Scott Walker—Portrait in Corruption

Mary Bottari at PR Watch has a new piece about another Scott Walker scheme revealed in emails suggesting Walker committed felony misconduct in public office while serving as Milwaukee County Executive. See also TruthOut,

Milwaukee District Attorney John Chisholm's refusal to bring criminal charges in John Doe I is an act of political cowardice, and an abdication of his duty as a state Constitutional officer that makes Chisholm unfit for office, (Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel).

Scott Walker's Pres Campaign Was a Fraud, and It Blew Up

Scott Walker's 70-day clusterfrack

It wasn't prescient to predict in February Scott Walker's campaign for the presidency was a fraud, not a serious campaign.

This was obvious.

Worse are today's reports Walker even screwed up his spend-thrift, tax payer-financed trips down the rabbit hole.

Notes top news pieces today on Walker:

• How Scott Walker spent $90,000 a day to lose an election (Johnson, Washington Post)
• Fiscal Conservative Scott Walker Spent Like a Drunken Sailor, Put Kids on Payroll
• Reckless spending on exorbitant salaries killed the Walker campaign (Catanese, U.S. News and World Report)
• Scott Walker faces tough task in repaying presidential campaign debts (Stein, Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel)

"Given that Walker's campaign lasted just 70 days — from July 13 to Sept. 21," how did Scott Walker manage to spend $90,000 a day, the Post's Jenna Johnson asks.

Johnson's answer is instructive to Walker's delusions of grandeur and inflated sense of entitlement:

For Walker money went toward a payroll of more than 80, generous paychecks for top staffers, dozens of consultants and vendors who were paid tens of thousands of dollars, and elaborately staged campaign events. For a candidate who bragged on the campaign trail about finding deals at Kohl's and packing sack lunches to save money, the reports show that the campaign spent lavishly even as fundraising dollars began to disappear.

The campaign's payroll for those three months totaled nearly $2 million in salaries, taxes and benefits. Additionally, the campaign engaged dozens of consultants and vendors who were collectively paid more than $800,000. Walker's campaign was known for paying more than many of its rivals, and at least 20 employees were paid at least $30,000 in less than three months.

Walker's two college-age sons, Matt and Alex Walker, were both on the payroll but were among the least-compensated staff members, making less than $5,000 each. Five employees earned more than $50,000 in salary and benefits during that three-month period: Campaign manager Rick Wiley received nearly $52,000. Political director Matt Mason, $61,000. Communication director Kirsten Kukowski, more than $58,000. Treasurer Kate Lind, $57,730. General counsel Jonathan Waclawski, $57,600.

The campaign also spent hundreds of thousands of dollars setting up campaign stops and fundraisers. Even simple town-hall events in small towns featuring a stage, bright lights, a backdrop of flags and a sound system playing music. The campaign paid more than $126,000 to one firm alone, D.C.-based Harbinger LLC, to provide 'event production consulting.' The campaign would use video and photos from these events on Walker's social media platforms, on the campaign Web site and in promotional materials. The campaign had a full-time photographer on staff and also spent more than $100,000 on video production services. 

As Walker blows a hole in Wisconsin's budget deficit, perhaps even Walker has a new tag line: Unaccountable.

Scott Walker’s office 'obstructed' probe of missing veterans funds, say investigators

Update: Significance of Dee Hall's piece is that evidence of the Scott Walker obstruction of law enforcement probe looking into missing money of veterans' fund is now in federal court in a brief (dated July 31, 2015) using only publicly released documents beyond the reach of Republicans on the Wisconsin Supreme Court that attempted to sanitize and cover up for Scott Walker's duplicity and apparent illegal actions as County Executive.
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Scott Walker's long-time aides and appointees are some real low-life types, embezzling from a military veterans' fund with Walker and his office (Milwaukee County Executive (2002-10)) playing interference.

 Dee J. Hall has the story at WisconsinWatch.

Scott Walker and Republicans still believe the rule of law does not apply to favored Republicans like Walker. (Mal Contends)

But the crooks and liars from John Doe I are coming back to bite Walker, and many 1,000s of pages of documents remain in the public domain beyond the reach of Walker and the four Republican justices on the Wisconsin Supreme Court.

Wonder what Walker's next move is, telling the convicted to shut up?

Launch Public Integrity Probe of Scott Walker Using Hundreds of Pages of John Doe Docs in Public Domain

Just because the Wisconsin Supreme Court has four corrupt Republican justices, this ought not deter Constitutional law enforcement officers from doing their duty.

Never has a public integrity investigation been so needed in Wisconsin. No cause to use the John Doe statute.

Though the Court ordered John Doe documents showing Scott Walker criminality destroyed, 100s of pages of John Doe documents remain in the public domain.

