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Madison - Gov. Scott Walker is raking in money at a pace not seen before in Wisconsin politics as he prepares to face the state's first-ever gubernatorial recall, taking in more than $4.5 million over five weeks.

In just over a year, Walker has raised more than $12 million in campaign donations - more than he spent to win the seat in 2010 - and despite sizable spending in recent weeks still has $2.6 million in cash in the bank, according to figures released Monday by his campaign. The Republican governor has traveled the country to raise money in recent weeks and has benefited from a quirk in the state's election law that allows elected officials facing recalls to raise unlimited amounts.

"Governor Walker's message of moving Wisconsin forward continues to resonate with voters," spokeswoman Ciara Matthews said. "It is this message, and the success of the governor's reforms, that have inspired people to contribute to his campaign in overwhelming numbers."

The six Republican candidates facing a recall had to file updated campaign reports by midnight Monday. Walker's campaign released its numbers ahead of the deadline.

State Democratic Party spokesman Graeme Zielinski said Walker was fueling his campaign with money from out of state - a similar charge to the one the governor has leveled against his union opponents.

"Scott Walker's hand is out to the corporate donors from New York and Texas who have funded his campaign against the working men and women of Wisconsin," Zielinski said. "His values, like his campaign moneys, are not from Wisconsin."

Recall drives were launched Nov. 15 against Walker, Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch and four Republican state senators, and were triggered by their support for the governor's proposal - approved last spring - to sharply limit collective bargaining for most public employees.

Recall organizers submitted more than 1.9 million signatures in all against the six officials last week, including more than a million against Walker. Slightly more than 540,000 valid signatures must be counted for each of the recalls against Walker and Kleefisch before elections can proceed.

Matthews said Walker raised the more than $4.5 million between Dec. 11 and Jan. 17 and the $12 million between Jan. 1, 2011, and Jan. 17, 2012, when recall petitions were filed against him. His campaign spent nearly $10 million over the last year - almost as much as the $11.3 million he and Kleefisch spent in their much longer 2010 campaign.

The four GOP senators being targeted for recall reported having roughly three-quarters of a million dollars in their campaign accounts to defend their seats.

"These expensive and frivolous recalls launched by the Democrats are doing nothing to move our state forward, and fed-up taxpayers are fighting back," Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald (R-Juneau) said in a statement. "Our reforms are working, and taxpayers realize that our state is finally heading in the right direction."

Senate Minority Leader Mark Miller (D-Monona) said, regardless of the financial strength Republicans might have, Democrats had a strong argument to make to voters - that though the state had gained jobs in the first half of 2011, it lost jobs in the latter part of the year even as the rest of the country created them.

"The governor and legislative Republicans need to answer one question: Where are the jobs?" Miller asked in a news conference Monday.

Fitzgerald had the most of the four senators, with $370,000 in cash on hand. He was followed by Sen. Pam Galloway (R-Wausau) with $134,000 in cash, and Sen. Terry Moulton (R-Chippewa Falls) with $118,000 in cash. Sen. Van Wanggaard (R-Racine) raised more than $64,000 and had a cash balance of $112,759.

The normal limits on how much candidates can receive from individual donors are lifted while recall petitions are circulated and election authorities determine whether enough signatures have been submitted to hold elections.

Walker has been able to exploit that aspect of state law, raising $5.1 million in the second half of 2011.

The day recall signatures were filed against him, Walker was scheduled to hold a fundraiser in New York City hosted by Maurice Greenberg, the founder of troubled financial services company American International Group. No details had been released before deadline on that fundraising.

But among the previously reported donations that Walker received were $250,000 from Bob Perry, owner of Perry Homes in Houston and one of the primary financial forces behind the Swift Boat Veterans ads that attacked U.S. Sen. John Kerry in the 2004 presidential campaign; $205,000 from Elizabeth and Richard Uihlein of Lake Forest, Ill., founders of the shipping supply company Uline; $175,075 from the Schuette family, which owns Wausau Homes and supports the state tea party movement; and $20,000 from H. Ross Perot Jr., son of the two-time presidential candidate.

The Schuette family also contributed $32,000 to Galloway as of Dec. 15.

Wanggaard was the only recall target to file his full campaign finance report by deadline. The others provided only summary information to reporters.

Wanggaard's biggest donation in the latest round of fundraising was for $10,000 and came from the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce. Wanggaard, a former police officer, also received $3,000 from the Milwaukee Professional Firefighters Local 215 and $1,000 from the Milwaukee Police Association's political action committee.

The state Republican Party reported raising $205,900 over the recall period, spending $378,300 and having $128,000 in cash. The state Democratic Party had not filed its report by deadline.

The state Government Accountability Board, which runs state elections, is in the process of verifying how many of the signatures filed against Walker, Kleefisch and the senators are valid. The board has 31 days to do its work, but has asked Dane County Circuit Judge Richard Niess to give it at least 60 days. A hearing is scheduled for Wednesday.

If the board finds enough signatures have been filed, recall elections will be held six weeks later - or 10 weeks later if primaries are required.

Walker and the other Republicans would automatically appear on the ballot. Former Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk and state Sen. Tim Cullen of Janesville say they plan to run against Walker. Those two and any other challengers do not need to file campaign finance reports until next week.

Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated the $4.5 million raised by Gov. Scott Walker was between Dec. 11 and Dec. 31. It was between Dec. 11 and Jan. 17.