Walker aide singing like a canary in John Doe

[N7Shepard]

This is added information from the John Doe arrests made against Walker and/or his inner circle:

http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2012/01/former_walker_aide_copping_a_plea_bargain_in_probe_other_ex_aides.php

Here is another wrinkle in the charges filed Thursday in the investigation of former aides to Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R), from his time as Milwaukee County Executive: One of them has worked out a plea bargain, and will provide testimony against others in the investigation.

The charges were announced Thursday by District Attorney John Chisholm (D). Walker’s former deputy chief of staff Kelly Rindfleisch, and former constituent services coordinator Darlene Wink, are charged with illegally raising money while in a county building and using government equipment to do so. (Rindfleisch was allegedly raising money then state Rep. Brett Davis, who ran unsuccessfully in the 2010 Republican primary for Lieutenant Governor, while Wink was allegedly raising money for Walker.)

But interestingly, the charges against Rindfleisch are felonies, while those against Wink are just misdemeanors.

As WisPolitics reports, there does appear to be a plea bargain going on — that Wink will plead guilty to the misdemeanors, in exchange for her testimony against others in the case. Wink’s attorney confirmed to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that she is cooperating with the investigation, and hopes to reach a plea bargain.

An official letter to Wink’s attorney from an Assistant District Attorney describes the office’s position: That in their view, her actions would support felony charges. However, “Ms. Wink has provided information concerning a related investigation involving the destruction of digital evidence,” and she is also “in possession of further information as it relates to possible future prosecution(s) and proceeding(s).”

[Angry Dragon]

1. Gee, I wonder how high it goes??

[gateley]

3. I was wondering the same thing -- any possibility this could hurt Walker? God willing. nt

[N7Shepard]

5. Sure could... if he ordered it or tried to cover up evidence. There was also a

private email ring set up to find from FOIA.

[gateley]

16. Oh PLEASE God! I would love to see him follow the path of Blagojevich! nt

[Angry Dragon]

9. If he knew he is toast

and if he did not it shows he has no control of his staff

[gateley]

15. I hope he knew and that his fingerprints are all over it.

[N7Shepard]

17. Of course he knew... proving it another matter entirely!

[upi402]

2. Holy turnin' worms Batman!

Ships - and the rats who desert them...


ROFLMAO

[glinda]

4. I will believe it when I see it regarding how high they allow this to go.

[rurallib]

6. mark to return to tomorrow - oh boy!

[donco]

7. Gotta keep this going

tell at least the recall election.

[charmay]

8. Destruction of digital evidence....further information....

Sounds like Wink is singing.

[freshwest]

10. Walker is a Koch tool, totally corrupt. That was obvious at the starting line. The problem for WI...

Will continue to be the voters who were unmoved by what came out about him earlier.

If the pattern in other states is reflected in WI, his hate radio dog catchers are blowing the whistles for the business and political junkies. And the churches will threaten the flock with hellfire if they don't support everything he does.

All he has to do is toss out a few pious, Christian phrases and some victimization stories like the young girl who got booed early on, and those people won't change their mind at all. The claim the Democrats have sharp tongues, while the right just shoots people,. Their lone gunmen lose their political identity in the news cycle.

Neither facts nor reason will work with the Walker base. I believe the only hope will be that the positive energy of the remaining public sector workers, unionists, students and strong Democrats will get enough people out to vote.

At this point, the medfa has made sure that the Democrats are pummeled for every faux outrage and problem, keeping them feeling ashamed so they'll stay home. It worked in 2010 while the right whipped up their base with every dog whistle known to man.

Please, WI, find a way to send this guy home.

[midnight]

11. Thanks for posting.....

[Ellipsis]

12. Delicious!

An official letter to Wink’s attorney from an Assistant District Attorney describes the office’s position: That in their view, her actions would support felony charges. However, “Ms. Wink has provided information concerning a related investigation involving the destruction of digital evidence,” and she is also “in possession of further information as it relates to possible future prosecution(s) and proceeding(s).”

[N7Shepard]

13. This HAS legs I think - despite the claims of it being a fishing expedition

[Ellipsis]

20. Of this I have NO DOUBT.

[Bozita]

14. and here's the tune they're singing...

[DFW]

18. I hope neither of them take any small private planes in the near future n/t

[2pooped2pop]

19. as much as I would like to see walker go down with this

wouldn't that allow them to fill his seat with a republican, or is the recall and new election on no matter what?

[N7Shepard]

21. The lt gov is up for recall too so I don't think he can fill the seat with another R

[AllyCat]

22. Bingo! I've been told this was one of many reasons we recalled her too.

They have so many dirty tricks up their sleeves, they would certainly try this to make sure a Koch-whore continued to occupy our State Capitol to do their bidding. They don't care who it is.

[2pooped2pop]

24. Oh, that's right.

Wonderful. This could get very interesting then. Love it. Thanks for reminding me the Lt. Gov is up for recall too. I knew there were others but did not realize the next in line iwas going down too.

