Flynn rejects call to exit governor’s race
Assembly Democrats decry his work to defend Archdiocese in sex cases
MADISON – Two Assembly Democrats called on former party leader Matt Flynn to exit the governor’s race over his role in shielding priests accused of sexual misconduct.
But Flynn was defiant Tuesday, saying: “They have as much chance of having me back down as having Johnny Cash back down.”
“I look on this as a squeeze play,” he said in an interview. “(It’s) political maneuvering to try to benefit another candidate or candidates, and it’s not going to work.”
Flynn — one of eight candidates seeking the Democratic nomination for governor — represented the Archdiocese of Milwaukee from 1989 to 2004, during which dozens of Milwaukee priests were accused in hundreds of child sexual assault cases.
“Unfortunately, documents show that, among other things, Mr. Flynn participated in keeping parishes and the public in the dark about dozens of the pedophile priests, placing children at risk of being sexually abused,” Rep. Chris Taylor (D-Madison) said in a statement.
At a news conference, Taylor said she and Rep. Melissa Sargent (D-Madison) decided to call for Flynn’s exit after independently going through documents reported on by the Wisconsin Gazette in early May. Flynn has repeatedly defended his work as he campaigns for governor, saying he has no regrets about how he represented the archdiocese against those making accusations — saying he could only advise on matters before the archdiocese.
Flynn also has said the vast majority of Catholic priests do important work for very little pay, but that a small minority “did very terrible things … and deserved to be punished.”
Sargent said in a statement, “We’re Democrats. We’re a big-tent party, and we believe in accepting and welcoming everyone. But our tent is simply not big enough for sexual harassment, abuse or assault, or anyone who effectively abets.”
Flynn said he believes the two are calling on him to drop out to benefit another candidate or candidates. He said fellow Democratic candidate state schools superintendent Tony Evers asked him to drop out in recent days.
He said there is a group of Democrats who would rather lose to Gov. Scott Walker with the “preferred candidate” than win against Walker with an “unpreferred candidate,” referring to himself.
Taylor said she and Sargent will not endorse a candidate before the August primary, and Evers’ spokeswoman Maggie Gau said Evers “absolutely” did not urge Flynn to drop out.
The state Democratic Party has not commented on the lawmakers’ calls for Flynn’s exit.
Alec Zimmerman, spokesman for the Republican Party of Wisconsin, said Democrats should be “ashamed of themselves” for not speaking out about Flynn’s work representing the archdiocese until Tuesday.
“It’s been true from the start of this race that Matt Flynn’s role in bullying victims of sexual abuse made him completely unfit for office,” Zimmerman said.