital Times, 8/20/15)
- But In 1998, Feingold Ordered The DSCC To “Get The Hell Out Of My State” With Their Ads. “A week ago, Feingold clashed with Senate Minority Leader Thomas A. Daschle (D-S.D.) and Sen. Bob Kerrey (D-Neb.), chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, who wanted to pump $425,000 worth of Democratic ‘issue’ ads into the state to boost Feingold’s shaky prospects. Feingold ordered the national Democrats to ‘get the hell out of my state with those things.’” (Eric Pianin, “A Candidate’s Costly Pledge On Donations,” The Washington Post, 10/31/98)
In 2015, Russ Feingold Is Returning To His Teaching Job At Stanford University. “Mr. Feingold also said he would teach courses on law and international relations at Stanford University.” (Reid J. Epstein, "Russ Feingold, Noted Wisconsin Liberal, May Try to Reclaim His Senate Seat," The Wall Street Journal, 3/03/15)