Milwaukee, WI (August 3, 2022) – Anna Hodges, former Acting Milwaukee County Clerk of Circuit Court, issued the following statement calling on George Christenson to call off his aggressive smear campaign in the race for Clerk of Circuit Court:
“From the moment I entered this race in February, I have campaigned with integrity, presenting the public with my qualifications and a bold vision for the future. I made the conscious decision not to engage in a derogatory public debate with my opponent about his own track record, not because it was the ‘political’ choice but because it was the right thing to do. I made this decision because I believe in campaigning with honor, integrity, and truth.
“I am disappointed – but not surprised – that in the last week of the campaign, my opponent has chosen a different path. Desperate to win the primary and secure his six-figure salary, interim Clerk of Circuit Court George Christenson has mounted a vicious smear campaign. Whether in the newspaper or on social media, Mr. Christenson is blasting forth allegation after allegation about my service as Chief Deputy Clerk of Circuit Court.
“I am proud of my record in the Clerk of Circuit Court’s office. I steered an office of nearly 300 employees and a $42 million budget through the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Like any organization, we encountered our share of difficulties then and during the Great Resignation, but we weathered the storm and continued to serve the public with professionalism and skill. And yes, some years ago, I helped address a situation in which an employee (who did not report to me, but to the elected Clerk) failed to properly deposit a check. For Mr. Christenson to present this situation as somehow indicative of my management abilities is preposterous.
“I call on Mr. Christenson to avoid tarnishing his reputation any further, and to call off his inflammatory smear campaign. The people of Milwaukee County and the voters in the August 9 Democratic primary deserve better than to see a longtime politician engage in this kind of shameful behavior.”
