MADISON, Wis. — A continuing review of Gov. Scott Walker’s serial misuse and abuse of state airplanes has revealed he used a state plane to fly to the Green Bay area six straight days prior to a special election in the 1st State Senate District. Based on the latest records obtained by One Wisconsin Now, Walker has flown on state planes nearly 1,000 times at an expense to taxpayers of nearly $1 million since ending his presidential bid in September 2015.
“Scott Walker is using public resources for his political purposes,” said One Wisconsin Now Executive Director Scot Ross. “Scott Walker’s ‘I fly you buy attitude’ leaves Wisconsin taxpayers footing the bill while he flies the state to try rehabilitate his image and stave off more political losses.”
According to the most recent flight records obtained by One Wisconsin Now, the frequently flying Walker used a state plane to visit the Green Bay area on six consecutive days — June 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12 — at a total cost to taxpayers for the days’ air travel of $12,867. The visits occurred immediately prior to and on election day for a critical state Senate special election in the Green Bay area, which many viewed as a potential indicator of electoral trouble for Gov. Walker. Walker did not reimburse for the air travel and the Republican lost the seat for the first time since 1977.
The flights to Northeastern Wisconsin are part of a pattern of behavior of Gov. Walker using state resources for his own political purposes. One Wisconsin Now filed a formal complaintwith the State Ethics Board and requested an investigation by the Dane County District Attorney for Walker’s violation of state law by using public resources for his political campaign when he flew, at a cost to taxpayers of over $2,000, to an airport in Rhinelander on the day he filmed campaign tv ads in nearby Three Lakes.
Earlier Walker had, in his own words, revealed the political purpose behind his travelling the state and using state airplanes run on tax dollars. In a radio interview he admitted that he needed to rehabilitate his political image in Wisconsin to have a chance at continuing his 25 year political career.
Ross concluded, “This isn’t about Gov. Walker using the state plane to serve the people of Wisconsin. Instead Gov. Walker is charging the people of Wisconsin to serve his own political self interest and convenience.”
The flight records are available to the public at onewi.org/ScottWalkerAIR.
