With Scott Walker's campaign for governor gearing up, the Milwaukee County Election Commission unanimously found Thursday that Walker did not violate election laws last fall.

The three commissioners met at Walker's request after four county supervisors had raised a complaint about two election law issues. Walker requested the commission look into the matter. No representatives from Walker's office were present at the hearing.

The commissioners first discussed a voicemail message that Friends of Scott Walker, Walker's election group, had sent out asking area residents to support Walker's budget. The issue was that no disclaimer about the sponsor had appeared at the end of the message.

"It wasn't as if we were trying to mislead anyone," said John Hiller, treasurer of Friends of Scott Walker.

Instead, Hiller said, the disclaimer was omitted due to a vendor's error. The elections board was contacted about the matter, and the message was fixed, Hiller said, but some voicemails had gone out without the disclaimer.

One of the county supervisors who had called attention to the issue, John Weishan of the 16th District, said the voicemail constituted a legislative effort.

"To say that it was just an overlook because he didn't understand this or that … I just find that difficult to believe," Weishan said.

The commissioners unanimously found that Friends of Scott Walker did not violate expenditures laws.

The commission also found unanimously that an e-mail sent by Walker's office, which twice asked recipients to vote "yes" on an April 5 pension referendum, was not a violation. The e-mail was not paid for by Walker's political fund, and so the question was whether using taxpayer money was legal.

"There's a lot of gray in the area of advocacy," said William Domina, a counsel to the commission.

Commissioner Jack Melvin III said a letter sent by the county executive's office did not address what he wanted to know.

"I just think there's a lot of questions that need to be answered, and I don't think they're answered by a letter that basically is making legal arguments instead of factual arguments," Melvin said.

After 40 minutes of discussion, the commission went into closed session for half an hour. When they returned, Commission Chairman Douglas Haag said they talked about how the e-mail was primarily geared toward people of influence, such as those active in political organizations.

"It wasn't so much left to influence individual constituents who voted," Haag said.

Melvin said the e-mail was like a press release, to inform the recipients while advocating a position.

This article appeared in The Marquette Tribune on May 2 2005.