Big Donors Like Justice Ziegler

Annette Ziegler

Almost three-quarters of money raised last year by Supreme Court Justice Annette Ziegler‘s campaign came through donations of $1,000 or more, campaign records show.

Ziegler raised $373,106 last year and had $288,920 on hand at the end of 2016, according to her January finance report.

Ziegler is unopposed in the April 4 election.

Ziegler received 86 donations of $1,000 or more in 2016. Those large donations totaled $267,800, or almost three-quarters of the amount her campaign raised, record show. Twelve donors kicked in $10,000 or more.

Ziegler accepted $1,000 from the Wisconsin Bankers Association PAC, according to the January report. The Association is one of the corporate lobbying groups that signed a letter to Gov. Scott Walker urging him to grant pay raises to Ziegler and other judges in the state.

The charts below show only individual donations of $1,000 or more. Multiple donations totaling $1,000 or more are not included. The Realtors Political Action Committee, the political arm of the Wisconsin Realtors Association, for instance, made three $500 donations to Ziegler’s campaign on June 23, for a total of $1,500. Those donations are not shown. The Realtors Association also signed on to the letter asking Walker to give raises to judges.

Auto dealer Michael Darrow‘s June 15 $1,000 contribution was a conduit contribution, meaning individual donors bundled their contributions.

Big-money donors to Ziegler’s uncontested campaign included Daniel McKeithan, executive officer and director of Tamarack Petroleum Co. ($20,000); billionaire Diane Hendricks, chairman of ABC Supply Co. ($10,000); conservative mega-donor Richard Uihlein, CEO of Uline, Inc. ($10,000); businessman John Burke ($10,000); James Schloemer, chairman and CEO of Continental Properties Inc. ($10,000); and fast food restaurant owner Steve Kilian, president of Kilian Management Services ($10,000).

$1,000+ donations to Annette Ziegler

Gretchen Schuldt writes a blog for Wisconsin Justice Initiative, whose mission is “To improve the quality of justice in Wisconsin by educating the public about legal issues and encouraging civic engagement in and debate about the judicial system and its operation.”