State GOP Criticizes Mahlon Mitchell For Union Pay

With less than a week until the primary in the governor’s race, Republicans are taking aim at Democratic candidate Mahlon Mitchell.

The state Republican Party is criticizing Mitchell for his pay, as well as his financial management, as head of the Professional Fire Fighters of Wisconsin.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports Mitchell got a 19 percent raise last year. He makes about $115,000 annually from the union. He also earns a salary from the Madison Fire Department.

“This is just out of control spending that’s occurring to benefit no one other than Mr. Mitchell,” said Mark Morgan, executive director of the Republican Party of Wisconsin, on a call with reporters. “What we’ve seen from Mahlon time and again in his time at the union is he will consistently put his own personal well being or own personal political ambitions ahead of the interests of his members.”

Morgan also criticized Mitchell for a 2015 audit that scrutinized the union’s spending and a $38,000 payment to a former union office employee.

Mitchell didn’t respond directly to any of the criticism. Instead, he released a statement calling it an “attack on first responders.”