Groups central to the recall effort of Gov. Scott Walker are denying the governor’s claim that some petition circulators are being paid for their work.
“I’ve assumed all along that between activists and paid circulators, if they paid enough people they’d ultimately be able to get that number,” Walker said in an interview with Channel 3000.
In response to Walker’s statements, United Wisconsin and the Democratic Party of Wisconsin, the two groups leading the recall effort, said they are not paying anyone except the groups’ supervisory staff.
Teachers Assistants Association Co-President Alex Hanna also doubts Walker’s assertions. The TAA has been very active in the recall effort.
“The kind of enthusiasm we’ve seen from people, I really don’t think you have to pay anybody,” Hanna said. “It sounds silly.”
State Rep. Chris Taylor, D-Madison, is also unaware of people paying petition gatherers.
“I can tell you from the party’s perspective we are focused on making sure our 24,000 volunteers are doing everything right and are abiding all the laws and collecting signatures properly,” Taylor told Channel 3000.
During the summer Senate recall elections, the Republican Party of Wisconsin hired a Colorado company to bring in petition circulators.