See Marley, Bice and Glauber, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

All that is missing is the political will and the moral courage.

Scott Walker Is More Fraud than Serious Presidential Candidate

The New Yorker's John Cassidy pulls no punches in how he feels about about a potential Scott Walker presidency.

"Let’s stipulate up front that Scott Walker, the governor of Wisconsin, is an odious politician whose ascension to the Presidency would be a disaster," [Cassidy] writes in the opening paragraph of his Tuesday column in The New Yorker, "The dangerous candidacy of Scott Walker." (Slinger, The Capital Times)

Odious, destructive, yes. More dangerous than even the once-in-a-lifetime, Bush-Cheney 2007-09 Great Recession, the neocon Iraq invasion and occupation?

Yes.

In fact, Walker is working to transform Wisconsin into Mississippi.

Scott Walker is a frontman for plutocrats, chickenhawks and statist extremists, and who can blame The New Yorker's Cassidy for looking askance at fascism bubbling up from the Midwest?

Work against fascism or lose America and civil rights

But America has been here before. And won.

Scott Walker, as demonstrated by any interview with follow-up questions, is a Sarah Palinesque lightweight who can't handle policy questions.

And the man has no conscience. (Milbank, Washington Post)

Want to know why Scott Walker with the self-proclaimed "big and bold" ideas declined to hold even one townhall-style question-and-answer session with the Wisconsin people? (Mal Contends)

Walker can't handle policy questions.

This is precisely why some progressive writers warn Walker ought not be underestimated in his faux presidential run. They want Walker to be the GOP nominee and are trying to impose gravitas on the billionaires' minion who is afraid of interviews outside race-baiting Milwaukee hate radio. (MacGillis, The New Republic)

As the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel's Dan Bice put it two years ago: Scott Walker is not an "ideas guy," suggesting someone as error-prone as Walker who can't think on his feet "could earn him the distinction of being the Gov. Perry of the 2016 campaign." (Dan Bice chat transcript on Thursday, April 18, 2013) (Mal Contends)

What does Scott Walker who is not an "ideas guy" do? Portray himself as a big and bold ideas guy as he takes the Koch brothers/ALEC agenda as his own.

What is Scott Walker really up to? Two things, and not one is a serious run for the presidency.

One - Walker's presidential run is a cover for past criminal deeds, and shame on Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm for cowering before the Koch brothers and other plutocrats when Chisholm knew perfectly well the John Doe I evidence showed Walker is guilty of misconduct in public office when he served as Milwaukee County Executive.

"We already know that Walker was fully aware of what was going on with the secret router and the illegal politicking that had been going on. In fact, Walker not only knew about it all, he was directing it!" (Cognitive Dissidence) Walker faces another criminal investigation now being adjudicated before the Wisconsin Supreme Court.

Two - Scott Walker is simply on an elaborate fundraising campaign with his national base accumulated during the Recall election.

When Walker is defeated early in the nomination process in his reputed run for the GOP nominee for the presidency, he'll bow out and call for GOP unity for plutocrat Jeb Bush, finish out his term and be a frontman for rightwing welfare.

Though he would have worn out his welcome in much of Wisconsin, Walker can retreat to the segregated white homeland inside the WOW counties outside of the greater Milwaukee urban area.

Cashing in on his radicalism and selling out the state of Wisconsin, Walker will have done well with the plutocrats ala Sarah Palin.

New Scott Walker Emails Confirm Criminality

The new batch of emails released yesterday brings more evidence demonstrating Scott Walker's secret email system installed in the Milwaukee County Executive's office was an illegal campaign operation, Walker was dedicated to obscuring his office's work from the public, and Walker was a hands-on manager. (Bice, Stein; Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel)

The emails reinforce facts already made public in past email releases begging the question why didn't Milwaukee District Attorney John Chisholm bring criminal charges in the John Doe probe (May 2010 - March 2013) against Walker (who used the illegal secret system) when the mountain of evidence made public has established and exceeded probable cause of criminality by Walker and virtually all of Walker's close staff during his tenure of Milwaukee county executive. (2002-2010)

Chisholm said in a statement in 2013 that charges that he brought had to be supported by "proof beyond a reasonable doubt."

Chisholm's 2013 statement is counter to the common practice in criminal law of using probable cause as a standard to bring criminal charges.

For example, when Wisconsin State Rep. Bill Kramer (R-Waukesha)—former Republican majority leader who was kept on the taxpayer payroll throughout his arrest and negotiations with the DA and will receive pension and health care benefits after his sweetheart deal with the GOP's newly elected attorney general, Brad Schimel—a probable cause criminal complaint charging Kramer with two counts of 2nd Degree Sexual Assault/Use of Force was issued.

