Pantzlaff Plays Scapegoat For Failed Money Laundering Scheme

Andy Pantzlaff was the figurehead for the sketchy group called United Sportsman of Wisconsin, which turned out to be nothing but a money laundering operation that would have taken taxpayer dollars attained through a corrupt dealing by Scott Suder and Scott Walker and used it to funnel it back as campaign donations.  When the story broke open, Walker quickly distanced himself from the group and called off the grant - for now anyway.

Now we find that Pantzlaff has resigned from the state board that he sat on, which he used to channel the money to his group (no conflict of interest to see here, folks):

The head of the politically connected sportsmen’s group that won — and quickly lost — a $500,000 state grant after misrepresenting its tax-exempt status has resigned from his post on the state’s Sporting Heritage Council.

“With much regret I resign my position on the SHC,” United Sportsmen of Wisconsin president Andy Pantzlaff wrote Monday in a brief email to Scott Gunderson, the executive assistant at the state Department of Natural Resources.

The Sporting Heritage Council advises Gov. Scott Walker, the Natural Resources Board and Legislature on fishing, hunting and trapping issues. The 12-member council focuses on recruitment, retention and increasing access to resources and outdoor opportunities.

[...]

United Sportsmen has since issued a statement saying Pantzlaff had not consulted with the group’s legal counsel and “was mistaken about the exemption process.”

I would advise the gentle reader to not become too excited over this news. It is not justice being done. It is a red herring to distract one's attention from the fact that justice is indeed not being carried out.

For if there was justice, Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen would have stopped being the pathetic partisan troll that he is and would have arrested and charged Pantzlaff for attempted fraud. He would also have arrested and charged Suder for his role in the corruption.

Instead, Van Hollen is too busy trying to figure out a way to help divert the Freedom of Information Act, claiming that it somehow does not apply to ALEC-owned politicians.

In fact, I would not be surprised if we learn that the grant money was doled out to a group called Wisconsin's United Sportsmen who was controlled by a man named Randy Pantzlaff.

All of which Scott Walker will do his best Sergeant Schultz - and what might be one of the few true statements Walker has ever made - "I know nothink!"

Our Media Needs Your Help!

By Jeff Simpson

Our friend Blue Cheddar, pointed out that now that we have gory details on the incompetence, lack of ethics and morals of the Wisconsin republican party, in the United Sportsman debacle,  the mainstream media is doing their best to whitewash the story!

Like this gem from the Wisconsin State Journal:

Or this one from WMTV TV 15 in Madison :




Ok Coggies, this is where the media needs OUR help. They obviously have a headline writer who has no idea whats happening in Wisconsin.

Help them out:

YOU write the headline for the United Sportsman story:


Go! 

Robin Vos Runs!

By Jeff Simpson

NO...Robin Vos is not running from his oath as a married man that he swore before God twice(at least) - He already has done that twice(at least)!  Nor is he looking to run for Governor....he knows he has no chance!

No Robin Vos is running from responsibility, again.  He is trying very hard to distance himself(and his party) from the debacle that is the United Sportsmen Scandal.

However, it is not working.  As typical, when Robin Vos speaks, ethics go flying out the window! 

First some background on United Sportsmen.

Scott Suder wrote a grant of WI taxpayer money into the last budget.  This money was written specifically for one group, a bunch of old Suder Staffers and republican donors.  It was for the sum of $500,000 and it was also written to give this group a sum of $250,000 annually for as far as we could see.

The problem was, that as is typical for the WI republicans, the former Suder staffers were not qualified in any sort of useful talent to actually justify such a payment, so Suder disguised it as a fishing and hunting grant.  Then Suder resigned his position to take another government position to double dip and help pad his WI taxpayer provided pension by joining the Walker Administration.  

Almost from the minute he wrote this horrendous piece of WI taxpayer theft, (it was debated all of 7 minutes then quickly passed by the Joint Finance Committee),  there were major problems.

First, as is par for the course for Wisconsin republicans, they lied from the start.  First about their tax exempt status. 

 - A sportsmen's group is apologizing for misleading lawmakers and the public about its federal nonprofit status in winning a controversial $500,000 grant to promote hunting and fishing. 

The Journal Sentinel reported on Friday that the United Sportsmen of Wisconsin Foundation Inc. appeared to be improperly claiming a federal tax-exempt status during the process of receiving a grant to promote hunting and fishing in the state.

