In light of the recent scandal surrounding Adelman Travel, Gov. Jim Doyle officially terminated the state-issued contract and ordered an independent review of the Department of Administration's contracting procedures Monday.
Georgia Thompson, a top Doyle administrative official, was indicted last week on two felony counts involving inappropriate political considerations.
'As I have said before, I have zero tolerance for ethical lapses, and I will continue to demand the highest standards from everyone in my administration,' Doyle said in a statement Monday. 'I want the public to have confidence [in the] government and am committed to working every day to working up to that confidence.'
Both the Department of Administration Spokesperson Steve Larivee and Doyle's communication director Dan Leistkow said there is no evidence of any political consideration in the Adelman case.
Leistkow said it is important to remember this was a process that was overseen by a respected career civil servant, the contract went to the lowest bidder and taxpayers saved $30,000.
Both the president and a board director of Adelman Travel contributed a combined total of $20,000 to Doyle's campaign.
Melanie Fonder, Doyle's campaign spokesperson, said, '[The contributions] will not be returned.'
Bruce Pfaff, spokesperson for Republican gubernatorial candidate and Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker, said Doyle 'doesn't appear to be sincere or serious' about this issue and called on the governor to return the money.
'The additional steps the governor has taken today are just far too short of where he needs to be,' Pfaff said. 'He could unilaterally prohibit contributions from anyone seeking contract with the state while that contract is open for bid and he hasn't done that, either.'
Doyle ordered for review of the Department of Administrations contracting process and banned political appointees from serving on contract selection committees.
According to Leistkow, civil service employees would be the only members on these committees and would serve during different administrations, insulating them from political pressure.
Although no political appointees were on the Adelman contract selection committee, Larivee said the executive order will reiterate and strengthen current contracting provisions.
Though traditionally the incumbent candidate has an advantage over challengers, Mike Prentiss, spokesperson for state Sen. Scott Fitzgerald, R-Juneau, said the Adelman 'saga' will force the governor to 'focus a little more on playing defense and a little less on touting his own ideas, his own agenda and his own record.'
