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Former Consultant Defends Burke, Says Plagiarism Accusations Unwarranted

Eric Schnurer was fired after Democratic gubernatorial candidate Mary Burke was accused of plagiarizing her jobs plan.

In an article in The Atlantic, Schnurer says all politicians incorporate good, existing ideas when forming policy proposals. He suggests Burke was more engaged in the process than are many candidates.

"She started with a clear conception of how the economy functions and what she felt state government and shouldn’t do to address it. She had read widely and talked with a cross-section of policy experts and concerned citizens. Our job became simply filling in the background facts and details," Schnurer writes.

The consultant says he knew he had to take the blame, in an attempt to quell criticism. The Burke campaign fired him.

This is the first time Schnurer has responded publicly to the plagiarism accusations. He says he kept quiet until after Tuesday's election, out of respect for Burke. She lost the race incumbent Gov. Scott Walker by about six percentage points.

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