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Gov. Scott Walker Friday repeatedly declined to weigh in on whether the administrators at the Ethics and Elections commissions should step down following the DOJ’s John Doe leak report. Walker answered a series of reporters’ questions on the topic this
Welcome to our weekly DC Wrap, where we write about Wisconsin’s congressional delegation. Sign up here to receive the newsletter directly. Quotes of the week The nature of life on Capitol Hill necessitates long hours in close proximity to lawmakers
The state Ethics Commission Tuesday countered DOJ’s investigation into leaks from the John Doe probes, saying the report failed to accurately describe the agency’s efforts to cooperate or the steps it took to secure records after replacing the GAB. But
Senate Minority Leader Jennifer Shilling, the top elected female Democrat at the Capitol, is deferring to Milwaukee leaders on whether former Dem Sen. Spencer Coggs should resign as city treasurer despite her call for state Rep. Josh Zepnick to step
State Sen. Leah Vukmir says the now-defunct Government Accountability Board’s keeping of some of her personal emails was politically motivated. The Brookfield Republican said that because she authored legislation revamping the agency — a combined ethics and elections oversight agency
The state Ethics Commission will provide “clarifications” to the DOJ report on how agency staff handled John Doe records and will seek the release of sealed court documents to back up the contention employees acted properly, the commission chair tells
On this week’s episode, WisPolitics.com’s JR Ross and WisconsinEye’s Steve Walters discuss the John Doe leak report, the governor’s race and sexual harassment allegations at the Capitol.
GOP state Sen. Steve Nass is calling on four Elections or Ethics commission employees to quit following a DOJ report that accused the old GAB of mishandling documents related to John Doe probes that touched Gov. Scott Walker or his
At least one person illegally removed documents from the old GAB and leaked them to The Guardian, but the needed proof does not exist to convict anyone, the state DOJ concluded in a report released today. Still, the 92-page document
U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin today called on U.S. Sen. Al Franken to resign, joining a growing list of Senate Dems calling on the Minnesota senator to step aside. The statement comes after a Politico report this morning that another woman,
Like legislative leaders, AG Brad Schimel says it’s important to shield sexual harassment complaints filed with his agency, saying making them public would discourage victims from coming forward. Still, the agency released the names of two employees who turned in
Dem state Rep. Josh Zepnick says he is “disappointed and disturbed” by Minority Leader Gordon Hintz pulling him off five legislative committees following allegations he kissed two women without their consent in 2011 and 2015. Zepnick, D-Milwaukee, said he has
Michael Heifetz, the state’s Medicaid director and administrator of the Division of Medicaid Services, is resigning from his post to join the private sector. His resignation is effective Dec. 13, according to an announcement from the Department of Health services.
Four sexual harassment complaints have been filed in the state Legislature over the past 15 years, including one in the Assembly this year and another years-old case that led to a former senator’s aide getting a $75,000 taxpayer-financed settlement. Jana
Senate Minority Leader Jennifer Shilling, D-La Crosse, said Democrats will be competitive in the special election in the 10th Senate District next month. The seat is vacant after former state Sen. Sheila Harsdorf, R-River Falls, left to take a job
This week on ‘Rewind,’ WisconsinEye Senior Producer Steve Walters and WisPolitics.com Editor JR Ross discuss the Legislature keeping sexual harassment complaints secret, Evers seeking to ‘fire’ DOJ lawyers in the REINS Act lawsuit, the Assembly’s task force on foster care reform and more.
State Superintendent Tony Evers is seeking to dump the Wisconsin Department of Justice as his attorney in a lawsuit aiming to force him to comply with a new law that gives the Legislature and guv overview of the administrative rules
Northwestern Mutual CEO John Schlifske said his company is dedicating millions to a venture capital fund to help build new local businesses and attract people to Milwaukee. “We’re trying to build a more robust technological community here in Milwaukee to
The Elections Commission unanimously voted to ask lawmakers to add back three staffers to handle core agency functions, including election security. The state budget had cut six positions. Agency Administrator Mike Haas suggested during Monday’s meeting there could be options
U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson says he’s encouraged changes will be made to the Senate tax bill to win his support for the measure. The Oshkosh Republican last week said he was opposed to the current bill because of how it
Gov. Scott Walker Friday repeatedly declined to weigh in on whether the administrators at the Ethics and Elections commissions should step down following the DOJ’s John Doe leak report. Walker answered a series of reporters’ questions on the topic this afternoon with variations of “I think the report speaks for
Welcome to our weekly DC Wrap, where we write about Wisconsin’s congressional delegation. Sign up here to receive the newsletter directly. Quotes of the week The nature of life on Capitol Hill necessitates long hours in close proximity to lawmakers and staff that can create power dynamics of which young
The state Ethics Commission Tuesday countered DOJ’s investigation into leaks from the John Doe probes, saying the report failed to accurately describe the agency’s efforts to cooperate or the steps it took to secure records after replacing the GAB. But AG Brad Schimel fired back, saying questions the Ethics Commission
Senate Minority Leader Jennifer Shilling, the top elected female Democrat at the Capitol, is deferring to Milwaukee leaders on whether former Dem Sen. Spencer Coggs should resign as city treasurer despite her call for state Rep. Josh Zepnick to step down. “I think former Sen. Coggs should do what is
State Sen. Leah Vukmir says the now-defunct Government Accountability Board’s keeping of some of her personal emails was politically motivated. The Brookfield Republican said that because she authored legislation revamping the agency — a combined ethics and elections oversight agency — that put her “in the sights of the GAB.”
