Will Brad Schimel Dress Up Like Scott Walker for Halloween?

MADISON, Wis. — As kids of all ages across Wisconsin put the finishing touches on their costumes, One Wisconsin Now Executive Director Scot Ross suggested Attorney General Brad Schimel could dress up as Scott Walker for Halloween. Ross noted that it would be a fitting get-up for Schimel because, just like Scott Walker, Brad Schimel had an empty state plane come fetch him from the Waukesha airport, near his home, and take him on a state taxpayer funded fly-around.

“Going as Scott Walker would be a fitting Halloween get up for Brad Schimel,” said Ross. “He’s dispatched an empty state plane to come fetch him from his home for a fly-around like Scott Walker and he takes the same transactional approach as Scott Walker to please the special interests that back him.”

According to Wisconsin Department of Administration records, a plane was flown from Madison to the Waukesha airport 61 miles away. According to Schimel’s official schedule for the day, he was to meet the plane at the Waukesha airport, seven miles from his home. Schimel was joined on the plane by his spokesperson Johnny Koremenos, who lives five miles from the Waukesha airport. The fly around, including the special stop to pick up the Attorney General at the airfield closest to his home, cost taxpayers $3,396.84. Events were held at businesses whose employees donated over $10,000 to Schimel’s campaign.

One Wisconsin Now’s investigation into Gov. Walker’s serial misuse and abuse of state airplanes also uncovered an instance where Walker dispatched an empty aircraft to fetch him after getting a haircut in Milwaukee to fly him to Central Wisconsin to attend an NRA rally.

Schimel has, like Walker, taken a transactional approach to his job. For example, Schimel rushed to court with politically motivated lawsuits attacking the Affordable Care Act and endangering pre-existing condition protections for millions of Wisconsinites. He has also refused to take action to hold opioid manufacturers accountable in court, as have Attorneys General from both parties and 71 of 72 Wisconsin counties, while taking campaign contributions from them. In addition, big pharmaceutical companies are major donors to the Republican Attorneys Generals Association (RAGA) that has spent millions on Schimel’s behalf.

Ross noted that Schimel should also be well stocked with sweet treats for Halloween, thanks to taxpayers. Information uncovered by One Wisconsin Now reveals that instead of fighting crime, Wisconsin’s top cop has diverted tens of thousands of dollars to purchase promotional swag and candy including over $5,100 worth of jelly bellies, custom chewy sprees, crime scene candy, candy bandages, dried blood drops and vampire blood candy.

The Department of Justice has subsequently refused to fulfill an open records request filed by One Wisconsin Now for current information on Attorney General Schimel’s candy budget.