GOP Volunteer Accused of Trying to Sell Campaign Secrets
Nineteen-year-old Erik Turner tells TV station that he sent emails to Democrats as a joke.
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A teenager who has volunteered at the Republican Party of Waukesha County’s headquarters on Pearl Street is facing investigation after Democrats allege he attempted to sell them campaign secrets, according to media reports.
FOX6 News reports that Erik Turner sent two messages to the Democratic Party of Wisconsin stating that he had information for the group trying to recall Gov. Scott Walker. Turner’s Facebook page had a picture of Turner posing with Walker, according to the station.
However, the 19-year-old told Today's TMJ4 that he sent an email offering to sell campaign secrets as a prank.
The Wisconsin Republican Party issued a statement to FOX6 stating it did not condone Turner’s actions.
Graeme Zielinski, the spokesman for the state Democratic party, called Turner a “patsy” in a statement he made to a Politiscoop blog:
“It's a funny shop they run there with the Waukesha Republican Party. I fail to believe that some 19-year-old would act alone to try to entrap Democratic officials, using specific knowledge of highly sensitive information.”
The blog also has posted copies of the search warrant affidavit filed in Milwaukee County Cirucuit Court.
linda w
9:11 pm on Tuesday, May 22, 2012
this was set up by the gop to try to get something on the dems. but you see the dems will always take the high road. the gop is doing a very rotten thing to the teachers in janesville. they are putting all the teaqchers names on a sheet of paper with their yerly wages and and passing it around to everyone plus giving out a form for the parents to fill out demnding they get rid of these teachers and they don't have to sigh their names. how pathetic the gop is
Steve ®
10:46 pm on Tuesday, May 22, 2012
lol, as usual with you jibberish
You do know you can look up any teacher's salary and benefits with an easily searchable online database?
Craig
11:26 pm on Tuesday, May 22, 2012
When I 'sigh' my name, it is usually before I sign a big check. I had good 'teaqchers' who taut me to spel goodley wile uzing proper gammer. All gud teachurz kno dat thar yerly wagez are posted on the indernet.
Randy1949
10:39 pm on Tuesday, May 22, 2012
A prank, eh? In my day, we did something funny, like short-sheeting a bed or tipping over an outhouse. I don't see the humor in this.
Craig
11:28 pm on Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Come on Randy, fess up...You must have done the burning bag of poo?
Randy1949
11:30 am on Wednesday, May 23, 2012
I respectfully decline to answer on the grounds that it may tend to incriminate me. But I will say that no flames were involved.
Steve ®
10:55 pm on Tuesday, May 22, 2012
We need a John Doe to look into this for a few years.
Lib Hater
8:01 am on Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Dems lie?? ALWAYS!!
Walker
8:21 am on Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Typical rethug tactics. No suprise.
morninmist
9:26 am on Wednesday, May 23, 2012
@linda w
All what the Walker fans can do is make fun of your spelling instead of addressing this serious issue. It was very wrong of Walker fans to put out those flyers. And Walker should put out a public apology and demand that these attacks stop now--but Walker has no soul so I will not hold my breath.
@Progress2day #GOP Tell @GovWalker to off his thugs that demean teachers! http://host.madison.com/news/local/education/extra-credit/extra-credit-anti-teacher-flier-stirs-tempest-in-janesville/article_dd95f6a2-a42a-11e1-9f25-0019bb2963f4.html #recallwalker #wirecall #wiunion
Steve ®
10:03 am on Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Have any teachers apologized for skipping out on work and getting fake doctor notes so they could bang on drums at the capitol?
Steve ®
4:01 pm on Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Have the teachers in Whitewater apologized for getting a janitor fired for displaying a walker bumper sticker on her vehicle?
Dorothy
1:36 pm on Wednesday, May 23, 2012
No, The Teachers Haven't apologized!!
Maybe we need to do a JOHN DOE on each one of those teachers!!
I'll BAND MY DRUM AGAINST EACH ONE THOSE TEACHERS!!
Dorothy
Gregory Kluck
5:34 pm on Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Prank or not, this kid was an idiot for doing this. It's good that people at the Democrat Party saw this for what it was and took the right path. I am not a supporter of Graeme Zielinsky or his party, but I appreciate the honesty. As far as the Janesville teacher salary issue, I think if you are making the information public, the group needs to identify themselves and not hide behind another group. The salaries are public information and the group cocealing their identity needs to come out and say who they are.