Feb 1, 2014

Scott Walker Latest $80,000 Criminal Defense Outlay Speaks Loudly

Update: Jamelle Bouie: "Goodbye Chris Christie, and Hello Scott Walker". Lots of time for the nation to get to know Scott Walker, Mr. Bouie.

In the wake of the destruction of New Jersey's Chris Christie, Wisconsin's Scott Walker is being hyped by the same D.C. commentariat hailing Christie before this foolishness became untenable.

The GOP is pretty desperate, and their effort to prop up the latest Republican cartoon figure of a 'leader' will be as fun to watch as the fall of Christie into political and legal oblivion.

That's because as Walker parades around the country with his hand out to GOP billionaires, Walker leaves in Wisconsin a trail of corruption rivaling that of his New Jersey GOP brethren.

The hardcopy (but not the online version) of the Wisconsin State Journal running the AP's report of Scott Walker raising $Millions in 2013 includes the following reference to Walker's latest five-figure pay-out to Steven Biskupic, the disgraced former U.S. Attorney (2001-2008), and one of Scott Walker's go-to lawyers in the two criminal John Doe probes that netted numerous criminal convictions by six Walker aides, appointees and a major campaign contributor when Walker was Milwaukee County Executive.

But the (Walker campaign) documents also reveal that Walker spent about $80,000 of that (money raised in the last half of 2013) on legal fees.

The payments to Biskupic and Jacobs S.C. law firm, based in Mequon (Milwaukee suburb), were reported in the filing by the Walker campaign just one day after a state appeals panel ruling that allowed a secret 'John Doe' investigation to continue into (GOP) campaign finance and spending Wisconsin's recent wave of recall elections. Hundreds of pages of court documents were released Thursday night following the ruling.

The latest payment totaled $73,763.86 and was made in November.

The payments to the firm, which is headed by Steven Biskupic and Michelle Jacobs, were labeled as 'Legal Fees-Compliance/ Administrative' in the filings.

After Biskupic left the U.S. Attorney's office in the Bush-Cheney administration, he joined the GOP-connected firm, Michael Best and Friedrich, leaving to open his own firm with his former chief deputy in 2013.

The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel's Patrick Marley, Jason Stein and Daniel Bice reporting on Walker campaign cash and legal fees similarly includes reference to Walker's $86,000 payment to defense lawyers.

So, while many claim to be looking to Walker as an alternative to the defunct Chris Christie, one wonders if the real motivation of publicly hailing Walker is political lust to see another corrupt GOP governor publicly fall.

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