Checking for conduit contributions to political campaigns
I ran some searches in a database of political donations and found some very questionable things.
The search page for the database: https://smurfsearch.electionwatch.info/fecnlookup_search.php
To return everyone in a particular zip code, enter the percent sign, %, into the box for the last name, type in the five digit zip code, and leave everything else blank.
Map of zip codes: https://www.randymajors.org/zipcodegmap?x=-86.2581918&y=45.2397997&cx=-87.3719309&cy=44.8497396&zoom=9&zipcodes=show
The legal disclaimer: https://smurfsearch.electionwatch.info/legal_list.php
It includes donations recorded by the Federal Election Commission from 2017 though late April 2023, and all Wisconsin political contributions made from January 1, 2016 through September 31, 2023: https://smurfsearch.electionwatch.info/sitestats_list.php
The donation amounts are publicly available information, but shouldn’t be used for bad purposes, such as accusing neighbors who are listed as making unrealistic donations. The Smurf Search Browser website explains that it is more plausible that in the questionable entries, money was transferred entirely without the victims’ knowledge. This runs counter to the explanation of motives in a professional magazine, https://www.acamstoday.org/conduit-contributions-where-money-laundering-and-politics-mix/, and could be a result of changing circumstances since the article was published, or maybe it is in part out of fear of litigation. With a similar concern, I did not list the suspicious entries in this post.
Conduit contributions are illegal for federal elections: https://www.fec.gov/updates/contributions-in-the-name-of-another-are-strictly-prohibited/
For Wisconsin elections, conduit contributions are regulated, 11.1106 & 11.1204, with the details explained in a booklet: https://ethics.wi.gov/Resources/CF%20Overview%20-%20Conduits.pdf
I expect the unrealistic entries in the database are either already in the hands of law enforcement, or will be soon. But for anyone who is listed as having made contributions that there is no knowledge or record about, it would be better for him or her to report the issue personally, which should reduce the risk of getting accused of complicity.
Election or districting related posts
https://doorcounty.substack.com/t/election-or-districting-related