A Wisconsin state worker running for the Legislature took an unpaid leave from his job Friday afternoon after learning he should have done so when he first declared his candidacy.
Walter Fellows, 32, of Oregon, Wis., works as an examiner at the state Office of the Commissioner of Insurance. He filed nomination papers in July to run in the Democratic primary for a chance to unseat state Rep. Brett Davis, R-Oregon, Wis.
State law requires classified civil service workers to go on leave while they’re running for a partisan office. But Fellows didn’t take any when he filed.
Deputy Insurance Commissioner Clare Stapleton Concord said Fellows took leave Friday afternoon after a reporter from the Wisconsin State Journal starting asking questions.
Fellows said he didn’t mean to do anything wrong and got bad advice on the rules.
“It was clearly not intentional,” Fellows said.
Stapleton Concord said Fellows won’t have to repay his salary for the time he should have been on leave.
“I don’t think we could do that,” she said, adding Fellows did the work for the state during the period. “Besides, I truly think he’s just a nice young man who tried to do the right thing.”
State Elections Board spokesman Kyle Richmond said Fellows’ candidacy wouldn’t be affected. Fellows faces Janis Ringhand, the former mayor of Evansville, in the primary Sept. 12. The winner will face Davis in the November general election
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