The son of a prominent lobbyist is being demoted following controversy over his selection as a high-paid supervisor in the Walker administration.

Gov. Walker on Tuesday announced he was sending Brian Deschane back to the Department of Regulation and Licensing and his $64,728-a-year job as bureau director of board services.

The Department of Commerce recently hired Deschane, 27, as its new administrator of environmental and regulatory services — an $81,500 a year job that supervises 76 employees and oversees storage tank regulations and environmental cleanups.

Deschane never graduated college and according to his resume, had no discernible experience in the field. Yet, according to documents provided to the State Journal Tuesday, he was chosen over a former DRL secretary to replace a 25-year state employee with a degree in chemical engineering and a resume that included extensive management and regulatory experience. The disparity has led critics to conclude that Deschane's hiring was political payback.

His father, Jerry Deschane, is a lobbyist for the Wisconsin Builders Association — a group that donated or helped funnel more than $100,000 to the governor's campaigns the past two years.