Watchdog Group Says Shorewood Resident Exceeded Campaign Finance Limits

A retired lawyer who is a visiting professor of law at Marquette University is among 29 political contributors who exceeded state campaign contribution limits in 2010, according to political watchdog group.

The Wisconsin Democracy Campaign issued a press release Wednesday that said Michael J. Spector of Shorewood donated $12,450 in 2010, exceeding the $10,000 contribution limit on statewide candidates allowed by law.

The nonpartisan group based its information on a review of state campaign finance reports filed by candidates and political parties with the state Government Accountability Board, which oversees elections.

According to group’s campaign finance database, donations to both Gov. Scott Walker and Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett in 2010 were made in Spector's name.

However, Spector told Patch Wednesday, he received a letter informing him he had gone over the limit and he met with GAB officials to explain that donations to Barrett were from his wife and not him.

"I received a letter saying it had been corrected," he said. "The Democracy Campaign must not have checked with the GAB."

GAB spokesperson Reid Magney confirmed Spector's comments Wednesday, saying it was just a mixup and that he has been taken off their list of potential violators.

Violators face a $500 base fine, plus triple the amount by which the limit was exceeded.

Spector was formerly a managing partner with the law firm Quarles and Brady, and previously served as the U.S. associate deputy attorney general and as chairman of former Gov. Jim Doyle’s task force on education, according to his online bio.