Empower Wisconsin | June 22, 2020

MILWAUKEE  — Nearly two weeks after Gov. Tony Evers and his team were caught secretly recording Republican legislative leaders, the governor refuses to say who on his staff authorized and made the recording. 

Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald (R-Juneau) says he’s not about to let Team Evers off the hook for the serious violation of trust. 

“ …(W)e’re still very much miffed about the whole situation and the idea that he’s not going to do a full disclosure,” Fitzgerald told Empower Wisconsin Friday on the Jay Weber Show. “They’re still holding on tight to the idea that it’s nobody’s business of what’s going on in the State Capitol but theirs, and that’s unacceptable.”

As Empower Wisconsin first reported, the surreptitious recordings are from a meeting between Fitzgerald, Assembly Speaker Robin Vos (R-Rochester) and members of their staff, and, presumably, the governor, Maggie Gau, his chief of staff, and chief legal Counsel, Ryan Nilsestuen. 

Tony Evers’ handlers say the Democrat had no knowledge of the conversation, which occurred on May 14, the day after the state Supreme Court struck down the administration’s public health lockdown order. 

Nilsestuen told reporters last week that staff had authorized the recording but he wouldn’t say who did so. 

Fitzgerald, who released a legal analysis last week noting that the clandestine recording could be a felony, said Evers and his staffers are playing games, challenging the Republicans to pursue charges. But in what venue? Will they receive justice from liberal hack Attorney General Josh Kaul? Or liberal hack Dane County District Attorney Ismael Ozanne? Not likely. 

Fitzgerald wants to know what Empower Wisconsin wants to know: How many more secret tapes are out there? We have filed an open records request with the governor’s office to find out. 

Sen. Fitzgerald is our guest today on PowerUp, Empower Wisconsin’s podcast.