Report: Tom Tiffany criticizes campaign finance loophole he voted to enact into law

New reporting from the Wisconsin Examiner found that U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany (R-WI) recently expressed uncertainty about a campaign finance loophole, which he previously voted for as a state senator.

During an interview with PBS Wisconsin published last week, Zac Schultz of “Here & Now” asked Tiffany how much money he expects to raise in his bid for governor. Tiffany responded by begrudgingly acknowledging that a lot of campaign money flows through Wisconsin because of a campaign finance loophole in state law.

“Yeah, a lot. We’re budgeting to raise $40 million,” Tiffany said. “We’ll see if we get there. But, you know, Wisconsin, because of that pass-through loophole, I call it the ‘billionaire loophole’, there’s just so much money that comes into Wisconsin. But, you know, you can cry about it or you can compete. We choose to compete. And but we’re hoping to raise $40 million.”

The loophole stems from Wisconsin Act 117, which was passed by Republicans and signed into law by former Gov. Scott Walker (R) in 2015. The law eliminated a $10,000 cap that individual donors could contribute to political candidates and committees. Contribution limits to party and legislative campaign committees were also eliminated, allowing unlimited money to flow into campaigns.

Act 117 was initially voted on in the Wisconsin state Senate as Assembly Bill 387, which Tiffany and 16 other Republicans in the chamber approved. At the time, critics warned that passing the legislation would result in less transparency and more influence from the ultra-rich and outside groups on Wisconsin elections.

Tiffany did not respond to a request to clarify his current stance on Wisconsin’s campaign finance laws and if he regrets voting for the so-called “billionaire loophole.”

Tiffany Muller, president of the End Citizen’s United PAC, criticized the gubernatorial candidate in an emailed statement to Heartland Signal.

“Congressman Tiffany owns the billionaire loophole. He voted for it, he championed it, and now that the consequences have been disastrous, he’s trying to run from his own record,” Muller said. “This reckless overhaul of campaign finance laws has fueled record election spending in Wisconsin and opened the floodgates to untold levels of corruption in Madison. The congressman should be judged by his actions in office, not the revisionist history he’s peddling on the campaign trail.”

Tiffany, who has served in the U.S. House since 2020 after spending nearly a decade in the Wisconsin State Legislature, is the current Republican frontrunner in the state’s gubernatorial election. Tiffany is attempting to flip the governor’s mansion for Republicans after two terms from incumbent Gov. Tony Evers (D), who is not seeking a third term.

There are several candidates vying for the Democratic nomination in Wisconsin’s Aug. 11, 2026 primary elections. Former Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes (D) recently announced his candidacy and criticized Tiffany’s voting record in a statement.

“Tom Tiffany has spent years in Washington doing the bidding of Donald Trump and billionaires, all while prices got higher and higher for Wisconsinites,” Barnes said. “It’s no surprise Tiffany is responsible for the billionaire loophole allowing the ultra-wealthy to buy our elections. It’s time to close these loopholes, bring down everyday costs and get things done the Wisconsin Way, and that’s what I’ll do as Governor.”