A Wisconsin lawmaker claims a major problem has been found in the Foxconn contract. State Senator Tim Carpenter of Milwaukee calls it a bombshell development behind closed doors.
“They made a tremendous error that would force the deal to fall apart. It wouldn’t work without that,” said Carpenter.
Carpenter told TODAY’S TMJ4 he can’t share what that problem is because it was discussed in a closed session with the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation.
“They’re hiding the contract, they will not allow us to see the contract before we voted on it in the state legislature so the WEDC is interpreting it,” Carpenter explained.
After Governor Scott Walker signed the Foxconn Bill into law last month, WEDC was assigned to finalize the contract to give nearly $3 billion taxpayer dollars to bring Foxconn to Racine County. On Tuesday, a vote to do so was delayed.
“There are really no issues with the contract,” said state representative Rob Hutton.
Hutton is on the WEDC board. When asked by our reporter why the vote was pushed back, he replied, “We can’t take a vote until the contract itself has been finalized and as with many contracts, getting 90-percent of the way is the easy part, the remaining 10-percent takes a little more due diligence.”
Carpenter said the unspecified problem was found mere hours before the meeting on Tuesday. He said it was somehow glossed over and wouldn’t protect taxpayer dollars.
“In terms of clawback provisions,” said Carpenter.
“I would say if there’s anything there’s anything nuclear that we need to be concerned about is the nuclear economic development that we’re going to experience once Foxconn is up and running,” said Hutton.
Carpenter said the problem in the contract will have to be sorted out between the state and Foxconn. A vote is expected to finalize the contract in three weeks.
