More dramatic news out of Wisconsin. Looks like one of Walker's corporate cronies is in serious trouble.
Railroad executive William E. Gardner was charged Monday morning with two felony counts of violating campaign finance laws for reimbursing his employees for making donations in political contests, including to Gov. Scott Walker in last year's governor's race.
Gardner was charged with one count of exceeding the campaign contribution limits, which is $10,000 per person in the gubernatorial contest. The other felony is for giving money to other individuals so they could make campaign contributions.(link)
In addition, the Milwaukee County DA and Wisconsin Government Accountability Board is holding a press conference at 2p.m. to discuss the results of a "significant operation". Solidarity Wisconsin reports it may have something to do with another developing Walker scandal that broke last year.
It is far more likely that the announcement will have to do with the ongoing John Doe investigation into possible illegal campaigning and Scott Walker's gubernatorial campaign.
To refresh the reader's memory, there was quite the scandal last May, when Darlene Wink, who was one of Walker's aides as well as an officer in the Milwaukee County Republicans, was caught leaving comments on Journal-Sentinel Online during work hours. She immediately resigned and has since lawyered up pretty heavily, from what I've been told.
Three months later, another Walker staffer, Tim Russell, had his office literally raided and rifled through by Milwaukee County Sheriff's Deputies. They took his computer, his cell phone and who knows what else.
By the end of the year, these events led to a formal John Doe investigation being conducted, presumably about these two people and their alleged activities. I haven't heard much about Wink, but I have heard from a number of reliable sources that Russell could be in real big trouble.
Wisconsin used to have a reputation for clean government--but no more. Every day a new revelation comes to light, and the stench of corruption and vote tampering is getting pretty foul. Seven more months until the gubernatorial recall process can begin. It's going to be a long wait.
Update
The 2pm press conference was about Gardner. There is no breaking news on the John Doe investigation I mentioned. Juicy tidbit fromthe updated Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel link:
Gardner had tried to keep the scheme quiet. He sent an email to Dale Thomas, the chief mechanical officer for railroad cars, telling him to donate $4,900 to Walker once he received the same amount from the railroad.
Thomas agreed, and Gardner wrote him back: "And let's not blab this around." Responded Thomas: "I kinda figure that, my lips are sealed."
Gardner's attorneys told investigators Gardner didn't want it out because he didn't want employees thinking lavish payments were being made at a time when wages were being cut.
