By Shereen Siewert
Officials from the Marathon County Republican Party say they’ll file an ethics complaint this week against Gov. Tony Evers, who appeared Saturday in Wausau at a campaign kick off event for Mayor Katie Rosenberg.
Rosenberg, who announced earlier this year she’ll seek a second term as mayor of the city, held the event Saturday at Whitewater Music Hall, 130 First St., in downtown Wausau. Evers, along with a campaign staffer, attended the ticketed event, Rosenberg said.
In Wausau, mayors hold a nonpartisan position. But critics say Rosenberg has almost unilaterally rejected the nonpartisan nature of the role, often appearing at events for or with Evers, former Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes and Democratic U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin – but not with Republican lawmakers.
Marathon County GOP Chair Kevin Hermening said Evers is breaking the state’s election laws by actively campaigning for Rosenberg at a private event.
“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,” Hermening said.
Hermening pointed to a specific rule surrounding standards of conduct that separates governors or other state officials from nonpartisan mayors, city council members or school board members. He questioned how the travel was being funded for the governor’s appearance.
“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?”
In a news release issued Saturday, the Marathon County GOP asked Evers to stay home and not attend the fundraiser. Failure to do so, Hermening said, would result in a formal complaint filed Monday with the state.
Rosenberg, in an email to Wausau Pilot & Review, said she was not aware of the Marathon County GOP’s position prior to the event, but offered no additional comment.
Protesters were outside the venue Saturday during the campaign event. WSAU Radio commentator Meg Ellefson had called for the demonstration “to send a strong message to tell Governor Veto exactly what you think of his anti-taxpayer, anti-small business, anti-Wisconsin actions, which will adversely affect Wisconsin citizens for the next 400 years.”
About 13 people showed up to join the demonstration, according to WAOW.
Efforts to reach Gov. Evers’ staff were not immediately successful on Sunday.
