The Milwaukee Pension Scandal That Changed Wisconsin | Milwaukee News

In the early 2000s, Milwaukee County’s explosive pension scandal—driven by a wildly generous plan with “backdrop payments” crafted by then-County Executive Tom Ament and HR Director Gary Dobbert—triggered mass outrage, forced Ament’s resignation, and cost seven supervisors their seats. Dobbert lost his job, and a grassroots group mobilized recalls that catapulted Scott Walker into power. Years later, Walker, now County Executive, secured a secret settlement with Mercer, Inc., the firm behind the flawed plan, calling it a taxpayer victory. This scandal and Walker’s hardline stance on unions laid the groundwork for his controversial rise to governor, including his landmark union-restricting laws and surviving a recall himself. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/bbaa11d9b996a4f3