Senate confirms department head caught in donor scandal
(Published Wednesday, March 14, 2007 10:24:21 AM CST)
A d v e r t i s e m e n t
By Scott Bauer Associated Press
MADISON, Wis. - Rebuffing complaints from Republicans about his ties to an indicted campaign donor, the state Senate voted Tuesday to reconfirm Gov. Jim Doyle's selection as head of the state Department of Transportation.
Sen. Bob Jauch, D-Poplar, accused Republicans of creating a "McCarthy-like environment" with unsubstantiated accusations of wrongdoing by Frank Busalacchi, who has served as head of the department since Doyle took office in 2003.
Senate Minority Leader Scott Fitzgerald, R-Juneau, said all Republicans wanted was a chance to ask Busalacchi questions. But an attempt to send the confirmation back to committee failed on party lines 18-15. Busalacchi was then confirmed for another four years on a 27-6 vote.
His reconfirmation wasn't in doubt until news broke earlier this month that Busalacchi ordered department attorneys to help resolve a $1 million tax dispute involving companies owned by Dennis Troha, the governor's top campaign donor.
Troha was indicted March 1 on unrelated charges that he committed fraud and lied to the FBI in relation to $100,000 in donations he and family members made to Doyle and others.
Busalacchi, at a Monday news conference, said he did nothing unusual in trying to resolve the five-state tax dispute involving Troha's trucking companies. Busalacchi said that was not done under pressure from the governor as a special favor. He also said he never talked with Troha about it.
Senate Majority Leader Judy Robson, D-Beloit, accused Republicans of "political mischief" in an attempt to score political points by questioning Busalacchi's actions.
Sen. Mike Ellis, R-Neenah, said Busalacchi was "falling on the sword for the governor."
Ellis, one of six Republicans who voted against the reconfirmation, said Troha's ties to Doyle, and the treatment he got from the Transportation Department, "doesn't pass the smell test."
Settlements have been reached with two of the five states owed taxes by trucking firms Troha once owned. Three other states still have about $500,000 in dispute.
Last week, Doyle said the department's work on the case was routine and he did not order any special treatment for Troha, who has, along with his family members, donated $200,000 to Doyle since 2002.
Troha dissolved all ties to his trucking firms last year so he could focus on developing a new $808 million casino in Kenosha, in conjunction with the Menominee and Mohegan tribes. He withdrew from the project six days before he was indicted.
Under current law, Doyle must sign off on the casino should it win federal approval. Republicans in the state Assembly plan to reintroduce a bill to also require legislative approval for new casinos. Doyle vetoed that bill in May.
