TPM - Milwaukee D.A. Announces Charges Against Ex-Walker Aide, Two Others In ‘John Doe’ Probe
Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm (D) announced on Thursday charges against three men, including a former top aide to Gov. Scott Walker (R) during his time as Milwaukee County Executive, in two separate sets of criminal allegations.
Tim Russell, a former county aide to Walker, and Kevin Kavanaugh, former treasurer of the Milwaukee chapter of the Military Order of the Purple Heart (and also Walkers appointee to the Milwaukee County Veteran Service Commission), are charged with mishandling funds involved in a military charity project that had been spearheaded by Walker, called Operation Freedom. The money was intended to help wounded veterans and the families of service-members who were killed in action in Iraq and Afghanistan.
To be clear, Walkers county office itself, in 2010, asked prosecutors to investigate the missing money, after a shortfall of $11,000 was discovered.
The probe stemmed from the ongoing John Doe investigation a secret proceeding in which witnesses can be subpoenaed to testify under oath, but are forbidden from talking publicly about the case. It has been reported to have originated from a staffer resigning in 2010, when she was found using her county time to post reader comments on online newspaper article promoting Walkers gubernatorial candidacy and criticizing his opponents.
http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2012/01/milwaukee_da_announces_charges_against_ex-walker_a.php
...that had to take some wind out of his sails while in DC today.