Wisconsin John Doe probes are not mini-trials. The beyond-a-reasonable-doubt standard is what juries use to convict in criminal trials.

Walker has refused to answer the question whether he used the illegal system and had his private account though emails made public show he did.

Chisholm made a political calculation in not charging Scott Walker, not a legal calculation protecting public integrity and Wisconsin citizens against criminality by its public servants.

Scott Walker and Aides Shared Confidential County Business on Private Emails

Scott Walker and his aides saw the Milwaukee County Executive's office as their political fiefdom, not an elected office, responsible to the people.

Lisa Kaiser reports:

"Gov. Scott Walker’s aides in his Milwaukee County executive’s office used their private emails to share information protected by attorney-client privilege, confidential contract bidding details, and updates from closed-door meetings, a survey of the newly released John Doe emails shows."

No staffer in Walker's office is revealed to be stating, 'we can't be doing this.'

That taking confidential, private information and giving the information to Walker's political campaign was standard operating procedure shows that this abuse of office is what Scott Walker believed he was entitled.

Washington Post: A behind the scenes look at Scott Walker

Update: John Nichols comments on Scott Walker and his stonewalling of the Wisconsin people after "Tens of thousands of emails detailing the ethical and legal lapses, political misdeeds, insensitivity, sexism, racism and homophobia of his 'inner circle' of closest aides were released." Notes Nichols:  "The headlines in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and the Wisconsin State Journal, newspapers that endorsed Walker’s initial election and refused to support the recall, were tough — going so far as to suggest that the governor must have known about secret political operations set up in his Milwaukee County Executive Office. Both newspapers have used their editorial pages to demand answers from Walker, as did other papers."
The Washington Post has a piece out portraying Scott Walker as a "leader on the rise," during Walker's tenure as Milwaukee County Executive (2002-10).

The piece says Walker was fixated with "cultivating his political image," and features numerous emails and accompanying descriptions supporting this characterization.

What is striking about this obsession of Walker's is that this campaign for governor reveals an almost pathological disregard for the people of Milwaukee County—"in the hours after a boy was killed at a county owned garage, Walker's staff was quickly concerned about his public image."

What about the kid killed?

"A 13-ton concrete slab had come loose and fallen from a county-owned parking garage in Milwaukee, crushing and killing a 15-year-old boy, and within minutes, aides feared the worst for their boss, then Milwaukee County’s top elected official," writes Rosalind S. Helderman in her piece.

It comes as no surprise that most of the people on the emails are convicted criminals or struck immunity deals with the John Doe probe.

These are Walker's people.

We read emails from Tim Russell (felon who embezzled from a veterans' fund) and Kelly Rindfleisch (misconduct in public office) and the whole bunch of Walker's staff who hijacked a public office and used it as a campaign in Walker's rise to power.

Left out of the Post report is the fact that Milwaukee County Asst DA Bruce Landgraf presented evidence in court this year that Walker's top campaign and County staff sent emails between January and October 2010 [election for governor was in November 2010] using the secret and illegal email system installed in Scott Walker's office. Hence, we have all these emails made public after Rindfleisch appealed her criminal conviction.

Walker's press secretary now wants Wisconsin to believe that Walker's office was not using a secret Internet system as early as 2002, as was recently reported.

Winning Definition of Scott Walker: Conniving, Two-faced and Against You

Scott Walker: Don't look at me or anything I've done

Update: "Walker and his people hijacked government to serve his own political interests rather than the interests of the people." (Conniff. The Progressive)
---
When Republicans define a political opponent, they do so prior to the declaration of candidacy.

This means Republicans fabricate and lie, hoping not many folks are paying attention, and certainly not thinking.

Democrats on the other hand attempt to use facts and reality-based arguments seeking a mandate to win an election.

This is a difference in ethics between the parties, emphatically in the post-Citizens United world.

Every effective communication—working the press on stories, jumping on stories, feeding stories—all to help define, say Scott Walker with free media is an imperative to winning an election.

Conclusion: Do that.

In Wisconsin, the plausible definition of Scott Walker is a conniving, two-faced rat, against You and against veterans home from war.

By the way, for the George Lakoff "framing" freaks who believe they found the new, revealed code to political communications, they have not.

The political act of convincing communications in support of a compelling message has been used for almost 100 years—it's called PUBLIC RELATIONS, ... freaks.

Why Scott Walker Won't Answer Questions

Question from Luke, Green Bay, WI. - A simple yes or no question "Did you Governor Walker know of the secret e-mail system?" Why won't he just answer the question? We are paying his salary. It is a simple yes-no question.

