• Home
  • News
    • Politics / Govt
    • Legislature
    • Crime / Courts
    • Health / Medicine
    • Archives
  • Sports
    • Badgers
    • Packers
      • Titletown Report
    • Brewers
  • Contact Us
    • Reporters
  • Affiliates
    • Affiliate Support

Wisconsin Radio Network

Wisconsin News and Sports

You are here: Home / News / Sex offender’s presence at State of the State frustrates Walker (AUDIO)

Sex offender’s presence at State of the State frustrates Walker (AUDIO)

January 23, 2014 By Andrew Beckett

Governor Scott Walker says his office was not aware of the troubled past of a welder who appeared at the podium during the State of the State and, had they know, he would not have been there.

Chris Barber, a welder from Two Rivers, was one of several workers the governor brought out during his speech as an example of people who have found a job since he took office. Walker says he did not know until after the speech about Barber’s prior felony convictions, three drunk driving arrests, and that he was a registered sex offender. The governor says “it’s frustrating” that Barber was not fully checked out before his last minute addition to the speech.

AUDIO: Gov. Scott Walker (1:13)

Walker says Barber was recommended by his employer, the Ariens Company, and his office assumed a background check had been done. He says it appears that, because Barber was a seasonal worker who moved up to full time employment, a full-scale background check was never done.

Speaking to reporters in Madison on Thursday, Walker was quick to point out that the individuals who appeared during his speech were not workers he hired directly, but just a handful of the thousands who have found jobs over the last three years.

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Filed Under: News, Politics / Govt



Featured Stories

Packers season comes to an end in NFC Championship

Legendary Hank Aaron passes away

Ted Thompson passed away at age 68 (AUDIO)

Big Ten suspends Wisconsin’s Ahcan

Bucks lose tight battle with Nets

TwitterFacebook

Listen Now | More from Titletown ยป

Sports Headlines

Packers season comes to an end in NFC Championship

Legendary Hank Aaron passes away

Bucks drop second straight, fall at home to Lakers

Hockey Badgers grab series opener at Penn State

Wisconsin’s Mark Johnson named WCHA 1970’s Player of the Decade

More Sports

Tweets by @WRN

Get our news delivered to your inbox:

Enter your email address:

Delivered by FeedBurner

Copyright © 2021 · Learfield News & Ag, LLC