DEMS TO GAB: PRIDEMORE CAMPAIGNS WITH STATE RESOURCES

Special to the Readers of Milwaukeeworld

By Michael Horne

And The Milwaukee World Hound Dog Team

A press release from the State Capitol office of Rep. Donald Pridemore [R-99th] opposing the candidacy of Tony Evers for State Superintendent of Public Instruction violates state law, according to a complaint filed with the State of Wisconsin Government Accountability Board [GAB] yesterday, Friday, March 20th, 2009.

The March 19th, 2009 release, entitled, "Tony Evers represents four more years of the same tired story," was sent out at 9:31 a.m. Thursday, March 19th, 2009 from the state e-mail account of staff member Bill Savage: (Bill.Savage@legis.wisconsin.gov) and was cc’d to the state e-mail account of Jim Bowers – also a Pridemore staffer: (Jim.Bowers@legis.wisconsin.gov).

In the release Pridemore says Evers would be "a bad choice to lead the Department of Public Instruction." Not a very good example from a member of the Committee on Elections and Campaign Reform.

Pridemore's electioneering release was created using government property by public employees, according to a press release filed that same day by the Democratic Party of Wisconsin [DPW]. "Pridemore’s campaign press release was sent from his state office account, by state staff, on state letterhead, and listed his toll-free number to the state capitol – all blatant violations of ethics rules," Communications Director Alex Loftus writes.

In his verified complaint filed[pdf] with the GAB, Loftus, through party attorney Michael S. Maistelman, says Pridemore violated Wisconsin Statutes 11.36(2) which prohibits campaigning on state time and on state property.

Pridemore fired back a memo saying:

"In regards to the press release on Thursday, March 19, 2009, I have asked the Government Accountability Board (GAB) for an opinion and I stand ready to take responsibility for any wronging that the board finds."

Notwithstanding the illegality of his original release (which, although he blamed his staff, does not absolve him of liability) Pridemore boasts, in an ungrammatical and much-misspelled sentence:

"although Tony Evers is running for DPI superintendant, (sic) a non-partisan race, they [DPW--Ed.] should be careful not to drawn (sic) to (sic) much attention to a press release that outlines a few very good reasons that Wisconsinites should not vote for Tony Evers."

So, as far as Pridemore ("a Fiscal Conservative Supporting Republican Ideas") is concerned, the danger to the public of Evers legally running for a state constitutional office -- and possibly winning in a free and fair election -- trumps the law forbidding campaigning on the taxpayers' dime and time. Using the same logic, Pridemore should just express his opposition to Evers by spray painting it on the walls of the State Capitol.

He then poses this incoherent question to the Democratic Party of Wisconsin, which he says "has some explaining to do" for questioning his release:

"I have no problem defending my positions to the taxpayers of the 99th assembly district; my question is; are you?” [Punctuation original--Ed.]