GREEN BAY (NBC 26) — Former Green Bay Common Council candidate Tarl Knight has filed an elections complaint alleging illegal campaign mailers influenced the District 9 race.
Knight says District 9 Alderman Ben DeBaker and his campaign violated Wisconsin election and campaign finance laws by distributing “illegal” campaign materials.
“Voters deserve to know who is behind political messaging, particularly when materials contain personal attacks or questionable and outdated claims. I was concerned by the lack of transparency and accountability regarding who sponsored or funded the communications,” said Renita Tyrance, a voter in District 9. “It was discouraging to see local politics reduced to a smear campaign rather than an issue-based discussion about leadership and solutions.”
The complaint accuses DeBaker and committee members of coordinating anonymous campaign mailers distributed in March and April targeting Knight with claims that he calls "false representations" and "defamatory disinformation."
According to the filings, the mailers identified the sponsor only as “a concerned citizen,” allegedly violating Wisconsin disclosure requirements. Voters also accuse the DeBaker campaign of failing to report contributions and spending tied to the mailers.
DeBaker denies the allegations.
"We have detailed records of our campaign spending and correspondence with our vendors documenting the expenses referenced in the complaints," DeBaker said. "And I’ll be providing the Commission with all documentation as part of its review process."
DeBaker defeated Knight in the April 7 election after the two advanced in the Feb. 17 primary. The April election results showed DeBaker receiving 779 votes to Knight’s 659.
