Nicholas Hurtgen may not be a household name at the moment, but he’s well connected to some of Wisconsin’s leading politicians. The Bear Sterns exec once held a plum post in the Tommy Thompson administration, and he’s raised funds for Gov. Jim Doyle and Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker.
After leaving Thompson’s circle, Hurtgen’s political connections may have helped him win contracts for his employer—Bear Sterns raked in fees for the Miller Stadium bond deal during the Thompson administration and Milwaukee County’s debt refinancing under Walker’s watch.
But it’s Hurtgen’s Illinois ties that have generated headlines today. Hurtgen pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting a criminal scheme that aimed to defraud Illinois taxpayers, the Chicago Sun Times reports. The investigation, spearheaded by U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald, involves “shaking down” hospital executives in return for the state’s approval of their new hospital. The governor at the time was Rod Blagojevich, who has since been impeached and removed from office for his various schemes. If there's more to this story, we'll report on it.
