WISCONSIN (MacIver Institute) -- Accountability is the through-line for this week's MacIver Monday Newsletter. The state Supreme Court declined to suspend Hannah Dugan’s law license after a felony conviction, AmeriCorps is still failing its books after nine audits, and Tom Tiffany is making state-government audits a campaign issue.
Spotlight
Wisconsin Supreme Court Cites “Discretion” For Not Revoking Dugan Law License
Benjamin Yount reports that the Court’s liberal majority refused to summarily suspend former Milwaukee County Judge Hannah Dugan’s law license after the Office of Lawyer Regulation cited her conviction of a “serious crime.” The two-page order said a summary suspension was “not warranted” and offered no explanation of that discretion.
A jury convicted Dugan of a felony for obstructing a federal proceeding after she helped a wanted illegal immigrant leave her courtroom to avoid ICE. She was fined $5,000. Justice Annette Ziegler dissented, writing that Dugan acted in a robe, in a courthouse, to obstruct federal agents—and that she is “confounded by our court’s inaction.”
Deep Dive
AmeriCorps Survived. Its Financial Problems Did, Too.
Richard Moore writes that a multi-state settlement has locked in AmeriCorps funding through early 2027—including $9.2 million headed to Wisconsin for 17 programs and 716 members. Congress never eliminated or rebuilt the agency. The inspector general still cannot get a clean opinion. Independent auditors have declined to sign off on AmeriCorps’ financial statements for a ninth straight year, citing 11 material weaknesses, two significant deficiencies, and 75 open recommendations. The National Service Trust, a $278 million liability, has not produced auditable statements in nine years.
Moore’s point is not that every volunteer site is a scandal. It is that taxpayers are again sending millions to an outfit that cannot tell you where the last round went. An earlier modernization contract burned $33.8 million with nothing to show. A later Ernst & Young project overran its own price. Then, amid 2025 restructuring, reform contracts were canceled and the agency itself said progress on financial reporting “has stalled.” Worthy-sounding work is not a substitute for books the public can read.
Read Richard's full article here.
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Coming Soon
GOP Lawmaker Wants Formal Hearing On Flock Cameras In Wisconsin
Benjamin Yount reports that Rep. Calvin Callahan, chair of the Assembly Consumer Protection Committee, is demanding a January hearing and says he wants a ban. Sheboygan, Stevens Point, Winnebago County, and Fond du Lac County have already dropped or covered Flock cameras this month after questions about data sharing and misuse.
You Should Know
Tiffany Focuses on State Government Audits, Accountability
Republican Congressman Tom Tiffany has launched a Taxpayer Accountability Plan: audit state government, restore auditor posts Gov. Evers vetoed, modernize OpenBook Wisconsin, and put agency dashboards in public view -- then return the $3 billion surplus.
Quick Click
Wisconsin AG Joins Lawsuit To Save Public Benefits For Immigrants
Benjamin Yount reports that Attorney General Josh Kaul has joined litigation aimed at preserving public benefits for immigrants, putting Wisconsin’s top lawyer on the side of keeping those payments in place.
For Your Commute
MacIver's Michael Lucas recently joined the Vicki McKenna Show to talk about energy issues affecting Wisconsin. Give it a listen below.
Last Update: Sep 21, 2026 1:33 pm CDT
