Mark Block disputes Prosser attorney Troupis's fees

Interesting tale from Daniel Bice in the Journal-Sentinel this morning.

Wisconsin Prosperity Network is one of the right-wing outfits that's suing the Government Accountability Board over a financial disclosure rule the wingers claim abridges their freedom of speech. The case is notable for at least two other reasons as well, in that alleged conservative Supreme Court justices David Prosser and Mike Gableman literally rewrote the Wisconsin constitution to prevent the GAB from implementing the rule and then a year later, Prosser disqualified himself from the case after certain parties raised a ruckus over the fact that Prosser had hired Wisconsin Prosperity Network's counsel, the ubiquitous James Troupis, to help him keep his seat on the court after the challenger in the April election, JoAnne Kloppenburg, exercised her right to a recount of votes.

Anyway, one of Bice's attached documents is a rough balance sheet showing $87,339.50 worth of Troupis in accounts payable/committed costs with the notation, "per Mark [Block] should have been $50,000."

That's rather a wide discrepancy.

Another entry reads "Troupis owed by [Americans For Prosperity] 5,000" followed by "probably won't receive." Troupis's co-counsel in the Supreme Court action — Wisconsin Prosperity Network v. Myse — is into the outfit for another $20,658.07. Nothing for the other co-counsel, however.

Also, Wisconsin Prosperity Network "hired" local wing-nut blargher K. Maichle on a $500/mo. retainer, amusing if only for the fact that it was Wisconsin Prosperity Network which put the scare quotes around "hired."

Wonder what that's supposed to mean.