For Immediate Release – Saturday, July 8, 2023
Contact Kevin Hermening, Chairman (715) 571-0950
GOP Chairman charges Governor Tony Evers with breaking Wisconsin Ethics law
“Governor Tony Evers should stay out of Wausau’s non-partisan Mayoral election and is breaking Wisconsin’s ethics laws by actively campaigning for Wausau Mayor Katie Rosenberg” as she kicks off her re-election Saturday afternoon in a private campaign event, according to Marathon County GOP Chairman Kevin Hermening. “It’s one thing for the Governor to visit Wausau to join the Mayor and legislative Republicans in announcing the recent increase in state revenue sharing, or to tour the new water treatment plant, as he did Thursday, because those activities are legitimate for a partisan elected leader,” said Hermening.
Hermening added, “But joining Mayor Rosenberg today, who as a candidate for a non-partisan race for Mayor, violates the Wisconsin Ethics Statutes (specifically Wisconsin Statute 19.45, Standards of conduct; state public officials). A Governor is not the same as a fellow non-partisan Mayor, or City Council member, or school board member.”
“Are the state’s taxpayers, who were just denied a $3.5 billion tax cut by the Governor’s vetoes, paying for the Governor’s travel and security bill? Or is the Mayor asking the already-strapped Wausau city taxpayers being asked to foot the bill for the Governor’s travels to Wausau? “The City is broken, and not even the Governor can save Mayor Rosenberg’s administration. “Governor Evers should stay home today. Failure to do so will result in an official Ethics Complaint being filed by the Republican Party of Marathon County on Monday morning,” said Hermening.
State Statutes 19.45 Standards of conduct; state public officials. (13) No state public official [the Governor] or candidate for state public office may, directly or by means of an agent, give, or offer or promise to give, or withhold, or offer or promise to withhold, his or her vote or influence…