Walker Political Appointee Stonewalling Release of Public Records?

MADISON, Wis. — Gov. Walker’s political appointee in charge of the Department of Workforce Development (DWD) appears to be stonewalling the release of public records related to claims he made about the release of unverified state job numbers.

One Wisconsin Now spokesperson Mike Browne commented, “The unprecedented release of unverified jobs numbers weeks before the election was fishy. Watching these new job statistics, never before seen by the public, magically appear in television ads from Gov. Walker’s campaign the very same morning was suspicious.”

He continued, “But the refusal of Gov. Walker’s political appointee to fill a simple public records request in a timely manner to verify his statement that he came up with these new number all on his own without talking to the Governor or his office reeks of a cover-up.”

Nearly three weeks ago, One Wisconsin Now made a simple, limited request under the state open records law for the recent e-mails, calendar and phone logs of DWD Secretary Reggie Newsom to verify his claim that he released new, unverified state job statistics on his own initiative, with “no consultation” with Gov. Walker or his staff.

Under state law, information like the official calendar of a state official or office phone records are to be made available to the public upon request. The law further requires that open records requests be responded to as “soon as practicable and without delay.”

Browne concluded, “From stonewalling investigators in the John Doe criminal investigation of corruption and illegal campaigning to stalling the release of records the public is entitled to, Gov. Walker’s administration continues to have a serious problem coming clean with the people of Wisconsin.”