As fans get ready to cheer on the Badgers at the Capital One Bowl, the state Ethics Board is censuring a UW-Madison lobbyist for offering state legislators a special opportunity to buy tickets for the game.
Before the tickets to the bowl went on sale to the general public, a UW-Madison assistant director of state relations, Don Nelson, sent an e-mail to legislator, offering them the opportunity to purchase tickets to the Capital One Bowl. The offer had to be withdrawn after the Wisconsin Ethics Board said it could amount to unethical gifts.
The tickets to the bowl cost $70 plus a $20 processing fee. In the e-mail, Nelson told legislators that they could purchase the tickets directly through the chancellor's office at face value, without paying the fee.
Amy Toburen, UW-Madison spokesperson, said officials were not aware of the fee. 'We've been offering tickets and it has never been a problem in the past. The legislators pay face value for the tickets like any other customer would.'
Toburen said the legislators attending the game would have been great visibility for the state university.
The ethics board became concerned with the waiving of the $20 dollar processing fee as well as the fact that legislators could have purchased tickets earlier than the general public.
Ethics Board director Roth Judd said, 'The elected officials are forbidden to use their positions to obtain services and favors for their private benefit.'
This means the legislators are forbidden by law to accept anything of value, even as much as a cup of coffee, explained state Rep. Spencer Black, D-Madison.
'Nothing of value should be provided; $20 waived equals something of value,' said Jay Heck, executive director of Common Cause Wisconsin. Heck said Nelson worked on legislation and should have known the discounted offers would cause problems.
Heck said the offer was made to curry favor with the legislators while the university is working with the Joint Finance Committee.
'They are being offered something the public isn't offered. It's preferential treatment like this that causes citizens to have so little faith in the government,' Heck said.
Black defended the offer in part saying, 'I think it was a mistake but it was an innocent mistake.'
Judd said it was a good decision to rescind the offer.
'It would be wrong to have fans suffer in line while there is a some sort of concierge service for legislators,' he said.
Now the lawmakers and the general public alike are directed to the official UW Badgers website to purchase their Capital One Bowl tickets.