 

Answer from Daniel Bice, Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel  - Why won't he answer the question? My guess: He is paying his lawyers very good money, and they have told him, "Do not answer that question."

-- From the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, Columnist Dan Bice's Online Question and Answer

New Journal-Sentinel Column Signals Press Tired of Scott Walker Lies, Evasions

It's no wonder Gov. Chris Christie has done over 100 listening sessions and Scott Walker had done zero.

Walker is afraid to face the people of Wisconsin, and more afraid to face the press in an extended press conference explaining the new release of emails and the emails' writing that points to Walker cheating, lying and stealing from the taxpayers of Milwaukee County.

Scott Walker had his own illegal, secret email account, emails show.

Scott Walker ordered his personally hired Milwaukee county staff to post fatuous pro-Walker comments on Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel news online pieces, emails show.

Scott Walker and his staff campaigned on Milwaukee County time, emails show.

Scott Walker is correct in pointing out that he was never criminally charged in the first John Doe investigation, to the chagrin of the Wisconsin people who see the evidence of Walker's criminally campaigning on the taxpayers' dime, in taxpayers' space and on taxpayers' time in black and white in the court-ordered released emails.

This is what is called felony misconduct in office, as convicted Walker aide, Kelly M. Rindfleisch, will tell you.

Milwaukee County DA John T. Chisholm had the discretion in the first John Doe probe to decide whom to prosecute and he chickened out, fearing blowback in prosecuting a sitting governor.

That decision of Chisholm's is not final. The evidence for prosecuting Scott Walker is plain to see and is certainly with the scope of the John Doe II probe. The DAs now investigating if and by whom crimes were committed should prosecute those who broke the law even if this someone is a sitting governor.

Two Largest Wisconsin Dailies Call for Scott Walker to Hold Press Conference on Emails

From left to right: Tim Russell, Scott Walker and Brian Pierick
"Don't think for a minute that Walkergate or its effect will end ... ." 

Update: Even Fox News host, Chris Wallace, grows frustrated with Scott Walker's evasions.

WALLACE: Did you have your own private e-mail account?

SCOTT WALKER: It’s one of those where I point out district attorney has reviewed every single one of these issues.

WALLACE: But sir, you’re not answering my question.

SCOTT WALKER: No, because I’m not going to get into 27,000 different pieces of information.
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The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel and the Wisconsin State Journal are both editorially supportive of Scott Walker to a fault.

Now, the two largest Wisconsin dailies are calling on Walker to come clean with an extended press conference that ends when the press is done with questions, not when Scott Walker declares this is "old news."

It's not old news when the probe that resulted in 15 convictions involving his former top aides, who as the emails reveal, acted on Scott Walker's orders, is now a public fact shown in black and white. Walker knew, was a participant and lied about it. Why?

Scott Walker cannot weasel away on this one.

From a PR perspective, as the editorials writers at the Journal-Sentinel and State Journal are aware, a hours-long, question-and-answer session explaining and apologizing is the right thing to do.

From a good government perspective, it's imperative.

Everyone is wondering why Scott Walker was not prosecuted when the court-ordered release of the 27,000 emails shows Walker was the top dog in the conspiracy to run a secret political campaign out of a public office.

Scott Walker even parades this fact of not being prosecuted in his seconds-long encounters with friendly, GOP-aligned journalists.

I wasn't prosecuted is a fair point.

As are the voluminous emails proving Walker knew and directed action on the secret email system, and after his aide was caught ordered that the use of the secret email system stop, shortly before the Milwaukee County Executive office was raided by law enforcement.

As noted by Ruth Conniff in The Progressive Magazine, there's nowhere left to hide now.

Scott Walker Is Desperate So Wisconsin State Journal Runs Pathetic Flack Piece

Here's Steven Verburg's (GOP) fronting for Scott Walker in his piece on Sunday's front page.

More than 28,000 pages of secret emails and other documents released under court order last week illustrate in sharp detail the extent to which modern electronic devices allowed Scott Walker’s top taxpayer-funded staff in the Milwaukee County executive’s office to be secretly converted into political campaign assets in 2010.

But his former aides were betrayed by the supposedly hidden laptops, wireless connections and Web-based email accounts after prosecutors seized hard drives that stored reams of messages. ...

Scott Walker used the secret, illegal router email system; he "urged both county employees and campaign aides to go to news websites and post comments promoting him and his record, " (Stein, Marley and Bice. MJS), and after his aide Darlene Wink was caught, Walker then Walker ordered the system shut down.

To state his aides were "betrayed" is like saying an idiot who fires a pistol at a man for being black was betrayed by the bullet.

No, Walker and his aides were not "betrayed," as Steven Verburg writes while pretending to be a journalist, instead of a Walker flack.

