Democrats ask Jensen to stop paying legal fees
10:31 AM 5/16/02
Phil Brinkman State government reporter
indentA majority of the Democrats in the state Assembly have signed a letter to GOP Speaker Scott Jensen asking him to order the chief clerk to stop paying legal bills for members and staff involved in an ongoing criminal investigation into improper campaign activity.
indent"When the state is faced with a billion-dollar budget deficit, it is simply indefensible to force the hard-working people of Wisconsin to pay for the high-priced lawyers elected officials have hired to keep themselves out of legal trouble in this investigation," said the letter, signed by 32 of the Assembly's 43 Democrats.
indentRepublicans, led by Jensen, R-Waukesha, control the house, with 56 members.
indentThe letter was in response to revelations last week that five legislators and at least 59 current and former staff members have received taxpayer-funded private legal help in the year-long investigation totaling more than $500,000.
indentReps. Tim Carpenter, D-Milwaukee; Tom Hebl, D-Sun Prairie; and Marty Reynolds, D-Ladysmith, orchestrated the petition.
indentIn a reply letter, Jensen defended the payments, saying they were made "on the advice of the non-partisan Legislative Counsel and (are) consistent with common practice in the private sector workplace."
indent"Under state law, any lawmaker or legislative employee who is found guilty of a criminal offense will be required to reimburse the taxpayers for their legal fees," Jensen wrote. "Legal fees will only be paid for individuals who are innocent or helping investigators learn the truth."
indentJensen noted that the payments are not automatic; clients choose whether to bill the state for the legal work. He suggested that Democrats urge people in their own party, some of whom work with the lawmakers who signed the letter, to stop submitting bills to the state.
indent"I would invite you to act in accordance with your conscience, instruct the Chief Clerk to reimburse no more bills for the above-mentioned staff, and instruct those lawmakers and staff to submit no further bills for reimbursement to the Chief Clerk," Jensen wrote.
indentJay Heck, executive director of Common Cause in Wisconsin, said a similar letter is being drafted in the Democratic-controlled state Senate to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Chvala, D-Madison, but he didn't know how many sponsors it might receive.
indentDemocrats in both houses have led multiple efforts to reverse a leadership policy of paying the bills before prosecutors decide whether any of the witnesses will be charged with wrongdoing. The resolutions all were voted down.