An associate of Republican Senate candidate David VanderLeest filed a complaint with the state Monday accusing Democratic and other liberal groups of illegally coordinating attacks against him in his campaign to unseat Sen. Dave Hansen (D-Green Bay).

A Democratic spokeswoman responded to the claim by calling it "obviously absurd."

And a liberal blog released poll data showing VanderLeest far behind Hansen in the run-up to Tuesday's election.

VanderLeest, a wind farm developer, headed the effort to collect signatures to recall Hansen and filed the signatures in April. Hansen's one of nine state senators — six Republicans and three Democrats — targeted for recall in the fight over Gov. Scott Walker's budget initiatives. He's the first to be in a general election, as opposed to a primary, because another Republican candidate, Rep. John Nygren (R-Marinette) didn't collect enough valid signatures to get on the ballot.

Dave Boyce, who said he helped VanderLeest collect recall signatures against Hansen, filed a complaint Monday with the state Department of Justice and Government Accountability Board, accusing a number of liberal and Democratic groups, including Hansen’s campaign committee, of illegally coordinating their efforts to produce attacks on VanderLeest, both in campaign literature and in TV advertising.

It's illegal for outside groups to coordinate their efforts with a candidate's campaign committee.

The complaint doesn’t produce any evidence of such coordination, but says, “Any person with eyes can see after reviewing the materials sent to homes, or from watching TV ads sponsored by these various groups, that a direct violation of campaign law has occurred.”

The accountability board wouldn't comment about the complaint. Steve Means, a spokesman for the Justice Department, said the department would review the document, but "At this time, it would be premature to say we're investigating."

A lawyer for VanderLeest, former Republican primary gubernatorial candidate Robert Gerald Lorge, says he’ll also file a civil slander and conspiracy lawsuit against the same groups, but that VanderLeest hasn’t decided whether to file it in federal or state court.

Gillian Morris, a spokeswoman for the state Democratic Party, called the actions "just another blind, delusional attempt at reality from David VanderLeest," and she said the claims made in advertising against VanderLeest were true.

Ads targeting VanderLeest have referred to his legal problems, including building code violations in Green Bay, a disorderly conduct charge and allegations of domestic abuse. VanderLeest said many of his legal problems, including a bankruptcy and a home foreclosure, stem from a lawsuit he filed challenging authorities in Brown County. He also cites statements by his ex-wife withdrawing accusations against him.

Also Monday, the liberal Daily Kos blog publicized a poll from Public Policy Polling that showed VanderLeest with 36% of likely voters, to Hansen’s 62%, and 4% undecided.

Besides the VanderLeest-Hansen contest, there are two Republican primaries Tuesday — one pitting Kim Simac of Eagle River against Robert Lussow of Tomahawk for the right to face Sen. Jim Holperin (D-Conover); and one pitting Jonathan Steitz of Pleasant Prairie against Fred Ekornaas of Bristol for the right to face Sen. Robert Wirch (D-Pleasant Prairie).

