Patrick Marley

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Madison — An apparent Republican activist tried to join Democrat Russ Feingold’s team this week in what Feingold’s campaign suspects was a plot to dig up dirt on him.

In an interview with Feingold staff on Wednesday, she initially said she wanted to work on issues affecting women’s health care and unions, but clammed up when confronted about whether she had worked for conservatives and tried to infiltrate Democrat Hillary Clinton’s campaign in Iowa last year.

“I’m not going to be answering any questions, so if you want me to leave, I’ll leave. If you want me to stay, I’ll stay,” she responded, according to an audio recording provided by the Feingold campaign.

Told she needed to leave, she responded, “Cool! Well, it was great meeting you.”

The woman signed up to be a volunteer as Allison Moss on Tuesday, but was let go Wednesday after the Feingold campaign asked her if she was actually Allison Maass.

Maass is a former writer with Campus Reform, a project of the conservative Leadership Institute aimed at exposing liberal bias at universities.

Last year, Clinton’s campaign warned its offices around the country that two women had attempted to entrap campaign staff in illegal activity, according to Time. One of the women told the campaign her name was Allison Holmes, but the number she provided was for Maass, according to the Minneapolis Star Tribune.

The woman who tried to sign on with Feingold’s campaign did not return calls Wednesday.

Sterling Beard, the editor in chief of Campus Reform, said in a statement that Maass had not been affiliated with his group since the spring of 2015, when she graduated from the University of Minnesota. Campus Reform had no involvement in her apparent attempt to infiltrate the Feingold campaign, his statement said.

Feingold is seeking to replace Republican U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson, who unseated Feingold in 2010.

Johnson's campaign said Wednesday that it had no affiliation with Maass.