Walker pays off debt from ’16 WH bid

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) has paid off the debt he accumulated during his 2016 presidential campaign, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported Friday.

“As we enter 2017, I am pleased to report that you have retired the debt from your presidential campaign, within the timeline you committed to previously,” political adviser Joe Fadness said in a memo to the governor published by the Journal Sentinel.

“This important milestone again demonstrates your commitment to keeping your promises, makes clear the strength of your political operation, and highlights why you have an unparalleled record of reform,” he added.

{mosads}Walker accumulated nearly $1 million in debt during his lackluster presidential campaign before dropping out in September 2015.

Walker’s campaign expenditures also left him with just $59,000 in his state campaign account by the end of 2016, a very small amount for a two-term governor, the Sentinel noted.

Paying off the debt will allow Walker to focus on his potential gubernatorial reelection in 2018 and gives him some time to organize a substantive fundraising campaign.

“As you move into 2017 and beyond, the retirement of your presidential debt and other successes demonstrate strength at a crucial time — the strength of your message, the strength of your political organization and the strength of your support across the state,” Fadness said in summary of his memo.

“Wisconsinites know this about their governor, the political class and would-be adversaries should take notice,” he concluded.