 OOPS....But whats a little lying to the legislature amongst friends, because there is more.   Then Suder said the legislation was incredibly important for the future of hunting in WISCONSIN.

In an interview, Suder said the grant would help to avert a "looming crisis" for hunting and fishing and ensure the future of those pastimes in the state.

 The problem here?  His good friend, the former head of AFP-WI and former Suder staffer Luke Hilgemann does not EVEN LIVE IN WISCONSIN!

Hard to ward off a "looming crisis" in WI when you live in Burke, Virginia.

Not ones to be deterred by minor details such as this, they plodded on.  As regular readers know, there is ALWAYS more. 

The head of United Wisconsin, the hunting training experts, Andy Pantzlaff, was cited for illegal hunting AND lied to the DNR about it. 

OOPS. 

This turned out to be the final straw, as hard as he tried to give his friends $500,000 of OUR money, after this latest guffaw, the 2016 pretend presidential contender had to draw a line somewhere.   The final straw was probably main cheerleader the JSONLINE editorial board even asked their boy Scott Walker to rescind the money.

 As the saying goes, when you lose the JSONLINE editorial board....

So finally Cathy Stepp had to be drug, kicking and screaming, to stop the ridiculous payment. 

In a statement, Department of Natural Resources Secretary Cathy Stepp said she spoke with Walker on Thursday and he canceled the grant to United Sportsmen, which had been aimed at promoting the state's sporting heritage. Instead, Walker ordered the DNR to find other means to achieve that goal.

"We also agreed that it is essential for any organization that receives financial support from the state to have the trust of the public in its capabilities to produce concrete results. Even though United Sportsmen of Wisconsin Foundation Inc. did and does still meet the statutory criteria established by the Legislature for the grant award, the governor asked me to not finalize the grant award. I will honor this request and fully support this decision," Stepp said.

DNR Secretary Stepp, really really wanted to give them the money.  I get it though, they are all friends and im sure her friends at United Sportsmen already had that money spent!   

Its a tough thing for people like Hilgemann, havin to tell his wife the vacation to Hawaii this winter has to be called off for now.  

Now back to Robin Vos, who took time away from his paramour and attacking the UW  System to weigh in( Those paying attention will notice, that the longer Robin Vos has power the more arrogant he gets, but thats another blog).

What did Robin Vos have to say?  Exactly what you would think he had to say.   It was not his fault!

Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, said former Rep. Scott Suder, who recently stepped down as majority leader to take a job with the Public Service Commission, took the lead in adding the grant to the 2013-15 state budget.
Gov. Scott Walker asked DNR Secretary Cathy Stepp late Thursday to rescind the grant.
Vos said he “was not directly involved” in adding the language, which resulted in only one group, which has political connections to Suder, applying for the grant.
 

Vos is only the leader of the party and the head of the power joint finance committee that passed the amendment allowing this theft of WI taxpayer money but he was "not involved".   I'm guessing the party tries to cut him out of as many decisions as possible.    The party of "personal responsibility" is trying desperately to shirk the blame.   I am surprised in the article that Vos did not find a way to blame Obamacare.  

The light shone on the cockroachs and everyone went scrambling and two people who deserved much scorn and have escaped all scrutiny are Neil Kedzie and Al Ott.  

The five-member Sporting Heritage Committee is scheduled to meet Thursday in Madison to review the application.

The committee is composed of Gunderson, DNR executive assistant; Sen. Neal Kedzie (R-Elkhorn), chairman of the Senate Natural Resources Committee; Rep. Al Ott (R-Forest Junction), chairman of the Assembly Natural Resources Committee; and Mark LaBarbera of Hazel Green and Bill Torhorst of Oregon, both appointed to the committee by the DNR.

 Both of these "fiscal conservatives" could not give our money to their friends fast enough, no questions asked!  

My dream is that maybe one day, a reporter in the state will point out how truly not conservative, the Wisconsin "conservatives" are!

The Wisconsin republican party are NOT "fiscal conservatives", they are fiscal opportunists and its costing us all dearly! 



 

Walker Falls Short On Corrupt Sweetheart Deal

Last week, I reported on the corrupt sweetheart deal that Scott Walker and his Teapublican allies in the state legislature was in the process of signing off on.  In a nutshell, what Walker and the Teapublicans were trying to do was give a never-ending stream of taxpayer money to a thinly-veiled political action group.

The mainstream media finally caught on that something wasn't up to snuff and did something I had thought they might have forgotten how - investigative journalism.

