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Out-of-state donors giving in Wisconsin

MADISON, Wis., Dec. 17 (UPI) -- Political money has been flowing into Wisconsin on both sides of the battle to recall Republican Gov. Scott Walker, state records show.

Figures released Friday show the Democratic Party of Wisconsin has raised $1.18 million since July, The State Journal reported. About 60 percent of the donors are from out of state, and have contributed 30 percent of the total.

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Walker has been doing much better at fundraising. He reported Thursday he has raised $5.1 million, setting a record for one candidate in a single quarter -- with 50 percent of it out-of-state money.

"There was a time when getting just 10 percent of your money from out of state would have raised serious eyebrows," said Mike McCabe, executive director of the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign. "We simply have never seen campaigns rely so heavily on outside money."

Walker's successful effort to get a law banning most collective bargaining by public employee unions sparked the recall effort -- but it also made him a hero to many conservatives across the country.

Walker's campaign and the Republican State Committee filed a lawsuit Thursday in Waukesha County targeting recall petitions, the Wisconsin Journal Sentinel reported. The lawsuit asks a judge to order the Government Accountability Board to scrutinize the petitions for duplicates and other invalid signatures.

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Recall supporters said this week they had collected 500,000 signatures and were close to getting enough to force an election.

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