Wisconsin Attorney General Brad Schimel attends GOP event at Trump's Mar-a-Lago

MADISON - Wisconsin Attorney General Brad Schimel spent the weekend at a GOP event at a Florida resort and President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago Club.

The Friday-through-Sunday event put on by the Republican Attorneys General Association included a catamaran tour and a dinner with donors who gave at least $125,000 each to the organization, according to an agenda posted online by the International Business Times.

Participants were banned from using cellphones or cameras at Mar-a-Lago, which the attorneys general group said was a club policy. The rest of the retreat was held at The Breakers resort in Palm Beach, Fla.

“These lavish, secretive retreats making policy with rich donors behind closed doors are exactly why Wisconsinites have lost their faith in partisan politicians like Brad Schimel,” said a statement from Martha Laning, chairwoman of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin.

An aide to Schimel, who is up for re-election next year, referred questions to the Republican Attorneys General Association.

“Like Attorney General Schimel does in Wisconsin, he is always engaging with constituents and stakeholders. He was happy to share the success Wisconsin has had in protecting families, defending the rule of law and advancing opportunity for all,” said a statement from Zack Roday, a spokesman for the group.

The organization raises funds to make Republicans the top cop in as many states as possible.

Running against Schimel is Democrat Josh Kaul.

In a statement, Kaul said he had participated in Democratic Attorneys General Association events, but was troubled by Schimel meeting with his GOP counterparts and donors at a Trump resort.

"What's concerning is RAGA's use of Mar-a-Lago – a place that has become a symbol of cronyism and Donald Trump's disregard for the rule of law – to raise money," he said in his statement. "It shows how closely aligned the agendas of RAGA, Brad Schimel and the Trump administration are."