The state Ethics Commission will provide “clarifications” to the DOJ report on how agency staff handled John Doe records and will seek the release of sealed court documents to back up the contention employees acted properly, the commission chair tells WisPolitics.com. David Halbrooks, speaking after the agency called an emergency
On this week’s episode, WisPolitics.com’s JR Ross and WisconsinEye’s Steve Walters discuss the John Doe leak report, the governor’s race and sexual harassment allegations at the Capitol.
GOP state Sen. Steve Nass is calling on four Elections or Ethics commission employees to quit following a DOJ report that accused the old GAB of mishandling documents related to John Doe probes that touched Gov. Scott Walker or his associates. Of the four, only Nathan Judnic, an Elections Commission
At least one person illegally removed documents from the old GAB and leaked them to The Guardian, but the needed proof does not exist to convict anyone, the state DOJ concluded in a report released today. Still, the 92-page document paints the Government Accountability Board as being sloppy in its
U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin today called on U.S. Sen. Al Franken to resign, joining a growing list of Senate Dems calling on the Minnesota senator to step aside. The statement comes after a Politico report this morning that another woman, identified only as a former Democratic congressional aide, said Franken
Like legislative leaders, AG Brad Schimel says it’s important to shield sexual harassment complaints filed with his agency, saying making them public would discourage victims from coming forward. Still, the agency released the names of two employees who turned in their resignations two years ago while facing sexual harassment allegations.
Dem state Rep. Josh Zepnick says he is “disappointed and disturbed” by Minority Leader Gordon Hintz pulling him off five legislative committees following allegations he kissed two women without their consent in 2011 and 2015. Zepnick, D-Milwaukee, said he has been facing anonymous allegations and again said he will not
Michael Heifetz, the state’s Medicaid director and administrator of the Division of Medicaid Services, is resigning from his post to join the private sector. His resignation is effective Dec. 13, according to an announcement from the Department of Health services. Deputy Administrator Casey Himebauch is to serve as Interim administrator
Four sexual harassment complaints have been filed in the state Legislature over the past 15 years, including one in the Assembly this year and another years-old case that led to a former senator’s aide getting a $75,000 taxpayer-financed settlement. Jana Williams, a former aide to then-Dem Sen. Spencer Coggs, did
Senate Minority Leader Jennifer Shilling, D-La Crosse, said Democrats will be competitive in the special election in the 10th Senate District next month. The seat is vacant after former state Sen. Sheila Harsdorf, R-River Falls, left to take a job in the Walker administration. “We are seeing great enthusiasm with
This week on ‘Rewind,’ WisconsinEye Senior Producer Steve Walters and WisPolitics.com Editor JR Ross discuss the Legislature keeping sexual harassment complaints secret, Evers seeking to ‘fire’ DOJ lawyers in the REINS Act lawsuit, the Assembly’s task force on foster care reform and more.
State Superintendent Tony Evers is seeking to dump the Wisconsin Department of Justice as his attorney in a lawsuit aiming to force him to comply with a new law that gives the Legislature and guv overview of the administrative rules his agency writes. Evers declared at a news conference Tuesday
Northwestern Mutual CEO John Schlifske said his company is dedicating millions to a venture capital fund to help build new local businesses and attract people to Milwaukee. “We’re trying to build a more robust technological community here in Milwaukee to attract people to come and work in the digital space,”
The Elections Commission unanimously voted to ask lawmakers to add back three staffers to handle core agency functions, including election security. The state budget had cut six positions. Agency Administrator Mike Haas suggested during Monday’s meeting there could be options to use federal funds or existing Elections Commission resources to
U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson says he’s encouraged changes will be made to the Senate tax bill to win his support for the measure. The Oshkosh Republican last week said he was opposed to the current bill because of how it treats smaller businesses known as “pass throughs” for tax purposes.