One year after telling the public as a candidate that he had obtained a bachelor’s degree, Wisconsin Lieutenant Governor Mandela Barnes said Thursday he hasn’t completed his degree at Alabama A&M University.
Barnes’ biography on Governor Tony Evers’ website doesn’t claim that he graduated from Alabama A&M University, but describes him as an ‘alumnus,' which may be someone who only attended a school. The Democrat revealed to Madison’s Isthmus newspaper that he completed coursework to resolve an incomplete class but never turned it in. Barnes called it “a small technical thing.” In response to a Wisconsin State Journal candidate questionnaire last year, Barnes’ campaign stated he had a “BA in Broadcast Journalism.”
Barnes spokesman Earl Arms said Thursday the questionnaire response was an error made by a former campaign staffer.
“The lieutenant governor regrets that oversight and is working to address any misconceptions that have come from it,” Arms said. “Lt. Gov. Barnes has always been transparent when asked about his graduation status."
Barnes also told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel twice in a November interview that he “finished” college, and the paper reported he had graduated, according to the Journal.
Last Update: Aug 09, 2019 7:55 am CDT
