On the day Timothy Russell pleads guilty to embezzlement as a result of the Milwaukee County John Doe Investigation, another John Doe related story flew under the radar. Christopher Brekken owns a Harley Davidson dealership in Rice Lake, Wisconsin, and he is now suing Assistant Milwaukee County DA Bruce Landgraf. From the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel report:
Brekken has sued Assistant District Attorney Bruce Landgraf, seeking damages for false imprisonment and abuse of process related to a 2010 subpoena for records about some credit card purchases from Rice Lake Harley-Davidson.
The suit, filed in Barron County Circuit Court in September, claims that Brekken could not produce or obtain the very specific information that had been subpoenaed, and that he told Landgraf he could not.
But a bench warrant was issued for Brekken’s in October 2010 that required him to travel to Milwaukee in November 2010 to again affirm under oath that he couldn’t find out the full credit card number used by a specific person on a specific date at Rice Lake Harley.
What does this have to do with the John Doe and Scott Walker? Recall May, 2010.
Scott Walker as Milwaukee County Executive heads out on his annual “County Executive’s Tour.” Even in 2010, there were criticisms and questions about the tour really being a campaign jaunt on the Milwaukee County dime. This from Graeme Zielinski on May 15, 2010:
So we’re in Greenfield and surrounded by Milwaukee County staff — all of whom are on county time. There’s a county park a few blocks away where they could be mowing the lawn, but instead they’re here to fuss about Scott Walker’s taxpayer-funded campaign junket. Walker, before the horde leaves, makes holy sounds about how this ISN’T a campaign event and how this is about promoting Milwaukee County tourism. If that were true, of course, he’d be headed down to Chicago, the biggest pile of cash in the Midwest. Instead, he’s going to all the media markets that will be involved in his race for the Republican gubernatorial nomination, as well as stops in Rockford and Dubuque.
Meanwhile, a county department head is traveling with Walker, who also is shilling for AirTran, the airline with which Walker is negotiating a lease deal. Walker is wearing an AirTran hat and singing the praises of the airline. Who knew the job of the Milwaukee County executive was as corporate pitchman?
The “county department head” travelling with Walker was Timothy Russell. But wait, there’s more.
Badger Democracy has obtained two videos of Scott Walker on his Rice Lake tour stop – at the Rice Lake Harley Davidson.
The first video shows Walker interacting with supporters. At about one minute in, former Assembly Rep. Dave Zien appears, followed by then Assembly Rep. Mike Huebsch, and Assembly Rep. Sheila Harsdorf. A member of the press is seen trying to interview Mike Huebsch, and is told to talk to “Scott” Walker. Tourism – not so much.
The second video continues Walker’s interaction with his supporters. Throughout the second video, Walker is discussing potential gubernatorial scenarios with supporters. He makes half-hearted efforts (nudge nudge, wink wink) at saying “I can only talk about tourism.” At 3:15, one supporter actually tells Walker, “…next time your up here we can talk about legislative initiatives and local governments.” Watch at 3:30 in as Walker supporter Doreen McDonald gives Walker a gift. Try buying your Legislator a cup of coffee sometime and see what they say. That’s a big no.
At 4:38, former Assembly Rep. Dave Zien begins discussing the “big mining project.” Zien states that Jim Doyle “never did a thing about” a proposed Gogebic Taconite mine expansion. Sounds more like Walker is campaigning for Governor than enjoying a tourism trip.
At the end of the video, Walker can be heard saying, “…see you on Friday,” meaning at the State Republican Convention. Walker’s 2010 stop in Rice Lake had nothing to do with tourism. It had everything to do with mobilizing his supporters. This mobilization was done on the Milwaukee County taxpayer dime.
The Barron County case filing has redacted the name, date, amount of purchase, and partial credit card number.
