CREW I citizens.for. r e s p o n ~ i b i 1 i t y a n d ethics n washington February 23 , 2011 Government Accountability Board State o f Wisconsin Floor P.O. Bo x 7984 Madison, WI 53707-4232 VIA FAX: 608-267-0500 Dear Members o f the Board: Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington respectfully requests that the Wisconsin Government Accountability Board immediately commence an investigation into whether Governor Scott Walker violated Wisconsin state law by sending members of the Wisconsin State Patrol ("WSP" or "state troopers") to locate Democratic Senate Leader Matt Miller. As you are no doubt aware , Republicans in the Wisconsin state Senate asked the state troopers to locate Sen. Miller after he and other Democratic senators left the state on February 17 th to delay passage o f a Republican bill to strip public sector workers o f their collective bargaining rights and deny them certain compensation and benefits.' Wisconsin Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald said he asked Governor Scott Walker to send troopers to Sen. Miller' s home to send a message to the lawmaker. " Governor Walker agreed to dispatch the officers. ' Video o f a state trooper and another man, presumably Senate Sergeant-At-Arms Te d Blazel, arriving and knocking on the door o f Se n. Miller's home is available on the Internet." Interestingly, the Superintendent o f the WS P is Stephen Fitzgerald, th e father o f Senate Majority Leader Fitzgerald and Assembly Speaker Jeff Fitzgerald.' Superintendent Fitzgerald 1 Scott Bauer, Troopers Sent After Wisconsin Democratic Leader - With a Message, Chicago Sun-Times, February 19,2011. 2 Wisconsin Senate Republicans Send State Trooper After Democratic Leader Mark Miller, AssociatedPress , February 18,2011 (available at http://www.postcrescent.com/article /2 0 11 0218/ APCO 10 1/1 1 0218046/Wisconsin-Senate- Republica 3 Id. 4 http: //www.youtube.com/watch?v=pihlr17nwbM. 5 Mary Spicuzza, To p Lawmaker's Father Stephen Fitzgerald to Lead State Patrol, Wisconsin St ate Journal , February 8, 2011. 1400E ye S treet, NW , Su ite 450, Wa shington , D.C . 20005 I 202.408.5565 ph one I 202.588.5020 fa x www .c itizensforethics.org
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Request for Investigation: CREW: Wisconsin Government Accountability Board: Regarding Wisconsin Governor Walker’s Dispatching of State Patrol: 2/23/11 – Letter to Wisconsin Government
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8/7/2019 Request for Investigation: CREW: Wisconsin Government Accountability Board: Regarding Wisconsin Governor Walk…
Thus , the facts make clear that Governor Walker has used the state troopers in a dispute
between an employer - the state of Wisconsin - and employees - public employees of the state ofWisconsin. Therefore, calling upon the troopers to assist the governor and the Senate Republicans
to obtain the presence of Sen. Miller and other Democratic senators to end an employment dispute
is a blatant violation ofWisconsin law.
The Government Accountability Board has jurisdiction over violations of the Wisconsin
Code ofEthics for Public Officials. II Under the code , " [n]o state public official may use or attempt
to use the public position held by the public official to influence or gain unlawful benefits,
advantages or privileges personally or for others. ?" By abusing his position as governor to ask the
WSP to send a message to Sen. Miller , Governor Walker obtained an unlawful benefit - the use of
the troopers - in an effort to gain an advantage in his wage dispute with the state 's public
employees. Further, it appears that Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald and Wisconsin State
Patrol Superintendent Stephen Fitzgerald may have conspired with the governor to unlawfully send
state troopers after Sen. Miller, providing the governor with an unlawful benefit.
While Governor Walker and Majority Leader Fitzgerald may have legitimate political and
policy concerns, those concerns do not allow them to violate the law by forcing state troopers to
illegally intervene in an employment dispute with political overtones. As many across the nation
watch the political gamesmanship in Wisconsin, the Government Accountability Board must act
quickl y and firmly to ensure all Americans that the abuse of law enforcement authority will not be
tolerated and that even powerful political officials are not above the law.