34 year old wind farm developer, David VanderLeest has decided to run for a legislative seat in a Green Bay recall election against one of the Fab 14 runaway Dems.
Recall efforts against Sen. Dave Hansen (D-Green Bay) were headed by VanderLeest who today announced that he’d be running for his seat. Aside from VanderLeest, two other Republicans have announced their intent to run.
VanderLeest’s long court record, including a bankruptcy, a home foreclosure, an unpaid judgment, building code violations and a misdemeanor conviction, thinks he’d be a better candidate, and why not, after all, this was never about the budget.
In response, VanderLeest said, “Nobody can beat me on the issues, so they will attack me.” David, you’re a politician.
Specifically, he was convicted of disorderly conduct, a Class B misdemeanor, in 2007. He said the conviction was part of a plea deal in a domestic dispute.
That same year, a bank foreclosed his Green Bay house, which was sold at a sheriff’s sale.
Another bank, Associated Bank, won a court judgment for nearly $30,000 against VanderLeest and his company, VanderLeest Enterprises. That sum has never been paid, VanderLeest acknowledged.
In addition, VanderLeest and his then-wife filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in 2006, meaning he did not have to repay most of his creditors. The bankruptcy filings show that they reported $118,341 in assets and $291,674 in liabilities, including unpaid credit card debts, health care bills and loans.
“I had a marriage fall apart and I was in real estate,” VanderLeest said. “I’m not ashamed of that.”
Asked why the voters should select him to oversee a multibillion-dollar budget given his personal financial problems, VanderLeest said the answer is simple.
“I represent the average person who’s struggling,” he said.
(My bold)
VanderLeest incurred more than $1,300 in fines from building code violations for buildings deemed nuisance properties.
This Trump style bankruptcy filer of a much lower level said people will realize he was right on all these matters once they read the documents he plans to post on his campaign website. But, they remain unpublished.
“I’ve been run through the wringer, and I just keep on coming……I have made mistakes in my past; Sen. Hansen made a mistake in February when he left the state,” VanderLeest said. “Any scrutiny of court records or filings will show that my ex-wife recanted all statements ever made against me in any courtroom in Wisconsin.”
It’s no wonder Gov. Walker is concerned over the recall efforts.