First, it was found that the group misrepresented itself, claiming to have a tax-exempt status which they do not have:

The group, which has close ties to Republican politicians and other conservative organizations, now says its president, Andy Pantzlaff, was confused when he told state committee last week that United Sportsmen had been approved by the federal Internal Revenue Service as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. United Sportsmen has also stated that on its letterhead in a letter to the state.

"Mr. Pantzlaff did not speak directly with the foundation’s counsel concerning the 501(c)(3) status, and was mistaken about the exemption process," a statement issued by the group reads. "There was no intent to mislead anyone and, in fact, the 501(c)(3) is not required for the purposes of the current grant application with the state of Wisconsin. The foundation apologizes for any confusion caused by this misunderstanding."

Despite this, Walker's DNR toady Cathy Stepp sent them a check for $50,000 anyway.

It was also learned that Andy Pantzlaff, president of the fraudulent group was convicted of hunting without the proper license. Keep in mind that the money-give away to this group was so that they could teach people how to hunt properly.  That would be like Robin Vos and Michele Litjens teaching people how to preserve their marriages through fidelity.

Finally, one of Walker's handlers must have finally smacked him up side the head and pointed out that this was becoming rather problematic and would have a negative effect on both of his campaigns (gubernatorial and presidential).  I say this because Walker reluctantly announced that he was stopping the taxpayer-funded campaign revenue stream (emphasis mine):

Gov. Scott Walker late Thursday canceled a controversial $500,000 grant to a sportsmen's group with little training experience but close ties to GOP politicians.

The decision was announced only hours after the Journal Sentinel asked state officials about a 2005 case in which the president of the United Sportsmen of Wisconsin Foundation Inc. was cited for hunting with an improper license.

In a statement, Department of Natural Resources Secretary Cathy Stepp said she spoke with Walker on Thursday and he canceled the grant to United Sportsmen, which had been aimed at promoting the state's sporting heritage. Instead, Walker ordered the DNR to find other means to achieve that goal.

"We also agreed that it is essential for any organization that receives financial support from the state to have the trust of the public in its capabilities to produce concrete results. Even though United Sportsmen of Wisconsin Foundation Inc. did and does still meet the statutory criteria established by the Legislature for the grant award, the governor asked me to not finalize the grant award. I will honor this request and fully support this decision," Stepp said.

This will not do. This group, especially its leader, committed fraud. They should not only not get the money, they need to return the $50,000 that Stepp already gave them. Furthermore, because they tried to commit fraud, they need to be charged for the crime - and in a real court of law, not one of the DNR's rinky dink slap-on-the-wrist pantomimes.

Don't hold your breath for that to happen any time soon.  Under the current regime, corruption is not only acceptable, it is encouraged.

Ah, but wait, there's more.  There's always more.

As I pointed out in my article, as Walker was trying to arrange this money-laundering scheme, he was also manipulating things so that this false front group would have digs in the Mackenzie Center.

Sure enough, the same DNR that was going to give the fraudsters all that money had decided to deny the bid from Wisconsin Wildlife Federation - the only bid they received - to keep running the center (again, emphasis mine):

The Department of Natural Resources has rejected the only bid it received - from current tenant Wisconsin Wildlife Federation - to run the MacKenzie Environmental Education Center in Poynette.

Instead, the agency will run the facility itself, according to a Thursday statement.

And contrary to its stated intentions when it opened the bid process in February, the DNR will very likely increase its spending on the center, an agency official acknowledged.

The DNR said to "address a nationwide decline in hunting, angling and trapping, we will begin work to develop a new outdoor skills curriculum" at the center.

Wow! Now isn't that just coincidental!

As I said before, this whole thing was a scheme to give this front group a flow of taxpayer money to use for helping keep Walker in elected office so that his corporate masters could continue to pillage the land unabated. To do so, Walker was also going to give the Mackenzie Center to this group as a false address for them to work out of.  They were counting on people not to pay attention.

And don't think for a minute that this is over.

Given Walker's modus operandi, he will find another patsy in the legislature to again get this money to be secretly sent to another front group, in the hopes that they can continue with the plan of using it for political purposes.

Heck, the way things are going in this state, I wouldn't be surprised if someone goes to the Mackenzie Center on January 2nd and find some private security guards walking around in camouflage and with assault rifles.  And I wouldn't be surprised if the corporate media turns its collective head and whistles while it looks the other way.