The records don’t show any discussion about Oscar Mayer, but they do show a WEDC official was dissuaded from contacting Kraft Heinz after meeting with WMC senior vice president Jim Morgan. Morgan reiterated Thursday that the conversation was about a cheese-processing facility in Beaver Dam that Kraft Heinz plans to keep open, and not related to Madison.

“To twist the loss of jobs for political gain is shameful,” Morgan said in response to Soglin’s comments.

Soglin called the focus on the Beaver Dam facility a “lame excuse” that “obfuscates the issue.” He said his office contacted Oscar Mayer on March 30 based on the “instinct” that the Kraft Heinz merger could result in layoffs and plant closures. He met with company officials on July 29, before the company announced an initial round of 165 layoffs in August.

A WEDC official spoke with Kraft Heinz executives shortly after the Nov. 4 announcement that the Madison headquarters would close, cutting 1,000 local jobs. They first met with them in person on Nov. 19. After hearing from WMC on June 18 about other states trying to lure Wisconsin facilities, a WEDC official suggested contacting Kraft Heinz as soon as possible but that didn’t happen.