Scott Walker knows the rules. His hope for the John Doe to end tomorrow is complete denial. Prior to today, no one would have connected Walker’s 2010 County Executive tour with the John Doe proceedings. In 2010, there were already red flags about Walker’s campaign and County office being in violation of state law.
Look like the chickens are coming home to roost.
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Scott Walker’s “I am not a crook” moment
This morning, in an interview with the Associated Press (AP), Scott Walker insisted that he was not a target of the ongoing John Doe investigation. Walker went further in saying that if he had knowledge of wrongdoing in his office, he would have put a stop to it.
Less than twelve hours after Walker made that statement, news broke about former top Walker aide Timothy Russell, scheduled to go on trial December 3rd.
Thursday will be an interesting day. Of more immediate concern is Walker’s claim on the record that he is a complete innocent. The record will show, eventually, that today was Scott Walker’s “I am not a crook” moment (shades of Nixon). There are several emails that make it abundantly clear that only one of two possibilities is true. Either Scott Walker lied today, or he is an incompetent fool duped by his campaign staff whom he had no control over. You decide…to the exhibits.
Power Point Slide #42
Email from Walker Campaign Manager (Friends of Scott Walker) Keith Gilkes (kgilkes@scottwalker.org) to candidate Scott Walker (skw@scottwalker.org). Copied to County Exec Walker’s staff including Kelly Rindfleisch, now guilty of campaigning on County time, in this case 11am on a Friday. The email is coordinating an official statement from County Executive Walker regarding the County tax levy, prepared for political expediency by his campaign. This goes beyond schedule coordination, and directly involved Walker.
Power Point Slide #44
Email from Rindfleisch on County time (1:30pm on a Wednesday), from her “secret” Gmail account to bypass County email systems, to Scott Walker and Campaign Manager Gilkes (among others). More direct coordination of messaging and strategy for a WTMJ radio spot, even recommending “SKW might want to do a letter…asking for an appeal.” Noteworthy is that Walker and his state Capitol staff have continued message coordination and control with conservative talk radio pundits, as previously reported.
Power Point Slide #45
Perhaps one of the most damning email chains of all. This email chain is initiated by Scott Walker from his campaign email (skw@scottwalker.org) to combined County/Campaign staff including Rindfleisch and Gilkes. While we are unable to view the full first email, Walker is unhappy with how corporate counsel is handling media inquiries. The end result is Campaign Manager Gilkes telling Rindfleisch that the Walker campaign would “…like him to stop being a lawyer and think political.” Understand, this is a political campaign telling the County government how its corporate counsel should respond to public record inquiries from media, through Scott Walker, candidate. Again, on County time.
Power Point Slide #70
Extremely revealing email. Sent from campaign manager Gilkes to candidate Walker, Rindfleisch, and other County staff. Sent on Friday afternoon May 14, 2010 when Walker would know Rindfleisch would be on County time. The subject is Darlene Wink, who had just left her County job under fire days earlier. This email is coordinating damage control and spin between the County Executive and Walker Campaign. The exact text (emphasis added):
Make no mistake, this is the start of a cover-up, with Scott Walker fully in the loop. Each of these email slides shows not only knowledge, but full participation in this activity. It is little wonder Kelly Rindfleisch’s attorney Frank Gimbel was beside himself, wondering how his client is the only one currently facing jail time in this scandal. As the emails on display were several of thousands, it is highly likely things are going to get very heated for Scott Walker. This scandal will end up being of unprecedented scope in Wisconsin politics. A scandal that makes the Caucus Scandal look like a childish kerfuffle…
It comes down to this, and we must consider not only the emails referenced in the Rindfleisch sentencing, but the full record of Scott Walker.
He is one or the other…Walker is either lying; or he is an incompetent fool, completely ignorant and immune while his minions run roughshod over the law and the office just steps away from him.
Which is it?
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Posted by Badger Democracy on November 26, 2012
http://bdgrdemocracy.wordpress.com/2012/11/26/scott-walkers-i-am-not-a-crook-moment/