From Racine Exposed:"The latest edition of the Racine City Tavern League Hospitality Times declares, RCTL Director Blanca Webers running for 12th. District Alderman! 'Please help us get one of our own elected.'
"But do the People of The City of Racine need yet another Tavern League Member as part of the Dickert Administration? And why is it so important to the Racine City Tavern League that they place yet another one of their members into a position of political power who can be counted on to vote 'Team Dickert'?"
Read more: http://racineexposed.wordpress.com/2014/03/02/is-the-racine-city-tavern-league-a-corrupting-influence/
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VII. CLAIM FOR VIOLATIONS OF 18 U.S.C. § 1962(b)
(b) It shall be unlawful for any person through a pattern of racketeering activity or through collection of an unlawful debt to acquire or maintain, directly or indirectly, any interest in or control of any enterprise which is engaged in, or the activities of which affect, interstate or foreign commerce.
151. The Plaintiffs incorporate and adopt by reference each and every allegation contained in Paragraphs 9 through and including 150 as though fully set forth herein as this Paragraph 151.
152. The Tavern League, an association which is primarily comprised of and represents the interests of a white bar owners with white patrons in Racine, carries substantial clout that it used and continues to use as leverage to influence Racine politics.
153. Beginning as early as 2006, the Tavern League utilized its political influence to earn favor with Racine political figures, including Dickert, through the payment of earmarked campaign contributions and other means.
154. The Tavern League and its members pledged and provided significant financial contributions to Dickert and other Racine officials with the express intent to buy official acts. Subsequent payments were made under the guise of donations and campaign contributions and additional payments likely continue to be made to this day.
155. The money contributed by members of the Tavern League was in excess of campaign contribution limits as set forth by WI Stat. 11 and other laws.
156. The money contributed by members of the Tavern League in excess of limits set forth by WI Stat. 11 and other laws was in fact bribe money intended to purchase the political favor of the mayoral office through Dickert in violation of WI Stat. 946, 18 U.S.C. § 1951 and other laws. Dickert accepted the bribe monies from the Tavern League and thus allowed it to have substantial control of the Racine mayoral office, Dickert’s official actions and, upon information and belief, certain Defendants who acted at the behest of Dickert with knowledge of or in agreement with the goals and the effects of their actions.
157. The monies contributed by members of the Tavern League to Dickert’s mayoral campaigns and to other Racine officials was routinely collected and, upon information and belief, laundered by certain Defendants outside the Tavern League and within Dickert’s inner circle for the express purpose of knowingly continuing and concealing the nature, use, source and effect of these bribes in order to avoid public scrutiny and circumvent campaign finance
laws.
158. With full knowledge of the illegal nature of these payments and in exchange for their continued financial contributions, Dickert and those acting on his behalf awarded a number of his Tavern League supporters with city-funded business and appointed others to influential and powerful positions within the city government, thereby expanding the political influence of the Tavern League and providing it with significant control over the BID #1 board, the Downtown Racine Corporation board, and Racine commerce as a whole.
159. Dickert and other Racine officials knowingly continued to act in furtherance of the conspiracy and its goals and effects when they accepted and as they continue to accept these bribes in exchange for official acts, including but not limited to protection for Tavern League members from the Police Department, the Licensing Committee, and the Downtown Racine Corporation, as well as the first opportunity to obtain newly available liquor licenses extorted from minority bar owners.
160. This pattern and practice of circumventing the provisions of WI Stat. 11, WI Stat. 946, 18 U.S.C. § 1951, 18 U.S.C. § 1956 and other laws continued throughout Dickert’s mayoral campaigns as a continuing enterprise designed to benefit the Defendants to the detriment of the Plaintiffs.
161. WI Stat. 11, WI Stat. 946, 18 U.S.C. § 1951, 18 U.S.C. § 1956 and other laws were designed to prevent quid pro quo corruption in Wisconsin municipal governments.
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