Walker and his aide are perpetrators who ran a campaign for governor from the office of Milwaukee County Executive, and even found time during business hours to sneak in their own brand of humor about Jews, blacks, gays and disabled Americans on emails that no decent person regards as anything but vile.

As Democurmudgeon writes (and I am posting almost his entire text; he won't mind as he as repulsed as I am) watch this video at bottom:

MSNBC's Chris Hayes hit on the real revelation of the newly released stack of emails. Hayes points out "the shear jaw dropping offensiveness" of a few of those emails.

>Hayes: "What kind of work environment exactly would it be all okay to get this in your inbox and then forward it to an unspecified amount of coworkers and subordinates...but think about the kind of work environment in which a chief of staff sends this kind of email to his subordinates. An email that is explicitly homophobic, racist, antisemitic and offensive in every way possible? ... These are the thoughts people who are in charge of things like, oh I don't know, running the states welfare system." 

This is who Scott Walker and new Republican Party are.

If anyone is wondering if Republican officeholder criticized Scott Walker's former chief of staff and other Walker aides for this crap, forget it, no GOP officeholder in Wisconsin ever publicly criticizes Scot Walker and his staff.

Emails: Scott Walker Urged County Staff to Comment on News Websites and Promote Him

"In the heat of the 2010 governor's race, Scott Walker urged both county employees and campaign aides to go to news websites and post comments promoting him and his record, newly unsealed documents show." (Stein, Marley and Bice. MJS)

We know Walker used the illegal email system; we know he knew about it though even now, incredibly, Walker will not admit this; and we know Darlene Wink got busted for promoting Scott Walker on County time, a crime that Walker urged County staff to commit.

The very first question of Walker if he has the guts and decency to answer questions should be: Governor, do you think you really have the credibility to deserve reelection?

Darlene Wink had to plea bargain for doing precisely what Scott Walker in black and white urged her and others do to.

Scott Walker Says He's "Done" with Scandal; Claim Not Supported by Facts

Title 18 USC § 201 - Hey, Scott Walker if you do take
questions from the people, I have a question RE the above
federal statute. I just don't trust you, Mr. Governor.
Check out Mining Mogul's greasing Walker and Co.

Scott Walker has still refused to hold one extended news conference, or one listening session to answer questions about the emails bombshells revealing his tenure as Milwaukee county executive that resulted in some 15 criminal convictions, a racist culture and what appears be grounds for criminal investigation into a political operation run out of a public office.

Wisconsin's largest daily newspaper that is editorially supportive of Walker, the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, has demanded Gov. Scott Walker must answer questions raised by release of emails.

"The longer he dodges questions, the more he undercuts his reputation as a straight-shooter. There are questions that need answering that only the governor can answer. The people of Wisconsin deserve those answers," concludes the editorial.

One extended news conference won't do the job either; Walker needs to follow the example of Chris Christie and hold regular listening sessions, partially because Scott Walker was in charge.

Jim Myers reports from D.C. that Walker won't answer questions because he says he's "done" now, and hence Wisconsin voters are not owed any explanations.

Reports Myers:

Walker was asked if he would agree to hold a news conference to address the document disclosures, as New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie did when controversy erupted over the closure of lanes heading into the George Washington Bridge.

"No, because I am done," Walker said. "The difference is he (Christie) was just at the beginning of his process. This has been done. Your paper and others have reported on it. You are basically getting a splash because political opponents of mine want to draw attention to something that has already been resolved as of last March."

Actually, Walker is anything but done, because the five district attorneys and supervising judge are looking into a "wide variety of state-related issues, including the recall races, ... a current legislative leader and the governor's contest." the John Doe probe began in part because the "investigation is following up on a number of leads turned up by an earlier John Doe probe ... ." (Bice. MJS; Oct. 21, 2013) So, even the first John Doe is not done in that in carries on into John Doe II.

While Scott Walker may believe he has the power to declare a criminal matter done and resolved, law enforcement, the rule of law and the Wisconsin people are going to have the final word on Walker's scandal.

Walker is exposed to the public and he does not like it. Seeing how petty, hateful, bigoted and obtuse Walker and his minions are is a PR disaster for this bunch.

Personally for Walker is the exposure of the man as a liar, seemingly pathological. As Dave Zweifel writes in his Plain Talk column: "There were several revelations that came from the thousands of John Doe emails released Wednesday by the Appeals Court, but what caught my attention the most was how the emails confirmed just how much Gov. Scott Walker lies.

Yes, he lies and he was in charge of a criminal rise to political power.

The Wisconsin John Doe statute is 968.26. Remember that because attacks on law enforcement investigating Walker and the Money are going to increase.

