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Scott Walker Promises to Reject Any White House Job Offer While Governor

Gov. Scott Walker stated unequivocally Monday he won't take a job in the White House this term or if he's re-elected in November.

By Matthew DeFour

Gov. Scott Walker stated unequivocally Monday he won't take a job in the White House this term or if he's re-elected in November.

"I can unequivocally tell you without hesitation I will never willingly leave the role as governor through this next coming term," Walker said. "I'm running for re-election to serve a full term."

Walker has said before that he doesn't plan to take a job in President Donald Trump's administration, but the White House has continued to shed top-level officials, with Environmental Protection Agency administrator Scott Pruitt the latest to come under fire after he reportedly improperly spent $43,000 for a soundproof phone booth for his office.

Walker said Monday neither he nor others in his political circle have been approached by the White House about the governor taking a job with the Trump administration.

During his 2014 re-election campaign Walker downplayed his interest in running for president, then launched an exploratory effort within weeks of winning. But he was never as emphatic in denying those plans as he was Monday about taking a White House job.

Walker said he has taken to heart the advice of former Gov. Tommy Thompson, who became George W. Bush's secretary of health and human services in the middle of Thompson's fourth term.

"You can get much, much, much, much more done as a governor and it's much more fulfilling being a governor than it is being in the cabinet," Walker said.

Walker also:

--Deflected a question about former FBI director James Comey's comments in an interview that aired Sunday on ABC that Trump is "morally unfit" to be president. "I'll leave that up to the people who are elected for federal office since that's a federal issue," Walker said.

--Said the legal troubles facing Republican Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens, for whom Walker campaigned in 2016, are a "horribly sad situation." Greitens faces a felony charge of invasion of privacy for allegedly taking a nude picture of a woman in 2015 and bipartisan calls for his resignation amid related sexual abuse allegations. "If those reports are accurate ... I don't know how someone stays in that position," Walker said. "It's difficult if not impossible for him to govern."

--Signed 93 bills into law, including measures to provide $6.8 million more for a Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. campaign to attract young people and veterans to the state; create statewide standards for rental unit inspection programs; create stiffer penalties for carjacking and other crimes; raise limits for historic rehabilitation tax credits; and prohibit local governments from requiring companies to engage in collective bargaining.

(c)2018 The Wisconsin State Journal (Madison, Wis.)

Caroline Cournoyer is GOVERNING's senior web editor.
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