EAU CLAIRE COUNTY, Wis. (WEAU) – Charges were filed Monday against the daughter of State Senator Jesse James over allegedly stealing campaign money.
According to online court records, 31-year-old Elizabeth Johnson is charged with taking $32,000 from the senator’s campaign.
According to the criminal complaint, Senator James spoke with Altoona Police in November of 2024 after he noticed the account balance was lower than expected when he went to make a deposit.
The official charges include theft in a business setting, as well as three felony counts of intentionally filing false campaign finance reports.
The complaint listed Johnson as the campaign treasurer and that several transactions began January 30 of 2024 with the last withdrawal on September 12, 2024.
In an interview with police, Johnson admitted she took the money in order to cover expenses connected to a small business she and her husband ran, saying she had higher rent after moving into a larger space at Oakwood Mall.
The complaint says Johnson later paid the campaign back on December 9 of 2024. However, investigators say those withdrawals and other expenses were not properly reflected in campaign finance filings at the time, which is the basis for the false reporting charges.
To be fair, we reached out to Senator James’ campaign team and senate office and are waiting to hear back. When we do, we’ll let you know their response.
If convicted on the first charge alone, Johnson faces up to 10 years in prison and/or a $25,000 fine.
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