Georgia L. Thompson (born ca. 1950) is a former Wisconsin civil servant who was convicted of federal corruption charges in 2006, but released by an appeals court in 2007 when her conviction was overturned. Official language(s) None Capital Madison Largest city Milwaukee Area  Ranked 23rd  - Total 65,498 sq mi (169,790 km²)  - Width 260 miles (420 km)  - Length 310 miles (500 km)  - % water 17  - Latitude 42°30N to 47°3N  - Longitude 86°49W to 92°54W Population  Ranked... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ...

Thompson is a Madison native, and graduated from Madison East High School in 1968. She was one of ten children; her father was a painter for the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and her mother was a janitor for the Department of Administration.^[1] She worked in the travel industry for 27 years, and lived in Waunakee. Thompson was hired in 2001 into the civil service by the state Department of Administration, when Republican Scott McCallum was Governor. Thompson was described as "apolitical", hard-working, and "intensely private".^[2] Nickname: Mad Town or Mad City Location of Madison in Dane County, Wisconsin Coordinates: Municipality City Incorporated 1848 Government  - Mayor Dave Cieslewicz Area  - City 136. ... Madison East High School is one of four comprehensive four-year high schools in Madison, Wisconsin. ... The University of Wisconsin–Madison (also known as UW–Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, University of Wisconsin, or UW) is a highly selective public research university located in Madison, Wisconsin. ... Look up travel in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Waunakee is a village in Dane County, Wisconsin, United States. ... The Republican Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. ... Scott McCallum (born May 2, 1950) is a member of the Republican Party who served as the 43rd Governor of U.S. state of Wisconsin from 2001 to 2003. ... Governors of Wisconsin: Categories: Lists of United States governors | Governors of Wisconsin ...

Travel contract controversy

In 2005, Thompson was on a panel considering competitive bids for a state travel contract worth up to $250,000 annually over three years. The contract was awarded to Adelman Travel, whose bid was lower than the other finalist, Omega Travel of Virginia, although Omega's bid scored higher on a point formula used by the department. It emerged that during the 2004 re-election campaign of Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle, two Adelman executives including owner Craig Adelman had each contributed $10,000 to the Doyle campaign, even though in previous years, including Doyle's first gubernatorial campaign, they had never given more than $1,000.^[3] ISO 4217 Code USD User(s) the United States, the British Indian Ocean Territory,[1] the British Virgin Islands, Cambodia, East Timor, Ecuador, El Salvador, the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Palau, Panama, Turks and Caicos Islands, and the insular areas of the United States Inflation 2. ... Official language(s) English Capital Richmond Largest city Virginia Beach Area  Ranked 35th  - Total 42,793 sq mi (110,862 km²)  - Width 200 miles (320 km)  - Length 430 miles (690 km)  - % water 7. ... The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States; the other being the Republican Party. ... James Edward (Jim) Doyle (born November 23, 1945) is an American politician and member of the Democratic Party. ...

In January 2006, Thompson was indicted on charges that she steered the contract to Adelman as a reward for its campaign contributions. According to the indictment, Thompson "intentionally inflated her scores for Adelman and suggested that other committee members do the same". After Omega still came out ahead, the indictment said, Thompson convinced the panel to do a "best and final" bid round between just the two companies, which Adelman won.^[4] Thompson was indicted on two felony counts, misapplication of funds and fraud. Later that month, Gov. Doyle cancelled the Adelman contract, but the campaign did not return the contributions.^[5] In the common law legal system, an indictment (IPA: ) is a formal charge of having committed a most serious criminal offense. ...

In June 2006, a federal jury convicted Thompson of both felony counts. According to United States Attorney Steven Biskupic, although there was no "pay to play" deal alleged, the contributions were part of an "overall picture". Trial testimony showed that Doyle and his aide Marc Marotta had meetings and phone contacts with Adelman executives during the bidding period; according to Doyle's top aide Steve Bablitch, no connection with the Governor was shown at trial. Doyle and Marotta were not charged. According to Doyle, Thompson acted on her own, and prosecutor Biskupic said the case was about "Georgia Thompson and Georgia Thompson alone."^[6] Thompson had resigned her position before Doyle could fire her. Although Thompson faced a maximum of 20 years in federal prison, she was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Rudolph T. Randa to 18 months.^[1] It has been suggested that Executive Office for United States Attorneys be merged into this article or section. ...

The conviction led to heated charges in the 2006 gubernatorial campaign, with Republican candidate Mark Green proposing ethical reforms if elected and pro-Green political groups running television ads criticizing Doyle and tying him to Thompson. Democratic Party state chair Joe Wineke called the attacks "dishonest" and "hypocritical" and said that they were an attempt to distract voters from campaign contribution problems of Green.^[1] Mark Andrew Green (born June 1, 1960) is an American politician and a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives since 1999, representing the Eighth Congressional District of Wisconsin (map). ... Joe Wineke is a failed U.S. congressional candidate and former member of the Wisconsin State Senate who enjoyed close ties with now-convicted former Senate Minority Leader Chuck Chvala [1]. Despite his questionable ethics and repeated failure to achieve electoral successes for himself and others, he currently serves as...

