March 30, 2004

Pratt Charged

Milwaukee County District Attorney E. Michael McCann told reporters:

"[He's] not very careful in how he handled his money."

"He is clearly negligent in handling his money."

"It appeared he engaged in some double billing."

These aren't good quotes to have directed at you eight days before an election. That's what happened today to Milwaukee Mayor Marvin Pratt. The District Attorney filed civil charges [pdf] against Pratt for campaign finance violations which could cost him $2500. Criminal charges could have been filed but some of the trips Pratt is accused of double billing for were beyond the statute of limitations. McCann said, "it would have been very proper for a district attorney to issue charges."

The double billing involves Pratt paying for city-related business trips out of his campaign account. He then got reimbursed by the city. Instead of returning the reimbursment to the campaign account he put it into his personal account. The former alderman's excuse is that because of other campaign expenses were paid out of his own pocket he was "owed" by the campaign.

Pratt has been surrounded by the tainted air of this campaign finance scandal for weeks. The D.A. has now provided an outside opinion that Pratt's campaign is extremely sloppy in its bookkeeping. With all this bad publicity, Pratt is dead even in the race for Milwaukee mayor. His opponent, ex-Congressman Tom Barrett, has been pummeling Pratt with radio ads. After all that rhetorical beating the race is only a dead heat. A good reason for that is Pratt's stranglehold on the Black vote. 80-90% have stuck internalized Pratt's racially-charged message of "It's time." From listening to the response from Pratt's supporters on talk radio they've only been galvanized. They see this as an attack by the white establishment on a black man seeking Milwaukee's highest office. One supporter told the Journal Sentinel, "I'm still going to vote for Marvin. They're just scrutinizing him because he's trying to make a change for the black people."

Pratt has agreed to pay the fine and wants to move on.

"Pratt Charged with 5 Civil Campaign Violations"

"Undecided Voters Most Likely to React"

"Complaint Won't Slow Pratt Campaign"

"Pratt Campaign Ship Still Afloat"