11.1400 Civil penalties.

(1) Any person who violates this chapter may be required to forfeit not more than $500 for each violation.

(2) In addition to the penalty under sub. (1), any person who is delinquent in filing a report required by this chapter may be required to forfeit not more than $50 or one percent of the annual salary of the office for which the candidate is being supported or opposed, whichever is greater, for each day of delinquency.

(3) Notwithstanding sub. (1), any person who makes any contribution in violation of this chapter may be required to forfeit treble the amount of the contribution or portion of that contribution which is illegally contributed.

(4) Notwithstanding sub. (1), any person who is subject to a requirement to pay a filing fee under s. 11.0102 and who fails to pay that fee within the time prescribed in that section shall forfeit $500 plus treble the amount of the fee payable by that person.

(5) Except as otherwise provided in ss. 19.49 (2) (b) 13. and 14. and (g) and 19.554, actions under this section may be brought by the commission or, upon the commission's determination of probable cause, by the district attorney for the county where the defendant resides or, if the defendant is a nonresident, by the district attorney for the county where the violation is alleged to have occurred. For purposes of this subsection, a person other than an individual resides within a county if the person's principal place of operation is located within that county.

(6) Any elector may file a verified petition with the commission requesting that civil action under this chapter be brought against any person or committee. The petition shall allege such facts as are within the knowledge of the petitioner to show probable cause that a violation of this chapter has occurred.

(7) When a candidate committee treasurer or candidate's agent incurs an obligation or makes a disbursement, that action by the treasurer or agent is imputed to the candidate for purposes of civil liability under this subchapter.

(8) In civil actions under this chapter the acts of every member of a candidate committee are presumed to be with the candidate's knowledge or approval until clearly proven otherwise.

History: 2015 a. 117 ss. 24, 24g, 74 (1m).

Section 11.60, 1977 stats., is a civil penalty section even though some violations of it involve intent. State v. Dreske, 88 Wis. 2d 60, 276 N.W.2d 324 (Ct. App. 1979).

In a forfeiture action against a committee, assets of the committee, but not of its members, are reachable. Elections Board v. Ward, 105 Wis. 2d 543, 314 N.W.2d 120 (1982).