Walker Under Fire For Sending Aides To Fundraising Event

Democrats are criticizing Gov. Scott Walker for having aides attend a Republican fundraising event last year, saying it’s another example of Walker blurring the line between campaign politics and governing.

A report released last week by the New York Times revealed that several senior administration officials, as well as political and campaign advisors to Walker, were scheduled to attend a conference hosted by the Republican Governors Association in 2013. The RGA is a heavyweight Republican campaign organization that has spent millions of dollars on TV ads attacking Democrat Mary Burke in Wisconsin.

Documents obtained by the Times show Walker’s Chief of Staff Eric Schutt and Administration Department Secretary Mike Huebsch were among those scheduled to attend the event. Walker’s campaign advisor Keith Gilkes was also among those listed on the agenda.

Wisconsin Democratic Party Chairman Mike Tate said the presence of Walker’s state advisors at such an event is an example of corrupt, “pay-to-play” politics.

“It is, to say the least, mind-boggling that after six of Scott Walker’s top aides and associates were convicted of crimes that occurred on his watch that’s he’s still operating as if there’s no line that separates campaign business from government business,” said Tate, referring to the convictions that came about following a three-year state investigation into Walker’s first campaign for governor.

Walker said the allegations of wrongdoing are misguided.

“They didn’t raise any money at those events. They were meeting with other governors and governors’ staffs talking about policy, just like we do at any number of associations,” he said.

The documents say Walker aides attended sessions with Citigroup and Blue Cross and Blue Shield. Some corporate members paid as much as $250,000 to attend the RGA event.