Governor Scott Walker part of a "criminal scheme"

[Drew Phipps]

from news 6/20/14:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/06/19...d%3D490828

"Prosecutors: Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker Part Of 'Criminal Scheme'

MADISON, Wis. (AP) Newly released documents show prosecutors are alleging Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker was at the center of a nationwide "criminal scheme" to illegally coordinate with outside conservative groups.The documents were filed as part of an ongoing lawsuit challenging the probe by the conservative group Wisconsin Club for Growth. They were ordered publicly released Thursday by a federal appeals court judge after prosecutors and the Wisconsin Club for Growth did not object.
One of the filings from prosecutors outlines previously unknown details about the investigation that began in 2012 as Walker was facing a recall election.
Prosecutors say Walker, his chief of staff and others who worked for him were discussing illegal coordination with a number of national groups and prominent figures, including GOP strategist Karl Rove."

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I'm not sure what makes "coordinating with national groups" illegal, but possibly it involves campaign contributions, just like Tom DeLay here in Texas was convicted of money laundering for his participation in funneling corporate donations into a Texas political race (which used to be illegal here in Texas).


Edit: Yep, its about money: "In the documents unsealed Thursday, prosecutors from five Wisconsin counties allege an effort by Walker and top aides to circumvent state law and raise money and plan spending by a dozen outside groups during the election." Some of the money might have come from the Koch brothers.

[Magda Hassan]

I will be pleased to see Karl Rove go down with this if it all comes off against Walker. Two birds with one stone. Or one canary and one vulture.

[Tracy Riddle]

"Nationwide criminal scheme" - there go those silly prosecutors and their conspiracy theories again. ::rofl::

[Drew Phipps]

from news 6/21/14:

http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/Wiscons...de=165C6-1

"Scott Walker Blasts 'Partisan DA' over Fundraising Probe

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker Thursday lashed out at prosecutors' accusations he illegally coordinated fundraising with conservative groups in an allegedly criminal scheme to violate election laws calling the complaint "nothing more than a partisan investigation." "The accusation of any wrongdoing written in the complaint by the office of a partisan Democrat district attorney by me or by my campaign is categorically false," Walker said in a statement, referring to Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm. "In fact two judges, in both state and federal courts, have ruled that no laws were broken."

"This is nothing more than a partisan investigation with no basis in state law," Walker added. "It's time for the prosecutors to acknowledge both judge's orders to end this investigation." No charges have been filed against Walker or any member of his staff. Walker is set to talk about the claims Friday on "Fox & Friends" on the Fox News Channel, his office said. Earlier Thursday, the stunning accusations were revealed in court documents unsealed as part of an ongoing lawsuit challenging the probe by the conservative group Wisconsin Club for Growth. A federal appeals court judge ordered them publicly released after prosecutors and the Wisconsin Club for Growth did not object.

One of the filings from lead prosecutor Francis Schmitz outlines previously unknown details about the investigation that began in 2012 as Walker was facing a recall election. Prosecutors said Walker, his former chief of staff Keith Gilkes, top adviser R.J. Johnson and others were discussing illegal fundraising and coordination with a number of national groups and prominent figures, including GOP strategist Karl Rove. The court document quotes an email Walker sent to Rove May 4, 2011, in which he talks about the important role Johnson played in leading the coordination effort."Bottom-line: R.J. helps keep in place a team that is wildly successful in Wisconsin," the quoted email from Walker said. "We are running 9 recall elections and it will be like 9 congressional markets in every market in the state (and Twin Cities)."

Johnson, in addition to being Walker's top campaign strategist, also was an adviser for Wisconsin Club for Growth. He did not immediately return a message left on his cellphone. But Walker told reporters Johnson would remain on his team, the Milwaukee Sentinel Journal reported. "We've used him in the past," Walker said. "I don't see that changing in the future." Wisconsin Club for Growth has alleged Chisholm and other prosecutors are on a "witch hunt" against conservatives, the newspaper reported; a lawyer for the organization contended other documents released Thursday proved it. "The materials released today are all ones that we asked the district court to unseal because the public has a right to know about the the John Doe prosecutors' abuse of government power," club attorney Andrew Grossman said, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported.

While he eyes a run for president in 2016, Walker is seeking re-election this year against likely Democratic nominee Mary Burke. Both Gilkes and Johnson are working on his re-election campaign. It's been known for months that the investigation, known as a John Doe, focused on allegations of illegal coordination between Wisconsin Club for Growth, Walker's campaign and other conservative groups during recall elections in 2011 and 2012. But until Thursday it wasn't clear that prosecutors saw Walker as having such a central role."The scope of the criminal scheme under investigation is expansive," Schmitz wrote in the Dec. 9 court filing, objecting to an attempt by Walker's campaign and other conservative groups to quash subpoenas. "It includes criminal violations of multiple elections laws" including filing false campaign finance reports, Schmitz wrote.

The investigation has been on hold since May when U.S. District Judge Rudolph Randa ruled in a lawsuit brought by Wisconsin Club for Growth and its treasurer Eric O'Keefe that the probe was a breach of the group's First Amendment free-speech rights and issued a preliminary order stopping the investigation. Prosecutors, including Chisholm and Schmitz, have appealed to the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals. Grossman insisted the public has the right to see the documents. "These documents show how the John Doe prosecutors adopted a blatantly unconstitutional interpretation of Wisconsin law that they used to launch a secret criminal investigation targeting conservatives throughout Wisconsin," Grossman said in an email. "Sunlight is the best disinfectant, and this is a story that needs to be told to prevent more abuses and to hold the John Doe prosecutors accountable for violating the rights of Wisconsinites."

An attorney for prosecutors, Sam Leib, did not immediately return an email seeking comment.
Prosecutors have defended the investigation as a legitimate probe into whether Wisconsin's campaign finance laws had been violated, and rejected they were on a partisan witch hunt.
Walker rose to fame shortly after taking office in 2011, passing a bill that effectively ended collective bargaining for most public workers. The uproar over that law led to Walker's recall election in 2012, which he won, making him the first governor in U.S. history to ever defeat a recall."

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This is precisely the same line of "defense" adopted by DeLay when he was indicted for money laundering in Austin, Texas. Guess there's a "GOP playbook" entitled "Ignoring Inconvenient Local Laws and Getting Away With It For Dummies." Scary that this dude is gonna run for president. Maybe this thread should be moved to "War on Unions, etc."

[Kenneth Kapel]

Perhaps, after New Jersey Governor Chistie Walker was the "moderate GOP", not that such an enity really exists, and Repblican Establishment choice for President in 2016. Could these scandals and their investigations be part of the Bush family, Skull & Bones, "Good Old Boy Networks", attempt to get Jeb the nomination. OMG A Jeb-Hillary race in 2016, now I really depressed. ::

[Drew Phipps]

If the Democrats commit to Hillary, you can bet the full and ugly classified truth about Benghazi will be (leaked) exposed. I would be willing to hope for such an event just to finally see the truth, but I'm afraid of whatever alternative the GOP would have.