Will Gov. Walker’s Ethical Flip-Flop Pay Big in Vegas?

MADISON, Wis. — In previous campaigns, Scott Walker touted legislation he introduced to “ban political contributions from gambling interests.” Now, with presidential ambition dancing in his head, Gov. Walker is headed to Las Vegas to try to double down on the $250,000 contribution he received in 2012 from casino magnate Sheldon Adelson.

One Wisconsin Now Executive Director Scot Ross commented, “Once again we see that self interest and political expediency are the only ethical credos by which Gov. Walker abides.”

Walker is reportedly set to appear at a late March meeting in Las Vegas of the Republican Jewish Coalition, a group strongly supported by billionaire casino magnate Sheldon Adelson. In addition to donating $250,000 to Walker for his recall election campaign in 2012, Adelson was quoted in Forbes Magazine saying that as long very wealthy people could buy elections, “I’m going to do it.”

On his website from 1999, Walker posted: “As the chair of the Elections and Constitutional Law Committee, Scott Walker has been a leader in reforming the campaign and ethics system … Concerns raised over the last three years prompted Scott Walker to introduce legislation to ban political contributions from gambling interests.”

Ross concluded, “Gov. Walker’s $250,000 flip-flop is just the latest from this administration marred by cronyism, corruption and incompetence. The only sure bet is that the middle class and working families of Wisconsin will lose when Gov. Walker heads to Las Vegas to win the backing of a billionaire casino magnate for his political ambitions.”