Conviction reversed

In a development that stunned legal observers, a panel of judges from the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit immediately reversed Thompson's conviction on hearing oral arguments in the case on April 5, 2007. Without waiting until completion of a written decision, the judges ordered that Thompson be released from FCI Pekin in Pekin, Illinois without delay. Judge Diane Wood called the prosecution's evidence "beyond thin". During oral arguments, the judges had pointedly questioned the Assistant U.S. Attorney defending the appeal, asking why Doyle or Adelman were not prosecuted, one asking, "Am I missing something?" Of the bid-scoring formula, another opined, "Because they flunked high school math doesn't mean a felony was committed." Gov. Doyle, on hearing the news, said she was entitled to her job back, and said he looked forward to meeting her for the first time.^[7] The United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit is a federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the courts in the following districts: Central District of Illinois Northern District of Illinois Southern District of Illinois Northern District of Indiana Southern District of Indiana Eastern District of Wisconsin Western District... April 5 is the 95th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (96th in leap years). ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the Anno Domini (common) era. ... Pekin is a city in Tazewell County, Illinois. ...

A former U.S. Attorney who is a professor at the University of Wisconsin Law School, Frank Tuerkheimer, said he could not recall another case "where an appellate court after hearing oral arguments ordered the release of a person who's confined" that same day. A former Assistant U.S. Attorney who is a Madison lawyer, Chris Van Wagner, predicted a "strongly worded" written opinion telling the government, "You never had enough to get out of the starting gate." Another law professor could think of only one other case where a defendant was freed immediately rather than given a new trial.^[8] The University of Wisconsin Law School is the professional school for the study of law at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in Madison, Wisconsin. ...

According to her attorney, the prosecution and conviction cost Thompson over $300,000, including lost pay, her savings, her condo, and her pension, which she cashed in to pay for her legal defense. Democrats asked whether U.S. Attorney Biskupic was pressured by the White House or the Justice Department to prosecute Democrats, as other U.S. Attorneys allegedly were in the Bush administration Dismissal of U.S. attorneys controversy. Jurors defended their verdict, and some Democrats, including former Wisconsin Attorney General Peg Lautenschlager, who conducted a parallel investigation, said that Biskupic was not politically motivated. Thompson made no statement to the media.^[9] For other uses, see White House (disambiguation). ... DOJ headquarters in Washington, D.C. Justice Department redirects here. ... The dismissal of U.S. Attorneys controversy, also referred to as Attorneygate,[1] is an ongoing political dispute concerning the dismissal of eight United States Attorneys by the George W. Bush administration in late 2006 and early 2007. ... Peg Lautenschlager (born November 22, 1955) is the Attorney General of the State of Wisconsin. ...

On April 10, Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin of Madison called on her colleagues to investigate the Thompson case as part of the overall U.S. Attorneys dismissal controversy.^[10] The Senate Judiciary Committee delivered a letter to United States Attorney General Alberto Gonzales asking for documents in the case.^[11][12] April 10 is the 100th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (101st in leap years). ... Seal of the House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives (or simply the House) is one of the two chambers of the United States Congress, the other being the Senate. ... Tammy Suzanne Green Baldwin (born February 11, 1962), American politician, is a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives since 1999, representing the Second Congressional District of Wisconsin (map). ... The dismissal of U.S. Attorneys controversy, also referred to as Attorneygate,[1] is an ongoing political dispute concerning the dismissal of eight United States Attorneys by the George W. Bush administration in late 2006 and early 2007. ... The U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary (informally Senate Judiciary Committee) is a standing committee of the United States Senate, the upper house of the United States Congress. ... Seal of the United States Department of Justice The United States Attorney General is the head of the United States Department of Justice (see 28 U.S.C. Â§ 503) concerned with legal affairs and is the chief law enforcement officer of the United States government. ... Alberto R. Gonzales (born August 4, 1955) is the 80th and current Attorney General of the United States. ...

References

1. ^ ^{a b c} Gina Barton. "18-month sentence in travel scandal: Thompson gets prison time for steering state contract", Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, September 22, 2006. Retrieved on 2007-04-07.
2. ^ Steve Schultze. "Indicted official described as hardworking, loyal: Records shed little light on life of a 'very private person'", Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, June 27, 2006. Retrieved on 2007-04-07.
3. ^ Steven Walters. "Agency disputes travel bids: Company says it was told offers were even, but they weren't", Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, October 19, 2005. Retrieved on 2007-04-07.
4. ^ Gina Barton, Stacy Forster and Steven Walters. "State official indicted in travel contract case: She's accused of manipulating process to help Adelman Travel get deal", Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, January 24, 2006. Retrieved on 2007-04-07.
5. ^ Patrick Marley and Steven Walters. "Doyle kills travel contract: Indictment taints otherwise clean deal, he says", Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved on 2007-04-07.
6. ^ Steve Schultze. "Official convicted in travel deal: She acted on own, Doyle says, but case may be election issue", Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, June 22, 2006. Retrieved on 2007-04-07.
7. ^ Steven Walters and John Diedrich. "Ex-state official freed: Judge calls evidence she steered travel contract 'beyond thin'", Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, April 5, 2007. Retrieved on 2007-04-07.
8. ^ Jason Stein. "Experts say ruling hits prosecutor's credibility", Wisconsin State Journal, April 9, 2007. Retrieved on 2007-04-10.
9. ^ Steven Walters and Patrick Marley. "Conviction may cost Thompson $300,000: Former state employee in seclusion after release", Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, April 7, 2007. Retrieved on 2007-04-07.
10. ^ Frederic J. Frommer. "Baldwin: Was freed state worker a victim of politics?", April 10, 2007. Retrieved on 2007-04-10.
11. ^ Jenn Rourke. "U.S. Senators Review Georgia Thompson Case", WTMJ-TV, April 10, 2007. Retrieved on 2007-04-10.
12. ^ Adam Cohen. "A Woman Wrongly Convicted and a U.S. Attorney Who Kept His Job", The New York Times, April 16, 2007. Retrieved on 2007-04-16.