Tommy Thompson Picks Odd Spot For Milwaukee Event Next Week

The 'I Stand For Nothing Campaign' schedules a stop at property owned by this long-time donor friend who has put a troubled bankruptcy behind him.

In 2007, he [Darshan Dhaliwal] pledged to raise $1 million for former Gov. Tommy Thompson in his bid for the presidency. Dhaliwal never paid as Thompson's candidacy fizzled.

Thompson's son, Jason Thompson, worked for Dhaliwal before joining a Milwaukee law firm.
Dhaliwal's financial problems resonate beyond the petroleum business.

In 2006, he promised to make a $2.5 million donation to Cardinal Stritch University. Officials at Stritch said some money was received, but not the full amount.

The same year, Dhaliwal pledged $4.5 million to the University of Wisconsin-Parkside to expand its communication arts building. He hasn't paid anything on that promise since 2006, when he gave $450,000.

In 2008, Dhaliwal was sued by oil giant BP in federal court on allegations of swindling customers out of brand-name gas at as many as 120 stations nationwide, including a handful in Wisconsin.

The lawsuit alleged he was charging brand-name prices for gas not formulated with the promised protectants and detergents designed to extend the life of vehicles.

A settlement was under negotiation when Bulk Petroleum went into bankruptcy in February 2009.