The Republicans are back in power in the state Capitol, and John Scocus is back at the public trough.
Scocos, a former Assembly chief clerk when the Republicans ruled the roost, was named secretary of the Dept. of Veterans Affairs in 2003, when GOP appointees controlled the Board of Veterans Affairs, which does the hiring. The board did a quick, semi-secret hire, ignoring a request from the new governor, Jim Doyle, to wait and at least let him meet the candidates. While the GOP still controlled the board, it considered but finally backed off a proposal that basically would have made Scocus the secretary for life, to prevent his removal by the incoming Democrats.
Scocus was fired in 2009 by the current board (now dominated by Dems), but has filed a lawsuit against the state to try to get his job back.
That lawsuit against the taxpayers is still pending. But now Scott Walker has appointed Scocos as deputy secretary of the Dept. of Regulation and Licensing, a job that probably pays six figures plus those fat benefits Walker's always railing about. So Scocus will be able to use some of that salary from the taxpayers to finance his lawsuit against the taxpayers.
Tell us again about court reform and too many lawsuits, Gov. Walker.