Recently, I posted on Assembly Speaker Sheridan’s contention that dating a lobbyist for the payday loan industry, while his caucus was drafting legislation to regulate that industry, wasn’t a conflict of interest. We knew that because Sheridan declared it wasn’t, and reassured us that he had “no problem” saying so.
See, Wisconsin Assembly Speaker Sheridan’s Shameful and Laughable Self-Absolution.
I’m sure that it wasn’t a problem for him — many a smooth talking public official will absolve himself of all sorts of conflicts,
questions, and legitimate lines of inquiry simply by saying they’re not conflicts, not questions, and not legitimate inquiries.
I’m neither a Republican nor a Democrat, but I have a genuine sympathy for committed Democrats who are saddled with an embarrassment like Sheridan. Janesville, of all places, struggling with high unemployment and plant closures, deserves better than Sheridan.
There’s more to this story — Sheridan’s not even living in his district.
The Janesville Gazette reports that
Assembly Speaker Mike Sheridan is not living in the district he represents but plans to return as soon as possible, a spokeswoman said Friday. The change in addresses is the result of a pending divorce between Sheridan and his wife, spokeswoman Rebekah Sweeney said.
“He is absent with the intent to return as soon as possible,” she said.
State law requires a lawmaker to live in the Assembly district he or she represents. A government accountability board spokesperson said the law permits a temporary absence as long as the lawmaker intends to move back into the district.
Sheridan and his wife had been living on Nantucket Drive on the city’s far east side. In the divorce proceeding, the couple have stipulated that the wife will live on Nantucket and Sheridan will live at 4244 Ruger Ave., a home the couple owns that is not in Sheridan’s 44th Assembly District.
Sheridan’s official Assembly Web page lists his address as 828 Sentinel Dr., which is part of the district.
Sweeney said that when Sheridan and his wife separated, he temporarily stayed with a friend at the Sentinel Drive home. He has since moved into the home on Ruger, she said, adding that the state’s Web site has not been updated.
See, Sheridan not living in his Assembly district.
I wouldn’t care why Sheridan’s not in the district, absent a natural disaster that befell everyone there — he should be living there. Even if he needed a loan against his paycheck — something he might have easy access to arranging — he could live in the district. There are residents of Janesville and Wisconsin who are truly struggling to make ends meet.
Sheridan’s not one of those people.
If an obvious conflict over association with a lobbyist, and lack of residency in his district weren’t enough, Sheridan transgresses yet a third time, as the Gazette story reports, citing the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, that
Meanwhile, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported Friday that Sheridan intends to file an amended campaign finance report to include more detail about travel reimbursements.
The newspaper reported that Sheridan spent more than $5,000 on campaign travel over the final six months of 2009 but did not disclose whom the payments went to, as required by law.
Legislators and other candidates for office are required to report what hotels and airlines received payments, said Reid Magney, spokesman for the Government Accountability Board, which oversees the state’s election laws.
Sheridan used his campaign account to reimburse himself 20 times in the second half of last year, for a total of $7,963.
One entry for $1,800 gave this description: “airfare/travel to Georgia conference; computer printer; campaign meetings.” Another entry for $1,184 said it was for “computer and hotel.” Eleven other entries were marked “travel” but included no other information.
In all, travel expenses that included minimal information came to $5,608. Another $1,017 in reimbursements to Sheridan went toward mileage; $1,015 went toward food for a fundraiser; $282 went toward administrative expenses; and $41 went toward meals and meeting expenses, the Journal Sentinel reported.