Fantastic.

[L. Coyote]

23. I hope this unravels the Milwaukee Anomaly

To date, there has been no explanation of the vote in the City of Milwaukee, the bluest area of the state with the ubber-red shift while the whole state turned blue.

[2pooped2pop]

25. oh my!

Wouldn't that be great if their hidden computer files opened up the whole corupt system?

[mojowork_n]

33. Thanks for posting the data.

We'd all like to know if something was going on.

The only more-or-less reasonable explanation I can come up with
is that the Puke's TV campaign may have been more effective than
anyone thought possible. When the campaign was just getting started,
the Kloppenburg people put out a negative ad on Prosser, which linked
him to inaction, stalling, and avoidance of responsibility, when he was a
D.A. on a clergy abuse case. But then -- goes to show just what money
can buy (?) -- the adult survivors of that abuse case started to appear
all over the teevee, many times a night, begging for the Kloppenburg
folks to stop spreading those old rumors, and digging in to their
private business. Those ads turned the advantage -- on that particular
issue -- back to the Bad Guys.

Any number of voters who hadn't been paying particular attention to
larger issues in the race, or had a generally neutral or undecided
point of view -- may have been influenced to think Kloppenburg was
a bully, at best, or a conscience-less hack out for partisan gain,
with no compassion or decency.

So in this case, the issues in the judicial race itself may have taken
second place, to the nastier battles that were waged on the small
screen.

[L. Coyote]

34. So, did this happen only with the City of Milwaukee? NO!

So your "excuse" for the red shift is not valid, is it?

[mojowork_n]

37. Whether or not these spots were only shown in Milwaukee

isn't the point. Although, yes, I do live in Milwaukee County
and can't claim to know about what was shown in other areas.
I still think the ads had a disproportionate effect in our town,
because that's where the majority of likely Dem voters live.

The rest of the state is kind of red, except for Madison and
environs.

[yellowcanine]

26. "Walker aide singing like a canary" I like the sound of that singing.

[woofless]

27. Nudge, nudge, Wink, Wink,

Say some more.

[Demeter]

28. What could be more appropriate than this?

[thoughtcrime1984]

29. This is potentially bad news for us here in WI...

I am hearing that Walker could step down, with Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch inheriting the position of Governor. This would make the recall against her moot, as it was to recall her from her Lt. Gov. post, which would mean we'd have to wait one year to recall her. If this is true, I expect Walker to step down in a month or two, just before the completion of counting the recall petitions. We will be stuck with another ALEC tool for a year, makes me sick. They will do ANYTHING to stay in power, "they" being the ALEC-Tea Party.

[hue]

35. This is very true!! Chris Cline & Koch Bros. would gladly sacrifice Walker...

in order to continue having control of the chess board until their mining agenda is secure.
They would move their queen Kleefisch forward on the board knowing it would be quite awhile
before she could be removed. It would be best if we could insist on the lesser recalls ASAP so they loose control of our legislation.
Chris Cline's yacht is named "Mine Games" and that is what he is playing with us (WI). The oligarchy cares nothing at all about their stupid puppets. They are disposable--and the sooner their objectives are met the better to dispose of them. Right now it's all about delay until they get what they want--> the ability to make many millions by raping our land!!!

[SoapBox]

30. But...being the pesimist that I am...Walker will walk...and the KKKoch Brothers and their suckers

will remain unaffected.

Sorry for the downer but it just seems to work that way.

[thoughtcrime1984]

31. From very early on, I believed Walker's future was prison...

I still do, but it will not benefit WI. Please see my above post. And of course, this will not affect ALEC, the Kochs, or any other greedy rich bastards, as they always find a new puppet.

[Blue Owl]

32. Chirp Chirp -- the Twirp is a Perp

n/t

[TroglodyteScholar]

36. Walker is going DOWN!

Now we just need a serious candidate of our own for the recall election.

Come on Sen. Feingold, your state needs you desperately!

[thoughtcrime1984]

38. He is not going to run.

He has said so several times, and I believe him. If we do not rally around what we feel is the best of our other candidates, we will be stuck with Walker/Kleefisch. There are other fine candidates, and I look forward to Kathleen Vinehout throwing her hat in the ring very soon.

[hue]

39. It's still possible that He will change His mind.

His book is now finished and the checking of recall sigs is taking longer than expected. There is a gathering movement to "draft" Him!!

[thoughtcrime1984]

40. He may, but I'd be awfully surprised.

I won't be among those begging for him to run, although I admire him very much and wish he was still our Senator. He will come back into the picture when the time is right for him, as well as the situation. If we all are banking on him running, there will be a huge balloon-like burst when the realization hits that we must go in a different direction. I think now is the time for all Wisconsin Dems to research those in or thought to be near entering the race, and figure out who fits their criteria, because there will be a primary. I happen to think Kathleen Vinehout, a State Senator from Alma, is exactly who we need to lead this state forward. http://kathleenvinehout.org/