Former DOC chief raising money to provide interest-free loans to recipients of Tony Evers pardons

MADISON - The former state Department of Corrections chief is helping connect former offenders who have been pardoned by Democratic Gov. Tony Evers with the money he says is needed to avoid a relapse of criminal behavior.

Ed Wall, who was fired in 2016 from a post within the Department of Justice, is working with a Madison-based anti-hate group to raise enough money to provide interest-free loans for each person who receives a pardon from Evers.  

Evers recently issued four pardons — the first since Walker was first elected governor, who issued none in the eight years he was in office.

"With the Walker administration, pardons and parole were two big issues that we banged heads on," Wall said in an interview with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Wall is working with Masood Akhtar and his group We Are Many United Against Hate to provide up to $50,000 in the form of an interest-free loan for each recipient of a pardon.

Akhtar created the organization in the wake of President Donald Trump's 2016 proposal to temporarily ban Muslim immigrants from coming to the United States.

He said providing the loans help people who have been convicted of felony crimes get on their feet and prevent toxic feelings of resentment toward the government from brewing. 

"You made a mistake. Everybody does — we're all human beings. You paid the price for it — you're back. We are here. We welcome you. We'll support you," he said. "The most important thing that is missing when these people (are released), where will they go?"

The money could be used to purchase vehicles or find permanent housing — issues that can overwhelm a person if they aren't resolved and lead someone to turn back to crime in order to find money, Akhtar said. 

Evers last week issued pardons for Eric Pizer, Kevin Sorenson, Mwangi Vasser and Steven Nichols. 

He said in a statement all four men “have paid their debt to society, made amends, and contributed to their communities."

“I believe they deserve a second chance," he said.

Wall said he was rebuffed by the Walker administration four years ago when he suggested Walker provide the act of forgiveness to Pizer, a 38-year-old Iraq War veteran who was charged when he was 22 with felony battery after a bar fight just two days after he returned home from his second tour of duty in Iraq as a Marine. 

Wall said he then asked if he could hire Pizer as a correctional officer by waiving a DOC policy of not hiring anyone convicted of a felony. That request was rejected, too, he said.

"I said, you know, who doesn't sometimes have a couple too many drinks," Wall said. "This guy served our country, he's got a distinguished record of military service, he's being hindered by this.

"Absolutely wouldn't discuss it. Wouldn't even talk about it."

Walker's former chief of staff Rich Zipperer and a spokesman for Walker did not respond to questions about Wall's claims.

Wall and Walker have clashed in recent years after Wall was fired from the state Department of Justice in 2016 after he told Zipperer he should feel free to destroy a document.

Wall appeared in a campaign ad for Evers in 2018 and published a book saying his dismissal was over an incident that was misconstrued and he was nearly driven to suicide because of how he was treated by Walker, former Attorney General Brad Schimel and their staffs. 

Pardons were not considered under Walker, who suspended the state's pardon board in 2011 and didn't hear out more than 1,000 people who sought clemency. Walker said he didn't want to meddle with the state's criminal justice system.

Pizer also did not respond to a request for an interview but told the Wisconsin State Journal he's had trouble starting a career in criminal justice because of his felony conviction. 

Contact Molly Beck at molly.beck@jrn.com. Follow her on Twitter at @MollyBeck.