Report: Scott Walker Campaign in Plea Deal Negotiations

Update: From PRWatch: "The news of settlement talks further undermines their description of the probe as a baseless investigation. It seems hard to believe that Walker would be negotiating settlement if his high-priced lawyers thought this investigation was going nowhere."

The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel is reporting the following: "Gov. Scott Walker's campaign may be negotiating with prosecutors as part of a secret investigation into the 2012 recall campaigns involving him and other candidates, according to an anonymously sourced opinion piece in the Wall Street Journal."

The Wall Street Journal [paid site] editorial is condemnatory of Scott Walker's alleged legal maneuvers.

Write Jason Stein, Patrick Marley and Bill Glauber, quoting the Wall Street Jounral: "We've [the Wall Street Journal] learned that Steven Biskupic, who represents Friends of Scott Walker, has been negotiating with Wisconsin special prosecutor Francis Schmitz to settle the state's investigation. The understandable concern among the direct targets of the John Doe is that Mr. Biskupic will cut a deal that would exonerate Mr. Walker while wresting concessions from some of Mr. Walker's allies."

It's not clear since Judge Rudolph Randa halted the John Doe probe in early May in Eric O’Keefe and Wisconsin Club for Growth, Inc. v Francis Schmitz, how and why attorney Biskupic may be negotiating a plea deal for Scott Walker's 2012 Recall campaign.

The Wall Street Journal speculates that "Mr. Walker is facing a rough re-election fight this year, and perhaps he and his lawyers want to remove any chance of a September or October legal surprise."

Concludes the Wall Street Journal editorial: "On Tuesday a very clipped Mr. Biskupic told us that he was "'not going to comment on anything related to any John Doe in Wisconsin because doing so would be a violation of court orders.' But after he hung up with us he warned other friends of Scott Walker about our call. Sounds like Mr. Walker has to decide whose side he's on—his own, or the larger principles he claims to represent."

Stay tuned.