NYT Slams Walker, GOP Justices over Killing Public Integrity Law

Those wondering how a low-life politician like Scott Walker could ascend to the governorship of Wisconsin need note the silence after Walker and his Party killed the John Doe law last week.

Silence is in large part what allowed Walker to squeak out electoral wins.

The John Doe law was used to investigate Walker twice: During his tenure as Milwaukee County Executive (2002-10), and in the period when Walker fended off the 2011-12 Recall campaign when Walker coordinated $ millions in independent expenditures and his campaign funds in violation of campaign finance law.

So, naturally Walker caught acting at the center of a criminal scheme colluded with state legislative Republicans to gut the law.

As today's New York Times notes:

Only weeks after giving up on his lackluster presidential campaign in the face of national indifference, Gov. Scott Walker of Wisconsin is back to making mischief in his home state. Last Friday, Mr. Walker signed a bill to protect public officials like himself from an effective and well-established tool for rooting out political corruption.

The tool, known as the John Doe law, lets prosecutors conduct secret investigations into possible crimes by executing search warrants and compelling people to testify.

It wasn't just the Republican legislature that gave Walker a pass.

The Wisconsin Supreme Court's four Republicans, [they pretend to be non-partisan], issued an infamous decision last summer corruptly protecting Walker from criminal investigation, making up law as they did, the Times notes:

[A] deeply split Wisconsin Supreme Court — several of whose justices were backed by the same groups in their election campaigns — shut down the investigation, adopting an unprecedented reading of the state’s campaign-finance laws to find no problem with the activities in question. Mr. Walker was not charged in either case.

Silence is not the best strategy at this point.

To understand the Republicans on the Wisconsin Supreme Court, note this piece on David Prosser representing well Court's abdication of judicial ethics.

GOP's Court Allies Try to Jam Through Scott Walker-John Doe Cases in Violation of Court Rules

Need more evidence the fix is in for Scott Walker's and allies trying to abort a law enforcement investigation by state constitutional officers of both parties?

Patrick Marley has the story breaking at the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel on three cases at the Wisconsin Supreme Court that were not on the Court calendar and that the GOP's Justice Roggensack wants heard anyway, in violation of Court rules.

The three cases heard are not named, hence not necessarily the John Doe cases in which Walker and his allies are trying to evade being investigated, but most observers are guessing Roggensack is still fronting for Walker for the three John Doe cases.

In a related story, see Pema Levy's piece today at Mother Jones: How Scott Walker and His Allies Hijacked the Wisconsin Supreme Court - And what it means for the probe into alleged campaign violations by Walker and conservative dark-money groups.

The bottom line: Even investigating Scott Walker's clear violations of state law are blocked by corrupt Republicans on the bench.

Notes Brendan Fischer at PRWatch:

In last year's Supreme Court race, WMC spent an estimated $500,000 supporting Justice Roggensack's reelection, and Wisconsin Club for Growth spent $350,000. Together they outspent the $652,318 spent by the justice's own campaign.

WMC issued a special Supreme Court edition of its "Business Voice" magazine in advance of the election, with page after page warning that if Roggensack were to lose, "all of the reforms of Governor Scott Walker and the business community would hang in the balance." WMC's president described the group's efforts to "elect 'strict constructionist' judges to the high court," and Justice Ziegler penned an op-ed endorsing Roggensack.

Roggensack refuses to recuse from hearing WiCFG and John Doe cases despite the clear conflict of interest in secretly hearing cases involving parties who elected her.

Scott Walker's Aversion to Wisconsin Election Law

Scott Walker governs by secret, campaigns by secret and raises money by secret.

Will raising money secretly and illegally finally kill this odious unlawful actor?

