Gov. Walker’s Work Problem: Showing Up For It.

MADISON, Wis. — A news report, based on an analysis by One Wisconsin Now of Gov. Scott Walker’s campaign reimbursements for his use of state vehicles, reveals Wisconsin’s chief executive has spent at least one full year on the campaign trail. As Governor, Walker has the use of a state vehicle, driven by a State Patrol Trooper at all times. Based on a review of open records, Walker’s campaign reimbursed the state for at least 365 instances of travel because Walker used the car for political activity.

“Gov. Walker has a work problem, and it’s showing up and doing the job he was elected to do,” said One Wisconsin Now Executive Director Scot Ross. “He was elected to run the state, not use the office to pursue his personal political ambitions.”

According to a review of records obtained through the state open records law:

• Gov. Walker used a state car on at least 365 days to get to partisan political events between January 2011 and August 2014;
• Particularly heavy campaign reimbursements of $16,000 for use of state car between March and June 2012
• Total spending by Walker for using a state car for his personal political activity is over $66,000 through August of 2014.

Ross noted that while it was Gov. Walker’s divisive policies that triggered a recall election, his use of state resources to campaign in Wisconsin was also very heavy in the lead up to the 2012 Presidential election. Walker used a state car for political purposes 23 days in October 2012.

The travel records do not include out-of-state travel. According to a review of Gov. Walker’s campaign finance records by U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan, Walker has spent nearly $1 million to charter jets to travel across the country to shake down donors from New York to California and everywhere in between to further his own political fortunes.

“Based on just his use of a state vehicle, Gov. Walker has spent one full year on the campaign trail, and that doesn’t even include almost $1 million he’s spent to charter jets. While Gov. Walker has spent at least a year being chauffeured around the state and jetting across the country, he’s neglected the job he was elected to do and left Wisconsin last in the Midwest on jobs and staring down a potential budget deficit of over $4 billion,” concluded Ross.