Democratic state senators sent a letter to Gov. Scott Walker Thursday requesting the removal of former State Assembly Majority Leader Scott Suder, R-Abbotsford, from his new appointed position within the Public Service Commission, because of his association with the United Sportsmen controversy.
Suder, who will take an 88 percent salary increase as the new administrator of the Divisions of Water, Compliance and Consumer Affairs Oct. 7, was instrumental in writing the provisions for the $500,000 United Sportsmen grant that has recently gained statewide attention.
Walker revoked the grant, which critics said was written expressly for the Republican leaning group, after it became apparent United Sportsmen did not qualify for the hunting and environmental efforts the grant required.
In the letter, which included four Democratic state senators, including state Senate Minority Leader Chris Larson, D-Milwaukee, they said Suder’s previous actions should prohibit him from taking the job, specifically his passing the grant without considering the $28 million in federal wildlife aid the state would stand to lose.
“His apparent attempt to deceive state taxpayers, withhold critical information from his fellow legislators, and the ethical questions raised by his attempt to divert millions of tax dollars to the questionable group United Sportsmen make him wholly unqualified to serve,” the senators wrote in the letter.
Walker told various media outlets Wednesday the PSC did not look at Suder’s involvement with the grant at all when hiring him.
