MADISON (WI)
Wisconsin Public Radio
July 23, 2018
By Laurel White
Critics Accuse Democratic Gubernatorial Candidate of Covering Up Abuse
Democratic candidate for governor Matt Flynn continued to defend his work as a lawyer for the Archdiocese of Milwaukee on Monday, pushing back in particular on claims he was involved with the transfer of abusive priests between parishes.
Flynn represented the archdiocese from 1989 until 2004, during the priest sexual abuse scandal.
His campaign for governor has been peppered with criticism from both the right and left for that work. On Monday, his campaign released a letter from former Milwaukee Archbishop Rembert Weakland rebutting claims Flynn was involved in the transfer of abusive priests.
“The lawyers were not involved,” Weakland wrote.
According to Weakland, some priests who had undergone therapy were reassigned, but the process was overseen by a priest personnel board.
“Looking back, I would frankly have to admit that we were all extremely naïve,” Weakland wrote. “We did not understand the power of recidivism in such cases.”
A longtime Milwaukee priest, Domenic Roscioli, on Monday refuted Weakland’s claim.
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