MILWAUKEE – Wisconsin Democrats on Monday unveiled the “Tommy Thompson Disclosure Countdown Clock,” which is ticking as the Washington super lobbyist praises Big Oil’s Keystone Pipeline project. Thompson’s old lobbying firm and friends represent companies and organizations that have financial interests in seeing the pipeline built.
You can link to the clock here.
Since leaving the George W. Bush Administration, Thompson has become the ultimate D.C. influence peddler, raking in millions of dollars as a corporate lobbyist and beltway insider. Yet as a candidate for the U.S. Senate, Thompson has steadfastly refused to file his personal financial disclosure forms, filing for extensions and dodging accountability — as well as embarrassing revelations about his power brokering and crony connections.
His latest gaffe came last week when Thompson issued a Keystone statement – without also disclosing his old lobbying firm’s links to the troubled project.
“While Tommy Thompson is trying to reinvent himself as a Tea Party extremist, he won’t tell Wisconsin just who he really works for,” Democratic Party of Wisconsin Chair Mike Tate said Monday. “When Thompson refuses to tell the people of Wisconsin that his lobbying firm until just three weeks ago has a major stake in a major project he endorses as a candidate for Senate, it makes clear he will side with special interests against the working families he left behind when he went to serve corporations in Washington.”
Thompson told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel on Dec. 15 that he would file his financial disclosure on or about January 31, the deadline set by his extension request last year. [http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/news/135689213.html]
“Thompson’s conflict-of-interest in Keystone is exactly why he must disclose his personal financial interests,” Tate said. “Thus far he has ducked and dodged, but no more delays. Thompson must keep his word and finally make these documents public. One week and one day. The clock is ticking.”
