Paying for silence

Sue Baldwin, who lost her job as Milwaukee County parks director after Scott Walker became exec, is suing Walker now, saying he reneged on a deal they made when she agreed to resign.

Baldwin claims Walker agreed to keep her on the payroll long enough to get a fatter county pension -- in return for her zipping her lip and not saying anything critical to the news media about Walker or his administration.

Baldwin says she had a lot of chances to say bad things about Walker, but said "no comment" because she wanted that pension money. But Walker didn't keep his end of the bargain, she claims in her lawsuit.

Because she wouldn't talk, "the public was denied the far-reaching impact of accurate information regarding the parks budget deficit and pool closings . . . [and] as a direct result of Mr. Walker's actions, the good name, reputation, honor or integrity of . . . Ms. Baldwin was put at stake," the lawsuit claims.

The public certainly was denied information. If the claims are true, Walker should be ashamed to have paid for someone's silence. And Baldwin should be ashamed for agreeing. This filing is not going to help her "good name, reputation, honor or integrity" much, either.

Baldwin retired, by the way, with a $50,000 annual pension. That was less than she hoped for, but more than Walker expected her to get. Her husband, Lev, left his job as sheriff early to qualify for a lump sum payment of almost $300,000 and a $57,000 annual pension.

Lawsuit story

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