Republican U.S. House candidate Dan Kapanke has admitted taking twice as much as originally reported from his charitable foundation, to help pay back a loan connected with his baseball team.
Kapanke, a state Senator from La Crosse, told the Eau Claire Leader-Telegram that he had the La Crosse Loggers Foundation pay back $32,000 on a loan for stadium lights where the Loggers play in the Northwoods League. It was originally reported that the foundation has used almost $17,000 in donations for the lights.
The transfer raised ethical questions because the charity is partially funded by donations from lobbyists at the State Capitol. It’s against the law for legislators to take anything of value from lobbyists.
State Democrats filed a complaint this week asking the Government Accountability Board to seek charges against Kapanke, one of two Republican candidates for the House seat now held by Democrat Ron Kind of La Crosse.
Kapanke said the payments were a mistake, but the stadium is used by many other people beside his baseball team.
The Accountability Board has not said what it would do about the case.