Groups defending Republican majorities in the Wisconsin Assembly and Senate have outraised and outspent their Democratic opponents thanks to nearly $8 million in donations from billionaire Diane Hendricks.

The post GOP outspending Democrats in battle for Wisconsin Legislature appeared first on WPR.

Republican Tom Tiffany's campaign for governor raised more than $26 million in less than three months, dominating Democratic challenger David Crowley's figures, but early all of Tiffany's latest haul came from three billionaires funneling money through the Republican Party of Wisconsin.

The post Funds from 3 billionaires give Tom Tiffany huge fundraising lead in race for governor appeared first on WPR.

The latest Marquette University poll of Wisconsin's race for governor shows Democratic Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley narrowly leading Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany.

The post Crowley narrowly leads Tiffany in latest Marquette poll appeared first on WPR.

A growing number of states are taking action to respond to spiking gas and diesel prices. But Wisconsin isn't one of them.

The post States are lifting gas taxes to ease pain at the pump, but not Wisconsin appeared first on WPR.

Democrats trying to flip a Wisconsin Assembly seat long held by Republicans are hoping anti-data center sentiment will help them oust a GOP incumbent they call the "architect" of tax breaks spurring a data center building boom in Wisconsin.

The post Democrats hope data center opposition will help flip Assembly district held by GOP since 1970s appeared first on WPR.

The campaign for U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany, the Republican candidate for governor, blocked a veteran reporter from one of his events Thursday, a move that came days after President Donald Trump took a similar step at the White House.

The post Tom Tiffany’s campaign blocks reporter from Milwaukee event appeared first on WPR.

A brand new group reported spending $13 million against Wisconsin Democrats in its first campaign finance report.

The post New dark money GOP group dominates Wisconsin political spending appeared first on WPR.

Citing fraud investigations and findings from the federal government, without mentioning President Donald Trump by name, U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany, R-Hazelhurst, said Friday that he wants to do the same in Wisconsin. During a Friday press conference at the Eau Claire County Republican Party headquarters, Tiffany announced a "Taxpayer Accountability Plan."

The post Tiffany promises more state agency audits if elected governor appeared first on WPR.

An attorney who spit on a black teenager during a 2020 protest has had her law license suspended by the Wisconsin Supreme Court. The order states Stephanie Rapkin's conduct "seriously adversely reflects on her fitness to practice law."

The post Law license of attorney who spit on Black teen during 2020 protest suspended appeared first on WPR.

Members of the Wisconsin Supreme Court seemed open to redrawing the state's U.S. House districts during oral arguments for two lawsuits claiming the current congressional map is gerrymandered.

The post Wisconsin justices hear congressional gerrymandering arguments appeared first on WPR.

National Democrats are sending Wisconsin emergency room nurse Mitchell Berman additional resources as he attempts to unseat Republican U.S. Rep. Bryan Steil of Janesville.

The post National Democrats add Steil challenger Berman to ‘Red to Blue’ initiative appeared first on WPR.

State Supreme Court justices will hear arguments this week in two lawsuits claiming Wisconsin's eight U.S. House districts are gerrymandered and must be redrawn.

The post Wisconsin Supreme Court to hear congressional map arguments appeared first on WPR.

GOP Wisconsin Congressman Derrick Van Orden was among the first speakers during the Republican National Committee's midterm convention aimed at boosting candidates facing challenging races this year. He touted President Donald Trump's healthcare agenda and said the two of them brought billions in federal funding to Wisconsin hospitals, which Democrats deny.

The post Van Orden focuses on healthcare, Trump at Republican midterm convention in Texas appeared first on WPR.

Wisconsin will be getting another 42 electric vehicle charging stations under a federal program temporarily halted by President Donald Trump's administration.

The post After legal fight, more EV charging stations coming to Wisconsin appeared first on WPR.

Reading Time: 3 minutes

The family of a Milwaukee man falsely accused last year of threatening to kill President Donald Trump plans to sue the U.S. Department of Homeland Security for $5.5 million for emotional pain and suffering.

Ramón Morales Reyes, 56, was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents on May 22, 2025. Six days later, then-DHS Secretary Kristi Noem issued a press release accusing him of sending a handwritten letter to ICE stating he would self-deport after using a hunting rifle to “shoot your precious president in his head.”

The letter was fake and didn’t come from Morales Reyes. Milwaukee resident Demetric Scott later admitted writing it to frame Morales Reyes to prevent him from testifying against Scott in an upcoming trial. Scott was convicted of identity theft and witness intimidation and sentenced in February to more than 16 years in prison.

At a press conference Friday in Milwaukee, attorneys representing Morales Reyes said DHS knew the threat was fake but still told the nation their client intended to assassinate Trump.

