Wisconsin Supreme Court candidate Vince Megna called on his two opponents to turn down campaign contributions from individuals and groups from out of state Monday.
Megna, a Milwaukee lemon law attorney, said he made the request to Justice Pat Roggensack and Marquette University law professor Ed Fallone because he is “disgusted” by the amount of outside money that has flowed into recent state elections and wants to ensure the campaign remains about the people of Wisconsin alone.
The move comes just days after new campaign finance reports revealed the incumbent Roggensack holds a significant fundraising advantage over her challengers. According to those filings, the Roggensack campaign had more than $55,000 cash on hand at the end of 2012, compared to $6,900 for Megna and $5,400 for Fallone.
Roggensack campaign adviser Brandon Scholz dismissed Megna’s request as a political stunt, adding that judicial candidates are not legally allowed to solicit donations for their own campaigns.
“This is a typical political attack from candidates who can't raise money for their own campaign,” Scholz said.
Fallone also signaled that he would not agree to Megna’s proposal.
“I’ve instructed my campaign to comply fully with the law on campaign contributions and I don’t see any reason to deviate from that,” Fallone said.
The two candidates who emerge with the most votes in the Feb. 19 primary will move on to face each other in the April 2 general election. The winner will serve a ten-year term on the state’s highest court.
