Scott Walker’s Capitol Police Chief bought and paid for with a double-digit pay raise

Wisconsin State Capitol Police Chief Dave Erwin: bought and paid for by Gov. Scott Walker.

Gov. Scott Walker’s administration rewarded the new hardline Capitol Police chief and his top deputy with double-digit pay raises earlier this year after moving the pair on paper to phantom jobs for two weeks and then back to their real posts.

Chief Dave Erwin — who has overseen a crackdown on Walker protesters at the statehouse — received an overall salary hike of 11.7%, to $111,067 a year, the same rate as his predecessor. That amounts to an $11,680 annual raise.

That hefty raise was possible only because Walker officials transferred Erwin on Feb. 5 to a ghostposition in the state Department of Administration, according to a copy of the transfer letter obtained by the Journal Sentinel. Then, on the same day, he was shuffled back to his real job as head of the Capitol Police force.

Each of the moves, backdated to earlier in the fiscal year, came with a retroactive boost in pay for Erwin. Under state rules, the chief is a civil servant, not a political appointee.

Peter Fox — who served as employment relations secretary under then-Gov. Tommy Thompson, a Republican — said the moves were legal but a “charade” performed for favored employees. Fox said he was basing his comments on what he knew of state practices from his tenure more than a decade ago.

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7 thoughts on “Scott Walker’s Capitol Police Chief bought and paid for with a double-digit pay raise

  1. Thanks Zach.

    This is a black-day for Walker and it undermines the authority of law enforcement.

  2. Money to arrest singers but no extra money to help Milwaukee police get a handle on the murder of innocent people.

  3. In going along with this deceit upon the public, Dave Erwin reveals to me that has been corrupted and has betrayed his oath of office. Combined with his ruthless methods imposed at the Capitol to deny the rights of speech, assembly, and petition is more than sufficient cause for Erwin’s immediate removal if he will not resign.

    Do any of you see see a 21st century reenactment by Wisconsin’s Walker and Erwin compared to the 20th century denial of freedom using extreme brutality by Alabama’s Governor Wallace and Chief “Bull” Connor? If not, turn to history to reveal other ruling tyrants and their enforcers with a false or blind conscience.

    “Oh, the humanity!”

  4. I am also considering that Walker could very well be “paying” a stooge to take the heat. Greed, by Erwin, could very well be the motivation for his continued employment in a hot spot.

    IMO, they are both despicable and dangerous in servingthe public good.

  5. Keep in mind this maneuver transferring Erwin to DOA and back gives him rights to a job at DOA. This was done for Mark Wahl.

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