Wisconsin Stat § 11.0001(1)

"The legislature finds and declares that our democratic system of government can be maintained only if the electorate is informed. It further finds that excessive spending on campaigns for public office jeopardizes the integrity of elections. It is desirable to encourage the broadest possible participation in financing campaigns by all citizens of the state, and to enable candidates to have an equal opportunity to present their programs to the voters. One of the most important sources of information to the voters is available through the campaign finance reporting system. Campaign reports provide information which aids the public in fully understanding the public positions taken by a candidate or political organization. When the true source of support or extent of support is not fully disclosed, or when a candidate becomes overly dependent upon large private contributors, the democratic process is subjected to a potential corrupting influence. The legislature therefore finds that the state has a compelling interest in designing a system for fully disclosing contributions and disbursements made on behalf of every candidate for public office, and in placing reasonable limitations on such activities. Such a system must make readily available to the voters complete information as to who is supporting or opposing which candidate or cause and to what extent, whether directly or indirectly. This chapter is intended to serve the public purpose of stimulating vigorous campaigns on a fair and equal basis and to provide for a better informed electorate."

Scott Walker Silent on Call to Unseal John Doe Records

Scott Walker tries to stop criminal investigation
as Wisconsin Law Enforcement calls for release
of records of investigation in John Doe II.

"I invite the governor to join me in seeking judicial approval to lawfully release information now under seal which would be responsive to the allegations that have been made. Such information, when lawfully released, will show that these recent allegations are patently false."
- John Doe Special Prosecutor Francis Schmitz in late April 2015 (Marley, Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel)

Schmitz is referring to Scott Walker's slamming the bipartisan John Doe probe into Scott Walker's scheme to illegally funnel secret monies into the 2011-12 Recall elections as a "witchhunt." (Marley, Bice and Glauber, Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel)

If Scott Walker has nothing to hide why doesn't he join Francis Schmitz in calling for the release of the John Doe records?

Anti-John Doe litigation by Walker allies has already revealed Walker secretly directed monies. (Kroll, MotherJones)

If Walker really believes himself innocent, what does Scott Walker have to hide?

Scott Walker John Doe Official: Make John Doe Docs Public

Scott Walker bashed the John Doe probe as word is out the four GOP-purchased justices on the Wisconsin Supreme Court are going to kill the John Doe probe, per Walker's legal and political needs. (Marley, Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel) (Fischer, PRWatch)

Said Walker in a radio interview on Saturday, "They (John Doe probe official and investigators) were looking for just about anything. As I pointed out at the time, it was largely a political witch hunt."

Walker and his allies have spent considerable money to shut down and vilify the John Doe probe looking into a "criminal scheme" at the center of which is Scott Walker, (Marley, Bice and Glauber, Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel) as pointed out in John Doe documents made public last year.

Walker's rare comments on the John Doe probe prompted a response by John Doe Special Prosecutor Francis Schmitz, and Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm ((Marley, Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel):

"As to defamatory remarks, I strongly suspect the Iowa criminal code, like Wisconsin's, has provisions for intentionally making false statements intended to harm the reputation of others," Chisholm said in a statement Saturday responding to Walker's comments.

In a separate statement, Schmitz said he was surprised Walker would "speak publicly about specific issues which are now before the Wisconsin Supreme Court for a decision."

"His description of the investigation as a 'political witch hunt' is offensive when he knows that the investigation was authorized by a bipartisan group of judges and is directed by a Republican special prosecutor appointed at the request of a bipartisan group of district attorneys," Schmitz's statement said. ...

"I invite the governor to join me in seeking judicial approval to lawfully release information now under seal which would be responsive to the allegations that have been made," his statement said. "Such information, when lawfully released, will show that these recent allegations are patently false."

Chisholm said he agreed with Schmitz's statement.

"Stripped of niceties, Mr. Schmitz is saying the governor is deliberately not telling the truth," Chisholm's statement said.

"The truth is always a defense, so let's get the truth out in a legal manner, not through lies, distortions and misrepresentations."

Scott Walker will never take Schmitz up on his offer to seek release of documents of the John Doe probe because Walker knows he would be exposed as a crook and a liar.

At the Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition this weekend, Walker said that he prayed before making major policy decisions (Petroski, Des Monies Register).

One wonders if Walker prayed before illegally coordinating fundraising among rightwing money to help Walker and Republican state senators in the 2011-12 Recall campaigns, and if Walker did pray to whom did Walker pray: David Koch?