Miraculous or Scandalous?

MADISON, Wis. — One Wisconsin Now Deputy Director Mike Browne today announced the filing of public record requests associated with the suspicious timing of a new television ad from Gov. Walker’s campaign, containing previously undisclosed information from an administration jobs report, and denials of consultation between the agency producing the report and the Governor.

Browne said, “Gov. Walker is asking us to believe that he and his campaign just got lucky. They had an ad correctly guessing specific numbers from an as yet unreleased report ready to go and at television stations yesterday. A Walker political appointee asks us to believe that he alone decided to come up with new jobs numbers and the rush to release them has nothing to do with his boss facing a recall election in less than three weeks.”

He continued, “We’re asking for the release of records that will show whether or not that was actually the case.”

Published reports on the jobs survey and the Governor’s new television ad contained comments from Gov. Walker’s campaign spokesperson alleging the campaign filmed several versions of an ad using various numbers. In addition, Gov. Walker’s appointee to head the department releasing the job numbers is reported claiming the decision to release the report was made on his own, with no consultation with the Governor, and no consideration of the recall election.

Browne noted this is not the first time questions have been raised about blurring the line between public business and campaigns associated with Governor Walker. An ongoing John Doe criminal investigation of close aides and associates of Gov. Walker from his time as Milwaukee County Executive is focused, in part, on allegations that campaign activity was occurring on public time in the County Executives office, mere feet away from the desk of then County Executive Walker.

“Once again, we’re left to ask, what did Gov. Walker know and when did he know it,” concluded Browne.