State Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald claims ignorance about the fundraising scheme and the donations from the lead paint manufacturers to Club for Growth exposed by The Guardian's reporting on leaked documents.

MADISON - In the wake of The Guardian's reporting on leaked documents from the second John Doe investigation, Republicans have been working overtime to distract the public from the most recent round of pay-to-play allegations against them.  Recently uncovered documents showed that at the request of Governor Walker, a lead paint manufacturer donated $750,000 to help GOP efforts to retain control of the state. Not long after, the company was rewarded with legislation retroactively protecting them from lead paint lawsuits filed by injured families. 

State Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald claimed ignorance about the fundraising scheme and the donations from the lead paint manufacturers to Club for Growth. However, despite Fitzgerald’s claims to the contrary, the documents show that key advisors for both Scott Walker and the Wisconsin Club Growth suggested looping Sen. Fitzgerald into their schemes. 

“The more we learn about this pay-to-play fundraising scheme, the clearer it becomes that Scott Fitzgerald and other Republican legislative leadership were involved," Democratic Party of Wisconsin Chair Martha Laning said on Thursday. “It’s time for Sen. Fitzgerald to come clean and tell the people of Wisconsin what he knew about the pay-to-play scheme, and when he knew it.  We deserve leaders who are willing to stand up for the people of Wisconsin, not ones who sell out their safety in exchange for campaign cash."