“Outsider” Opportunist Kevin Nicholson Self-Promoted for Insider Job

MADISON — In case you missed it, opportunistic U.S. Senate candidate Kevin Nicholson’s personal narrative is continuing to fall apart.

New reporting reveals that the self-styled “outsider” in fact spent years lobbying for an appointment from Gov. Scott Walker’s administration. 

Though Nicholson claims to be an “outsider,” records expose Nicholson’s self-promotional campaign for a position within the Walker administration — including Nicholson’s attempts to cozy up to Walker administration insiders, as he sought political appointments for himself and his wife.

From the Associated Press: 

Republican U.S. Senate candidate Kevin Nicholson is running as an outsider looking to shake up the GOP establishment.

But records obtained by The Associated Press show that he successfully lobbied top officials in Gov. Scott Walker’s administration to land a coveted appointment to the influential state Department of Veterans Affairs Board.

Nicholson rarely talks about his four years on the board on the campaign trail and does not mention the Walker appointment on his campaign website biography.

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Nicholson has emphasized his military background in his campaign, but not his time working for Walker’s administration. Instead, he repeatedly says he’s not a politician and won’t play by the rules of the establishment.

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Records show he did a lot of arm twisting of insiders to win Walker’s appointment five years ago.

In 2012, Nicholson submitted his resume and that of his wife, Jessie, for consideration by Walker to veteran-related boards or other relevant appointments. He met with members of Walker’s staff, including the head of gubernatorial appointments and then-Veterans Department Secretary John Scocos.

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He repeatedly expressed interest in serving on the state veterans board, telling Scocos to “please keep me posted, and let me know if there’s anyone else I should contact in the vets community going forward.”

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In May 2013, Walker appointed Nicholson to the board and his wife to the Women’s Council Board, where she remains a member. Nicholson’s four-year term on the board ended last year, just as he ramped up his Senate run.

Read more here from the Associated Press.