Wednesday, April 9, 2014

Open Book Wisconsin: Transparency Up to a Point

Editorial:  Credit state for showing checkbook.  (Wisconsin State Journal, 4/8/2014)

Lawyers' fees.  Change some more search criteria, and you can quickly see the Legislature paid the law firm Michael Best and Friedrich at least $325,000 during the first half in 2011, when top leaders were re-drawing voting district maps to their advantage.   (Although this is not explicitly stated in Open Book Wisconsin.)

Then there is this nebulous category.


Which is used to classify $773,410 in Department of Transpiration payments to Michael Best & Friedrich in 2013.


If I want to know the specifics, I need to fill out this online form.  (Which I did.  One form per transaction number.)


Michael Best & Friedrich has a lucrataive working relationship with the State of Wisconsin.  (Big surprise, huh?   Law firm knee deep in state's many hot-button issues.  Wisconsin State Journal, 1/22/2012)




In addition, Michael Best & Friedrich appears twice on the vendor list.


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