UNDATED (WSAU-Wheeler News) U-S Senate Democrat Tammy Baldwin has finally confirmed that she fired her former deputy state director, almost a month after she was let go during the controversy over problems at Tomah’s V-A Medical Center.
Meanwhile, the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee has agreed to hold a hearing in Tomah to take testimony on the alleged over-prescriptions and other problems that reportedly led to three patient deaths over the past several years. Four Wisconsin congressional members asked for the hearing. A date for it was not set.
Meanwhile, Baldwin had her Washington attorney — Marc Elias — issue a statement yesterday about Marquette Baylor’s firing. The senator’s Milwaukee office director was let go on January 22nd. The attorney said it was because “her long-term performance on a range of issues did not meet with the senator’s expectations for effective constituent service.” Baldwin used her campaign fund to hire Elias. He confirmed that Baylor was offered a severance package, which she rejected. It did not disclose details, but earlier reports said it was in the five-figure range — and it required her to stay silent on her earlier contracts with a whistle-blower about the alleged problems at Tomah before they came out in public last month.
It was reported yesterday that Baylor has her own lawyer looking into the possibility of a lawsuit over her termination. Baldwin has been under fire for not pushing for congressional action after a V-A investigation last year turned up the alleged drug over-prescriptions at Tomah. She called for investigations only after the Center for Investigative Reporting exposed the issue.