His children said the lie hurt their family and they just want things to go back to normal.

“Seeing my dad being framed for something he did not do was very heartbreaking,” said Ana Morales, the 25-year-old daughter of Morales Reyes. “He’s been going through depression, anxiety, he doesn’t like going out anymore because he feels like everyone knows him due to what he was framed as, and ever since it has taken a lot from us.”

Milwaukee immigration attorney Caine Oulahan, who represents Morales Reyes, said local law enforcement and the U.S. Secret Service had determined he didn’t write the letter days before issuing their release.

“And after they determined it was likely not him, it was still published,” Oulahan said.  

An affidavit from a Milwaukee Police Department officer who also works with the FBI states that they interviewed Morales Reyes on May 22, 2025. The officer said he didn’t believe Morales Reyes sent the threatening letter. A search warrant of Scott’s calls from jail also produced recordings in which Scott coordinated with someone to send packets to several law enforcement officials. Scott said his plan was to have Morales Reyes arrested so the criminal case against him would be dropped.

“And the judge will agree ’cause if he gets picked up by ICE, there won’t be a jury trial so they will probably dismiss it that day,” Scott said. “That’s my plan.”

That DHS press release is still online. A small disclaimer was added at the bottom stating Morales Reyes “is no longer under investigation for threats against the President” but he still faces deportation proceedings

The Morales Reyes family has notified DHS it intends to sue the agency for $5.5 million for emotional pain and suffering caused by the federal government’s false claim. According to the legal claim, DHS also posted that day on X thanking ICE officers for detaining Morales Reyes for threatening to assassinate Trump.

The White House Instagram account later posted Morales Reyes’ face alongside the letter used to frame him.

Antonio Morales, the 20-year-old son of Morales Reyes, said he was scared when he saw negative comments about his father online. He said he believes DHS knew the posts contained false information at the time. 

“It was hard seeing your dad all over social media posted as some sort of assassin almost, and that’s just not who my father is,” Antonio Morales said. “I really think that they knew what they were doing. They wanted to do this to more immigrants, and they really want to keep terrorizing the community going forward.” 

Attorney Mark Thomsen, who also sits on the Wisconsin Elections Commission, said the case is about more than compensation for the family. 

“They knew it was a lie, and they still haven’t taken it down,” Thomsen said. “They haven’t thought for a second about apologizing. This is the most powerful government in the world, and here they are out to crush us, each of us, like bugs, like gnats on a rhinoceros.”

Thomsen said it’s up to everyone in America to stop tolerating a federal government willing to lie in pursuit of the Trump’s aggressive deportation efforts.

DHS did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the family’s claim.

The deportation proceedings against Morales Reyes come amid reporting that ICE arrests and detentions in Wisconsin have hit new highs this summer, with 220 arrests in June — up from 119 in May, according to a Wisconsin Watch analysis.

Voces de la Frontera Executive Director Christine Neumann-Ortiz said the most recent surge occurred mostly in Milwaukee from late June through the July 4 holiday weekend. She said immigration agents used excessive force in several alleged cases, and that the group’s statewide network of ICE observers must continue.

A version of this story was originally published by WPR.

Family of Milwaukee man falsely accused of threatening Trump plans to sue DHS is a post from Wisconsin Watch, a non-profit investigative news site covering Wisconsin since 2009. Please consider making a contribution to support our journalism.

The family of a Milwaukee man wrongly accused last year by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security of threatening to kill President Donald Trump plans to sue the agency for $5.5 million for emotional pain and suffering.

The post Milwaukee family to sue ICE for father’s detention over fake threat against Trump appeared first on WPR.

A U.S. Supreme Court decision allowing President Donald Trump to advance his plan to restrict voting by mail won't be the final word ahead of Wisconsin's November election, Wisconsin election officials say.

The post Supreme Court order on mail-in voting won’t immediately affect Wisconsin ballots appeared first on WPR.

The news of Alma Center-Humbird-Merrillan School District senior Adam Massman's passing has rocked Wisconsin's high school football community. In a district-wide email on Saturday, Superintendent Drew Semingson said Adam was "injured during Thursday night's football game."

The post Wisconsin high school football player dies following in-game injury appeared first on WPR.

The prediction market company Novig is preemptively suing Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul in hopes of keeping him from taking legal action to enforce state gambling laws.

The post Prediction market firm sues Kaul to prevent enforcement of Wisconsin gambling law appeared first on WPR.

Two northern Wisconsin Republicans who embraced 2020 election conspiracies lost their primary campaigns for the state Legislature to GOP candidates with establishment ties.

The post Insurgent Republicans lose northern Wisconsin primaries for Legislature appeared first on WPR.