Private signing ceremony a transparent payback for Gov. Walker donors

Company hosting governor's budget signing gave him $40,000 in campaign cash

Gov. Scott Walker is set to sign the state’s budget on Sunday.

The governor plans on having a relatively low-key event. But it wasn’t enough for him just to have a simple signing ceremony: in keeping with his track record of creating controversy out of the simplest of things, Walker plans to sign the budget in a private gathering at a company where two executives gave him $40,000 in campaign donations.

...it's worth noting the fact that Catalyst Exhibits CEO Paul Stahlberg forked over $20,000 to help Walker win last year's recall election, and the company’s president, Tim Roberts, kicked in another $20,000, according to the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign's campaign finance database. Both Catalyst officials gave $5,000 to Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch as well.

Gov. Scott Walker plans to sign the budget this Sunday

Emphasis added.

It’s nice to see the governor branch out to other communities besides the Madison area to sign the budget. After all, the entire state is affected by the bill, and it’s important to highlight that fact.

But in choosing a site based on what appears to be campaign dollars given to him, Walker has made a terrible (and pretty transparent) choice. It may be that Walker thinks he is highlighting Wisconsin businesses in his ceremonial signing of the budget, but it’s also evident that this is “friendly territory” for the governor, one where those who are sponsoring the event happen to have made a pretty big investment.

That two principals of the company gave $50,000 to Walker and Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch only underscores the point that this event isn’t for the people of Wisconsin -- it’s for the corporate backers that have supported Walker in the past and likely in the future.

Which is much like the budget itself.