Apparently mutual fund administration and running for public office don't mix.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and the Associated Press both report that Oak Creek-based mutual fund administrator Travis Hartwig was fired from U.S. Bancorp Fund Services on July 2 after he refused to drop out of the race for Wisconsin state treasurer. U.S. Bank has a "strong conflict of interest policy," a company spokeswoman told the publications, and a spokesman for Wisconsin's Department of Administration confirmed to the Journal Sentinel that U.S. Bank is currently bidding to renew a $10-million "enterprise banking services" contract with the state. (The current contract expires in 2019.)

Nate Cade, a lawyer representing Hartwig, tells the publications that he plans to fight the firing formally through the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the Fair Employment Practices Agency.

"Employer restrictions like this make it hard for citizens to want to be involved in their government," Hartwig told the AP.

According to U.S. Bank human resources emails provided to the Journal Sentinel by Cade, on June 13 Hartwig was told to either leave the company or drop out of the campaign. When he didn't choose, he was terminated.

Hartwig, a Republican, is one of six candidates for the Wisconsin state treasurer job. An alumnus of Carroll University, he has worked with U.S. Bank since early 2016. He previously worked at Sunset Bank and Citizens Bank. 

Edited by: Neil Anderson, Managing Editor


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