Gov. Scott Walker won’t comment on the double-digit pay raise given to one of his former top aides, saying she now works in a state agency that’s beyond his control.
Cindy Archer was part of Walker’s inner circle during his days as Milwaukee County executive and during his early days as governor. Archer’s name became more public in 2011 when the Federal Bureau of Investigation raided her house as part of a now-closed John Doe investigation.
Reports last week showed Archer received a nearly-12 percent raise when she was hired as the Wisconsin Public Defender’s chief information technology officer, giving her a salary that was 30 percent higher than her predecessor. Archer did not apply for the position and was not among finalists recommended for the job.
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Asked whether the raise was appropriate, Walker deferred.
“I think you have to ask the public defender on that,” Walker said. “I don’t have authority over the public defender, I don’t comment on them or the superintendent of public instruction or other areas where I don’t have control.”
The public defender’s office has said Archer was hired because she already had a hands-on knowledge of the agency’s IT systems.
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