By Collin Roth

On Monday morning, WEA Trust sent a letter to radio talk-show host Mark Belling of 1130 WISN demanding that he cease and desist from what WEA Trust calls “defamatory statements.” In a press release issued Monday morning WEA Trust President and CEO Mark Moody said:

“These are deliberate attempts to destroy a good company’s reputation. The accusations made against the WEA Trust on the air are not true—Mr. Belling has a responsibility to his listeners. He must state that his accusations of the WEA Trust are not true. The Trust is working with Wisconsin’s premier First Amendment law firm to demand an end to his false and defamatory public accusations.”

WEA Trust is the insurance company most commonly used by school districts throughout Wisconsin and has come under fire by conservatives such as Belling who allege connections to WEAC and overcharging school districts. In one example, the Appleton School District as a result of the collective bargaining changes took bids on healthcare coverage and WEA Trust lowered their price by $3 million for the same benefits package. The Kimberly School District got rid of WEA Trust and saved $821,000.

Moody said in April that as a result of the Walker reforms, WEA Trust has lost 20% of its business and must “adapt and adjust.”

WEA Trust was created by WEAC in 1970 but Moody maintains that by law the two organizations are separate.

Mark Belling’s radio show airs from 3 PM to 6PM on 1130 WISN and he will most certainly have a response to WEA Trust’s threat of legal action.