Scott Walker—Scandal as Aides Get Walker Donor $100,000s; Letter Cced to Walker

Scott Walker had to comment from New Orleans on the growing scandal back home but it isn't because Walker is digging the Blues-Jazz scene and drinking in the Quarter enjoying the nightlife.

Walker was out trashing public schools at a for-profit private school conclave. (Williams, New Orleans Times-Picayune)

Back in Wisconsin, calls for a federal investigation of Walker's slush fund are growing (DeFour, Wisconsin State Journal), after audits revealed a rash of highly questionable loans and grants from Chairman Walker's Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC).

http://WWW.BCIHQ.COM - Unavailable but appreciative
of the $500,000 from Wisconsin taxpayers

The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel (Stein, Marley) breaks a story this morning Walker lied about his knowledge of a six-figure WEDC loan going to a major Walker backer.

Write Stein and Marley in their lede: "State records say that Gov. Scott Walker received a copy of a 2011 letter pledging a $500,000 taxpayer loan to a now-defunct Milwaukee construction company headed by a Walker donor, seemingly contradicting statements by the governor and his aides that he was not aware of the award."

Walker said he played no role and his spokesperson said Walker had no knowledge, though the Journal-Sentinel notes: "The Sept. 9, 2011, letter from Paul Jadin, WEDC's chief executive officer at the time, was sent to William Minahan, owner of Building Committee Inc., a company that is now being sued by WEDC for defaulting on the unsecured loan without delivering the promised project and the jobs it was supposed to create.

Jadin said in his letter of intent that he was writing "on behalf of Governor Scott Walker" and noted "cc: Scott Walker, Governor" at the bottom.

No role from the Chair, Scott Walker, of the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp?

Something smells.

Writes the State Journal's DeFour:

Assembly Minority Leader Peter Barca, D-Kenosha, said at a news conference at the Capitol that a State Journal investigation of a $500,000 state economic development loan to Building Committee Inc. (BCI) that has never been repaid shows evidence of “possible corruption.”

The State Journal reported its findings in a two-part series that ran Sunday and Monday.

“$500,000 in taxpayer funds were wasted by Gov. Walker and his administration on a loan that never should have been granted to a major campaign contributor,” said Barca, a board member of Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. “As a taxpayer and someone who cares deeply about economic development in this state, as a legislator and a board member, I am outraged.”

Barca and Sen. Julie Lassa, D-Stevens Point, who also serves on the WEDC board, called on U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch and U.S. Attorneys John Vaudreuil and James Santelle to launch an investigation into missing documents, whether taxpayer dollars were misused, and whether criminal violations may have taken place at WEDC.

Likely, Walker's I-don't-know line will change to a 'We moved on," and then "We are cooperating with federal investigators ... and concentrating on jobs and families.'

Serving the Wisconsin people would be nice.

As would Walker trade missions to Milwaukee, Kenosha, Beloit and Racine.