LATE UPDATE - Rep. John Nygren has lost in his court case to get on the Republican ballot. David VanderLeest is the candidate in the general election on July 12!
Gawd. Teh stoopid, it burns!
David VanderLeest, organizer of the recall against Sen. Dave Hansen and now the sole candidate against him, posted the following press release:
VanderLeest Campaign: Response to Mike Tate's false accusations
6/30/2011
Contact: David VanderLeest
920-672-8513
Statement from David VanderLeest:
I am an advocate for truth in Brown County. I have sued public officials for curruption and abuse of power, as an attempt to protect the hard working taxpayers, of NE WI. (see federal court case number 07-c-318) I am inocent of every criminal case ever brought against me. Every accusation ever brought fourth, happened because my then wife had a drinking problem, and made false accusations that she later recanted. These cases were intensified at the hand of currupt officials, who viewed me as a political threat, and wanted to silence, suppress, and minimize me, like Democratic Party of Wisconsin Chairman Mike Tate tryed to do today. Crooked public officals like this do not deserve the public trust. They fear my ability to polarize the public and expose true corruption that takes place at the hand of public officials who have different political views then me. People like this have no morals, and only care about winning, at any and all cost. These officials do not care who they hurt in the process, they are simply interested in protecting their place at the public trough. Hurting David VanderLeest and his seven year old son James, are just ways of getting currupt official the means they desire.
VanderLeest's republican primary opponent, State Rep. John Nygren, fell two signatures short in his nomination papers (he is appealing). As of now, VanderLeest is Hansen's only opponent, which means the recall general will be July 19 - the first Wisconsin recall.
We need to crush VanderLeest. Stop by Senator Hansen's page and show him some support!
By the way, here's the background.
VanderLeest, a Green Bay wind farm developer with a history of other legal troubles, was convicted of two misdemeanor disorderly conduct charges in 2007 as part of a plea deal in Brown County Circuit Court. Also Wednesday, Democrats pointed to at least two other times - in 2006 and 2009 - when VanderLeest was arrested on domestic abuse allegations involving his ex-wife but was not convicted.
His former wife also obtained restraining orders against him in 2005 and again in 2006. VanderLeest, who is not a lawyer, represented himself in the court cases.
As part of the 2007 plea deal, VanderLeest avoided a felony charge of intimidating a witness and misdemeanor battery and bail-jumping charges. VanderLeest entered an Alford plea, which means he maintained his innocence but acknowledged there was enough evidence to convict him.
In the plea hearing, the judge in the case stressed VanderLeest had received leniency, according to a court transcript released by the Democratic Party.
"I'll be very candid with you, you really have dodged a bullet here. I am quite satisfied, from having reviewed this, that the state would have had a good prospect for success on that felony file," said Brown County Circuit Judge Kendall Kelley.
In two interviews this week, VanderLeest said he had not been at fault, blaming the cases on his ex-wife and "corruption" in the courts system and saying the election would allow him to "vindicate my good name."
"This is a dirty bastard of a world, and you can print that," VanderLeest said.
The Democratic Party on Wednesday also released Green Bay Police Department reports on separate incidents in 2006 in which VanderLeest was arrested for pulling out a chunk of his ex-wife's hair and for throwing her to the kitchen floor to keep her from calling police. Those arrests led to the later charges and 2007 plea deal.
VanderLeest also was charged in 2009 with battery and disorderly conduct - those charges were dropped by prosecutors, according to court records.
Mike Tate, chairman of the state Democratic Party, said the incidents show that VanderLeest is not fit for office.
"This is clearly not someone who belongs in the Wisconsin state Senate," Tate said.
VanderLeest was left as the only Republican on the ballot against Hansen after the state Government Accountability Board removed Rep. John Nygren (R-Marinette) on Monday.
Help Dave Hansen crush this bastard.