Patrick Marley

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

MADISON - GOP Gov. Scott Walker accused his opponent Wednesday of being "bought and paid for by the unions" and decried spending by outside groups, even though Walker has gotten more than $40 million in help from such groups over the years.

A day after the Marquette University Law School poll showed Walker was down 5 points in his re-election bid, Walker took to Twitter to go after Democrat Tony Evers for the help he's gotten from unions in his successful runs for state schools superintendent.

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"When union-affiliated special interests spent twice as much on his campaigns as he did, it makes you wonder if Tony Evers is bought and paid for by the unions," Walker wrote in one tweet.

"Tony Evers wants to restore power to the unions that funded each of his winning campaigns," Walker wrote in another.

Evers spokeswoman Britt Cudaback noted Walker has been helped over the years by conservative groups, including ones funded by the billionaire industrialist brothers Charles and David Koch.

"Scott Walker has spent his career doing the bidding of the Koch brothers and his special interest backers, and in light of his falling poll numbers, his latest tweet tantrum reeks of desperation," she said in a statement.

Unions and union-affiliated groups spent $1.5 million to help Evers for his superintendent races in 2009, 2013 and 2017, according to the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign, which tracks political spending.

That's more than the $1 million Evers raised in those elections, but not twice as much more, as Walker claimed. Walker argued in his tweets that the help from unions was out of proportion because it totaled more than what Evers' own campaign spent.

Walker has gotten far more help from outside groups in his runs, which in part is because races for governor are much more expensive than ones for superintendent.

According to Wisconsin Democracy Campaign estimates, Walker got help from outside groups to the tune of $6.9 million in 2010, $23 million in the 2012 recall and $12.7 million in 2014.

Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, who twice ran against Walker, called Walker's complaint ridiculous because of the support he has gotten.

"It defines chutzpah to have him complain about special interest spending," he said.

Barrett said Walker's comments ring hollow because unions heavily backed firefighters union President Mahlon Mitchell over Evers and six other candidates in the Democratic primary in August.

Walker has used this line of attack against Evers in the past but ramped it up Wednesday by arguing Evers didn't get traction in his first bid for superintendent because teachers unions didn't help him with that race.

Anticipating Walker's approach, former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder said Tuesday in a Milwaukee stop that "Scott Walker seems to be in the pockets" of special interests.

"The notion that Scott Walker would ever say anything about outside interests coming into this state is laughable," Holder said at Coffee Makes You Black in a campaign appearance with Evers.

In one tweet, Walker noted Evers wants to overturn Act 10, the 2011 law Walker signed that all but ended collective bargaining for teachers and most other public workers. Walker argued that plan and others by Evers would drive up state costs and lead to tax increases.

Tuesday's poll showed Evers leading Walker 49 points to 44 points.