This is a legal investigation convened and supervised to find if and by whom crimes have been committed. Let's not kid ourselves, there are huge-moneyed forces that want to stop this law enforcement investigation and they have the money to apply pressure to try to get their way. For now, the John Doe probe II is anything but done.

Speaking of not being done, check out the continuing coverage of Wisconsin's venerable The Progressive Magazine, the scourge of Joe McCarthy in 1954 and of Scott Walker 2011-?

My favorite is Walker's Denials No Longer Hold Up by Ruth Conniff.

The Progressive is poring over the 27,000 pages of emails and is pumping out precisely written scoop after scoop daily.

Illegal Email System Will Cost Scott Walker, Says Expert, as Walker Stands Mute

When Multiple Kelly Rindfleisch learned she is a target

Talking Point Memo has two pieces worth reading as national media pundits are doing their best to pooh pooh the vile racism and Walker's clear complicity in the illegal enterprise run out of the Milwaukee County Executive's office.

See How Scott Walker's Secret Emails Could Doom Him for 2016 and Scott Walker Isn't Taking Questions About Secret Email Club.

TPM's Daniel Strauss writes:

A massive document dump released this week about Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) has revealed some embarrassing tidbits about former aides to the governor. So far there hasn't been a bombshell directly linking governor to legal misconduct, but the the slow burn of the scandal -- and his reluctance to answer questions about it -- may drag down any presidential or vice-presidential ambitions Walker had in 2016.

"I think it's damaging, not because there was a lot of new information in the emails that were released, but because it put the story back on the front pages and it's really displaced the other things that the governor would prefer to talk about in an re-election year," University of Wisconsin political science professor Barry C. Burden told TPM.

Walker's credibility had been nuked nationally, and his penchant for surrounding himself with dumb, racist hicks is on full display, as the national know-nothing talking heads and hacks laugh off venal racism and duplicity of Scott Walker and his closest staff.

Walker's habit of appointing racists has continued in his tenure as governor. See Scott Walker aide behind ‘Black Friday’ fundraiser fired for racist tweets (December 3, 2013), Top Scott Walker Aide Fired for Recent Racist Facebook Rant Had Earlier Directed Staff to Withhold Information About Free Photo ID to Low-Income Wisconsinites (August 9, 2013) and on and on.

Meanwhile the national treasure known as The Progressive Magazine has more pieces eviscerating Walker:

• Walker's Denials No Longer Hold Up
• Emails Suggest Walker Aides Ran Illegal Vote-Purging Scheme (retracted)
• Walker Staff on the Mentally Ill: No One Cares About Crazy People

As for Scott Walker's legal future bear in mind that John Doe investigators under the statute 968.26 (2) (b), under the the supervision of the judge of the investigation may approve subpoenaing (and certainly considering records already subpoenaed) "written records that the judge finds relevant," and this would include rereading the 10,000s of e-mails that the investigators may have missed.

The point is just because the focus of John Doe II appears to be illegal coordination, adding to the scope of the investigation is certainly within the John Doe II's probe's charge, and just like everybody else who has seen the emails by Scott Walker on the illegal email system, there appears to be no reason why investigators and district attorneys could not reach the conclusion that crimes have been committed.

Scott Walker Meltdown Lesson: Don't Trust National Pundits, Except Nate Silver

From left to right: Tim Russell, Scott Walker and Brian Pierick
"Don't think for a minute that Walkergate or its effect will end ... ." 

Even today the well-regarded Larry Sabato ranks Scott Walker as a "First Tier" candidate, along with Chris Christie and Rand Paul.

Dr. Sabato should perhaps update that Crystal Ball.

Sabato was joined by virtually the entire D.C. commentariat in this ridiculous assertion that this corrupt lightweight from Wisconsin could ever function on the national stage, though most progressives just wanted Walker out front so he could take a fall.

Political writers at Cognitive Dissidence and I am proud to note, this site have been saying for years that Scott Walker as a presidential candidate is a joke that is not going to happen.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's Dan Bice also knew better, saying Walker is not an "ideas guy" who could quickly become the Rick Perry of 2016 if Walker ever threw his hat into the ring.

Now, that Walker's political trajectory is plunging towards the bottom of Wisconsin's Lake Mendota, time to say I told you so. From last year:

Put aside the fact that the national press would look much more carefully than the Wisconsin press has at the machinations of WalkerGate and Walker's aides stealing money from veterans.

Put everything aside that we know about Walker's extremist, Tea Party-crazy ideology, and the growing currency of the Walker image as a petty, vindictive politician.

The heavies in the GOP know they cannot go with this crazy hick—way too much baggage, horrible optics, and the guy is a lightweight. 

