Democratic candidate for governor Mary Burke said that Gov. Scott Walker is behind what she calls false allegations that she was fired at the Trek Bicycle Corporation years ago.
The Walker campaign has denied any involvement in the story.
The allegations were made by two former Trek executives, both of whom are Republicans. They claimed that the Burke family forced Mary Burke out of her job as head of Trek’s European operations 20 years ago.
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The candidate’s brother and current Trek CEO John Burke said that the claims are false.
While touring a plastics company in Port Washington on Thursday afternoon, Mary Burke blamed Walker and said that he had approved the spreading of the false rumors.
“Scott Walker is not going to stop at anything,” she said. “He is a career politician who will do anything to win an election, including lies, smears — dragging a great Wisconsin company through the mud.”
Burke was asked for evidence of the governor’s involvement in the allegations. She responded by bringing up the two John Doe investigations that centered on Walker’s campaign activity.
“It’s been from day one: He’s had other people doing his dirty work,” said Burke. “We have seen in his other campaign, six associates and staff of his have been convicted of crimes. And it doesn’t surprise me that he enlists other people to do his dirty work.”
Walker, when asked about the allegations against Burke in Green Bay on Thursday morning,said he “had no knowledge” of them and refused to comment. His campaign said the governor is focused on traveling the state, and sharing plans for his second term in office.
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