GOP Panicking on John Doe Criminal Probe

Scott Walker - Ringleader?

Update II: The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel runs its first piece echoing the GOP surrogates' line that the John Doe probe is a witchhunt.

Update: No John Doe prosecutors signed the Recall Scott Walker petition, DA's office says.

In a telling sign that the GOP can read the writing on the John Doe investigation's wall, the GOP propaganda organs led by Media Trackers, WTMJ, and Charlie Sykes have launched their first direct public attack on the Milwaukee County District Attorney's office.

Sykes, in his WTMJ column Monday, says the John Doe investigation known as WalkerGate, "has been dogged by criticism of possible partisan bias, its selective prosecution, and frequent leaks," without specific attribution or even one example.

Sykes then references the rightwing Media Trackers site that broke the news—as it were—that some 19 assistant prosecuting attorneys, and perhaps as many as 70 employees of the Milwaukee DA's office have signed the historic Recall Walker petition.

The McCarthyite dimension aside, Sykes' report does not mention that Milwaukee County Assistant District Attorney Bruce Landgraf, who is leading the John Doe probe, or DA John Chisholm have signed the Recall petition, so we can be reasonably certain that they have not signed.

But the fact that the rightwing machine would voluntarily bring up the topic of WalkerGate, following the news that the veterans' funds-embezzling Tim Russell—Walker's former top aide and long-time political confidante—may be feuding with Walker and seeking a plea bargain in the middle of the Recall campaign points to a pre-emptive strike against the criminal probe as a last-resort, political option.

Up to now, Walker has been pushing the line he is "help(ing)" the investigation.

News of the criminal probe, which Walker falsely claimed he is voluntarily helping is not the message the Walker campaign wants leading the news.

Dan Bice reported in early February:

Gov. Scott Walker acknowledged Monday that prosecutors initiated the meeting they will have with him as part of the John Doe investigation about activities that occurred during Walker's tenure as Milwaukee County executive. ... 'Up until now, we've provided written documentation (from the campaign),' Walker said during a briefing with reporters in Waukesha. 'They'd like to talk to us about what they've found and what additional help we can provide.'

Walker has retained two criminal defense attorneys, a defense attorney for the 2010 Walker campaign for governor, and has set up a criminal defense fund.

Scott Walker sure does go to a lot of trouble to help the John Doe investigation that looks to end his political career.

Stay tuned.