And about that other guy from Wisconsin, Paul Ryan ... Paul Ryan will never be president of the United States. He's as fake as Walker, just not as dumb.

Scott Walker Exceeds Probable Cause for Criminality and Venality

Wisconsin John Doe probe is testimony to
our faith in the Rule of Law

Update: A corrupt U.S. District Judge Rudolph Randa steps in and orders halt to John Doe probe.
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Last October, Scott Walker refused to engage a question about the John Doe II probe and offered an evasive statement, "We expected that with a new Democrat candidate for governor in the race that there would be stories like this along the way." (Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel) and (WPR)

No Wisconsin journalist expects a straight answer from Scott Walker anymore, something the nation is now finding out as another republican mentioned as a presidential candidate has fallen in a spectacular fashion.

Right about now, it can be said with certainty that Scott Walker did not expect the myriad stories after the court-ordered release of some 27,000 documents reveals the depravity and duplicity of his former top aides and him in black and white.

Walker is now drawing unfavorable comparisons to Chris Christie, and it won't be long before national Republicans begin to walk away from Walker with the same urgency they now employ in avoiding Christie.

Not that this white flight matters a great deal in this post-Citizens United era in which billionaires determine who the Republicans nominate for president, and not GOP politicos or voters.

Now that a fraction of emails from Walker's secret and illegal email system used to campaign in the offices of Milwaukee County has been released, Walker and his administration are equally evasive about John Doe I as about John Doe II: "The recently released communications of a county staffer from several years ago are part of a legal process that was completed early last year,' said Jonathan Wetzel, the spokesman. "Governor Walker is confident that during that legal process, these communications were thoroughly reviewed by the authorities." (Davey, Yaccino. NYT)

Wetzel's two former two predecessors have been granted criminal immunity, and 15 criminal convictions resulted, including Walker's top aides, with no claims of innocence from this "legal process" referenced by Walker.

Yet, one wonders if Walker truly expects this New York Times report as well, as he claimed last year:

The (court-ordered) messages showed how actively Mr. Walker’s campaign coordinated with county workers in 2009 and 2010, when he was running for governor. They shared emails about the proper wording of campaign news releases. They exchanged emails on county time promoting a birthday fund-raising event for the campaign. Some used private email accounts to communicate even, apparently, with Mr. Walker, according to an email from the county’s administrative director, who at one point advised a colleague to do the same, adding imprecisely, “Consider youself [sic] now in the ‘inner circle.’ ” And plans for a daily conference call, the newly released emails show, included members from both his campaign for governor and his county executive staff.

As noted here, John Doe I began after Walker and his aides stonewalled investigators looking into missing money embezzled from an event honoring veterans, and law enforcement investigators subsequently found a criminal political racket run by Walker.

Stealing from veterans was later found to exceed $10,000s by two perpetrators with no veteran advocacy experience, both of whom were appointed by Scott Walker.

Walker did not bring anybody else with him to the governor's office from his tenure of Milwaukee executive so his line that the governor's office is not staffed with convicted felons is meaningless.

On "May 5, 2010, Assistant District Attorney Bruce Landgraf filed a petition with court officials asking if his office could initiate a secret investigation into what happened with $11,000 in donations intended for Operation Freedom, an annual event honoring veterans," that was staffed with Walker appointees, reported Dan Bice. That's how this criminality that is Scott Walker and his aides began.

After the Milwaukee DA failed to bring charges against Scott Walker, and the DA implied the John Doe probe was a mini-trial requiring guilt beyond a reasonable doubt to move forward, many wondered why the John Doe proceedings did not result in Walker being charged.

With Walker now implicated in black and white, foiled by his own illegal email router system he personally used for electioneering, Walker may have a tougher time escaping criminal charges no matter how much money his billionaires pay Walker's criminal defense fund in exchange for Walker doing their bidding as Wisconsin governor.

 

Checking with jurists the past couple of years, without exception the belief is that Wisconsin statute 968.26, the John Doe statutory authority in Wisconsin, is a law enforcement tool used to establish probable cause, a standard or quantum of evidence typically sufficient to bring criminal charges.

Ask a black man in Milwaukee if probable cause is sufficient to convict him, and the reply is likely, 'no.' Just being black is sufficient.

But Scott Walker and his contributors are recipients of billionaires' treatment under the law.

The Wisconsin BenchBook reads in part regarding John Doe Proceedings:

"Proceeding to determine whether crime committed and by whom." ...
D. "Must conduct self as neutral detached magistrate in determining probable cause [47.47.]

Still, the prevailing consensus appears to be that in Wisconsin John Doe probes, determining whether to bring criminal charges is up to the prosecutor and supervising judge, who employ a standard of proof that is not clear.

