Who is funding the Milwaukee school board recall?

One of the main drivers of the MPS School Board Recall Collaborative’s campaign is criticism over what recall members said is a lack of transparency by Milwaukee Public Schools.

But since the group was launched last month to unseat four MPS board members, there have been questions about how the collaborative’s efforts are being funded. 

The group says they have anonymous donors, whose names they are not disclosing. That’s led the MPS teachers’ union and one of the targeted board members to file ethics complaints with the state.

During a press conference last week, members of the media questioned the group about who is paying canvassers for positions they advertised.

Recall organizers did not list expenses and the contributions to fund the canvassers on their July 15 campaign finance reports.

The group announced last week they’ve collected more than 37,000 signatures so far to recall school board president Marva Herndon, vice president Jilly Gokalgandhi, school board member at large Missy Zombor and board member Erika Siemsen.

 “Our deepest gratitude goes to all our committed volunteers and those who signed up for paid canvassing work,” the group said in a statement announcing they had hit the signature threshold.

To trigger a recall election, the group will need to collect 5,137 signatures for Herndon, 6,809 signatures for Siemsen, 7,759 signatures for Gokalgandhi and 44,177 signatures for Zombor, according to Paulina Gutiérrez, executive director of the Milwaukee Election Commission.

Tamika Johnson, an English teacher at New Testament Christian Academy who is leading the recall campaign, said canvassers would be paid by “anonymous donors.”

“We have not paid anyone, but we do have an anonymous donor that could pay for individuals,” Johnson said during a July 24 press conference. 

Johnson told reporters that before canvassers can be paid, signatures have to be confirmed. That is why nothing has been reported on the campaign finance report, she said. 

“We don’t even know who the anonymous donors are… why is this a question?” Johnson said to reporters. 

One speaker, who organizers refused to identify, said the canvassers were working “on contracts,” but no one from the group would produce the contracts. 

Johnson went on to say canvassers working for the MPS School Board Recall Collaborative were “free volunteer workers.” 

“Do we have other organizations out there, yes there are. We probably won’t know the end of it until the recall is over with,” Johnson said. “We are not trying to hide any money, because there’s  no money in this. So if there are people getting paid, guess what? We want to know too.” 

Johnson told WPR on Monday she’s “not taking media calls right now.”

MTEA, Zombor file ethics complaint with the state

When the MPS School Board Recall Collaborative was launched June 12, organizers said Milwaukee voters were duped into voting for the $252 million MPS referendum in April because school board members already knew the district was going to be penalized millions from the state for not submitting audits on time. 

Prior to the referendum, political committees and groups including Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce and City Forward Collective, spent more than $1.2 million to try to defeat the measure. 

But campaign finance reports filed July 15 by the recall collaborative have very little information. 

Johnson, of Bayside, is listed as contributing her services. In addition to her work at New Testament Christian Academy, she is also a Master Life Coach.

Chantia Davis, also of Bayside, designed the website. Davis is a former MPS substitute teacher who is now self-employed, according to her LinkedIn profile. 

Ebony Grant, of Milwaukee and Janice Patterson, of Bayside, are also named as members of the collaboration. 

The campaign finance report states that less than $300 has been received and spent. 

On July 18, Zombor, one of the MPS board members targeted by the group, filed a complaint July 18 saying paid canvassers were not listed on campaign finance reports.

“Individuals have shared on social media that they have received ‘independent contracts,’ working for the MPS School Board Recall Collaborative,” Zombor wrote. “The exhibits below make claims that the Recall Committee is paying $25/hour plus bonuses, however the committee’s 2024 July Continuing Finance Report does not list itemized contributions or any itemized disbursements to staff.”

Wisconsin Ethics Commission staff counsel David Buerger emailed Zombor on July 22 that commission staff has conducted a preliminary review of her complaint “is sufficient to proceed to consideration by the Commission.”

Milwaukee Teachers’ Education Association President Ingrid Walker-Henry said calls for transparency are hypocritical given the secretive nature of the recall group’s financing.

MTEA filed a complaint with the Wisconsin Ethics Commission after last week’s press conference.

“It is unfathomable that a group of individuals operating a campaign to replace four democratically elected School Board members would so brazenly violate campaign finance law,” Walker-Henry said in a statement. “The people of Milwaukee deserve clean, transparent elections so they know who is funding the candidates and initiatives seeking their vote.”