Both the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and the Wisdems are calling for Wisconsin Governor Walker to fire Jefferson County Republican Party Chair Gary Ellerman for posting racist comments and making false statements.
By H. Nelson Goodson
October 31, 2014
Milwaukee, WI - On Friday, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (MJS) editorial board and the Wisconsin Democratic Party (Wisdems) called on Governor Scott Walker (R) to fire the Jefferson County Republican Party Chair Gary Ellerman for making racist and false comments. The Wisdems released the following statement, Ellerman's GOP fanaticism runs deep, as he reportedly had a Facebook page filled with racist, homophobic, bigoted postings about Democrats and President Barack Obama.
The MJS in its editorial on Friday asked the following question about Ellerman, "The problem is poor judgment, and Walker shouldn't tolerate it in a party leader...Does Walker condone that in a county chairman of his party?" The MJS suggests for Walker to cut his ties with Ellerman who recently made false statements about Walker's Democratic challenger Mary Burke being fired from her family Trek Bicycle Corp. business or does he condone Ellerman's actions.
The MJS editorial board wrote, "Ellerman was the main source in a story in the conservative Wisconsin Reporter that claimed Burke was "fired" by Trek management...Walker should put some space between himself and his county chairman in Jefferson County.
And, he should demand that Ellerman resign."
And, he should demand that Ellerman resign."
Trek Bicycle Corp. released the following statement Regarding Ellerman's false allegations, "This last-minute attempt to disparage Mary's contributions to Trek is attributed to Gary Ellerman, Chairman of the Jefferson County Republican Party. Mr. Ellerman was fired from Trek in 2004. His politically motivated characterizations of Mary and her tenure at Trek are inaccurate. When Mary was in charge of Europe, she grew sales from $3 million to $50 million. In 1993, Mary decided that it was time for her to make a change and she left Trek. In 1995, John Burke asked Mary Burke to return to Trek to help with some key areas of the business. After she returned, Mary assumed the lead of Trek`s Global Forecasting department."
Also from the Wisdems, "Scott Walker owes the people of Wisconsin answers to the questions posed by the Journal Sentinel editorial board today. For instance, does he agree with Gary Ellerman's offensive, slanderous posts about both the President and First Lady of the United States?" said Democratic Party of Wisconsin Chair Mike Tate on Friday. "This is a close race, and desperate parties do desperate things, but this has no place in Wisconsin politics. Unless Walker agrees with Gary Ellerman's views he should denounce Ellerman's claims immediately and demand he resign from his leadership position in the Republican Party."
On Thursday in an update of the 2011 DWD scandal in Walker's administration, Manuel "Manny" Pérez, the former Secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (DWD) confirmed to Hispanic News Network U.S.A. (HNNUSA) that he briefed Walker's administrative team, including Keith Gilkes, Walker's Chief of Staff in 2011 about two top DWD administrators involved in an inappropriate relationship. Despite the information provided by Pérez, Governor Walker decided to appoint Scott Baumbach as the next DWD Secretary after Pérez resigned in May 2011. Baumbach was actually having an inappropriate relationship with Allison Rozek, an administrator for the Administrative Services Division.
Rozek had raised allegations that she was being sexually harassed by a top DWD administrator, but never filed a complaint probably because Governor Walker had learned of her affair with Baumbach. Baumbach and Gilkes who knew about the Rozek and Baumbach's relationship while at DWD resigned in October 2011. It is not known, if Rozek resigned or was fired from the DWD in October 2011.
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