As the late Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice John Coffey (1978-1982) wrote in Wisconsin v. Hooper, (No. 79-1580-CR.) (Supreme Court of Wisconsin) (April 29, 1981):

"(P)rosecuting attorneys possess broad discretion in determining whether or not to charge a defendant and thereby initiate criminal proceedings," and DAs enjoy "quasi-judicial prosecutorial discretion;" hence the enormous pressure brought to bear on the current John Doe judge, Judge Gregory A. Peterson, and the five bipartisan district attorneys whose probe is facing legal challenge in federal court and Wisconsin's Supreme Court from forces with seemingly unlimited financial resources.

The Koch-funded GOP front groups such as the Wisconsin Reporter have been attempting to apply political pressure to the John Doe proceedings as well.

It's not just prosecutorial discretion that will decide John Doe II, but also jurists able to withstand the pressure brought to bear by the huge-moneyed interests supporting Walker.

The courage of John Michael Doar and Robert H. Jackson is needed against this challenge to the rule of law supported also by hateful and bigoted political movements, the most prominent of which are underground.

Scott Walker Was Center of Secret, Illegal Emails with Racist, Anti-Semitic Slurs

Racist email surfaces written by Scott Walker's former chief-of-staff, Thomas Nardelli to convicted felon and Walker aide, Kelly Reinfliesch - see e-mail at bottom - shows Walker's top staff as resembling nothing so much as a bunch a provincial racists, anti-Semites and hicks.

"Besides being black, Jewish, disabled a fairy with a Mexican boyfriend, a drug addict, HIV positive, bald, orphaned, unemployed, an invalid with one hand and having a bad heart, I live in a crappy neighborhood ... ." Via The Progressive

I read this garbage, and I can say that I read the end of Scott Walker's political career.

Readers can download sordid emails from Scott Walker's inner circle. This is the man who says he represents Wisconsin: Download the files for yourself (WalkerDocs 1 | WalkerDocs 2).

The sifting and winnowing of the Scott Walker-office secret e-mails has just begun and Scott Walker's campaign is already heavily implicated and its true vile colors are there for the world to see.

As a corollary, Scott Walker lied repeatedly about the whole set-up for years.

The e-mail show Walker and his top aides running his gubernatorial campaign out of the Milwaukee County Executive's office where the illegal email system was located.

Story is breaking hard now; see:

• ThinkProgress
• The Progressive
• The Political Environment

From The Progressive:

Washington Post: Scott Walker Eyes 2016, Obscured by E-mail Release from Aide's Criminal Conviction

Update: Starting Today, Scott Walker is Officially in Hot Water (Conniff. The Progressive). Check The Progressive for continual updates.

Rosalind S. Helderman in the Washington Post offers what is common knowledge in Wisconsin political circles.

The court-ordered release of some 26,000 e-mails today from a router and secret e-mail system in the Milwaukee County Executive' office during Scott Walker's tenure (2002-2010) spells trouble and potentially doom for the Wisconsin politician who spent his entire professional life running for political office.

The much-anticipated release this week is accompanied by Walker's recent rallying around Chris Christie, chair of the Republican Governors Association (RGA), and the RGA's six-figure media buy begun this week in support of Walker's reelection bid for governor.

Helderman notes as well John Doe II, an investigation that spread across five counties and is being conducted by law enforcement agencies from District Attorneys from both the Republican and Democratic parties.

The probe is focused on possible 'illegal campaign coordination between (name redacted), a campaign committee, and certain special interest groups,' according to a filing signed by the five district attorneys in the case." (Bice. MJS)

Wisconsin John Doe probes are conducted in secret with a supervising judge to protect the innocent, and preserve the integrity of the investigation, as noted by attorney Marcus J. Berghahn.

The Wisconsin John Doe statute is 968.26.

The line from the Walker administration on John Doe I is that the first "Doe probe (closed) without bringing charges against anyone in Walker's current (governor's) administration." (MJS)

Left unsaid is that the first John Doe probe centered on Walker's tenure as Milwaukee County executive, not the governor's office and that immunity deals have been struck with Cullen Werwie and Fran McLaughlin, two former press secretaries for Governor Walker.

The effort by many of the D.C. commentariet to move Walker into a serious presidential candidate rarely mentions the multiple criminal convictions of his top aides from his tenure as Milwaukee County Executive, Walker's lack of intelligence and Walker's tendency to associate with the likes of his longtime aides and Walker appointees, Tim Russell and Kevin Kavanaugh who were convicted of embezzling some $60,000 from a fund meant for veterans and families of veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan.

It's almost as if there is a desire to see Walker rise and spectactully fall :) .