Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle (D) received $17,684 in reelection campaign donations from six officials at the architectural and engineering firm HNTB. HNTB had previously received the lucrative Marquette Interchange design and information-management contracts. The Doyle campaign maintains that the donations had "absolutely nothing to do" with the contracts awarded to the firm, contracts that include the $810 million Marquette Interchange.
Wisconsin state officials have received campaign contributions from road builders, consultants, and other transportation industry specialists for decades. HNTB Vice President Matt Hintze said contributions to political candidates by HNTB officials have no connection to the state contracts. All six HNTB officials contributed to Doyle's reelection campaign on June 1.
The Doyle campaign is under scrutiny because former state purchasing supervisor Georgia Thompson was convicted in federal court of steering a contract to a firm with two executives that gave the maximum $10,000 donation to Doyle's campaign. Jay Heck of Common Cause Wisconsin says that it "insults the intelligence" of Wisconsin taxpayers to deny any connection between campaign donations and state contracts. Heck says:
This is yet another example of how the frenzied pursuit of cash to feed the campaign beast trumps concern about corruption or the appearance of corruption that has eroded, almost completely, citizen confidence in state government in Wisconsin.
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