One time Wisconsin candidate for governor Kirk Bangstad says politics and a conspiracy from the state’s big brewers is to blame for losing his brewers permit.
The Wisconsin Department of Revenue confirmed that it revoked Bangstad’s brewing permit for his taprooms in Minocqua and Madison.
The state opened an investigation into Bangstad after he was selling beer brewed in Illinois in his taprooms in Wisconsin without paying the proper taxes.
On Monday, Bangstad wrote on Facebook that the charges are “laughable.”
“I couldn’t believe it and neither could the law firm that handles my liquor permits,” Bangstad wrote. “They both believe that someone in Wisconsin’s government is trying to make an example out of me, and they’ve told me to fight this with everything I’ve got.”
Bangstad then claimed he’s really a victim of both Gov. Tony Evers’ and Wisconsin’s other, bigger breweries.
“Our brewery is very popular among progressives throughout the Upper Midwest because we actively fight against right-wing authoritarianism and corruption. As a result of our political activism, we’ve been boycotted by beer distributors and major grocery chains,” he added. “Once you ‘understand’ that all of the laws that [the DOR] said we broke were created to help large distributors take advantage of small breweries, you can see the ‘whole picture,’ and how the government can use byzantine liquor laws to put ‘mouthy brewers’ out of business.”
Bangstad has made no secret of his progressive politics and has been a frequent critic of Evers.
Bangstad briefly ran for governor earlier this year but dropped his bid when he failed to make the ballot.
Bangstad said he is exploring his legal options and is promising to stay in business if he can.
” I’m not taking this lying down. We’re going to fight the state of Wisconsin tooth and nail, and once again, they’ll have to pry me out of my taprooms before I stop selling beer to thirsty progressives who come to visit us,” he wrot
