Two ex-Walker aides accused of illegally doing campaign work
By Daniel Bice of the Journal Sentinel
Updated: 11:53 a.m. |(475) Comments
Two staffers who worked directly for Gov. Scott Walker while he was county executive were charged Thursday with illegally doing extensive political work while being paid by taxpayers to do county jobs.
In addition, Milwaukee County prosecutors expose what they say was a private email network created by top Walker aides to allow them to communicate with one another about campaign and county work without the public or co-workers' knowledge.
"It should be (illegal) because it defeats the public’s right to know," said Bob Dreps, an attorney who handles open records cases for clients such as the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. "If it’s official business, it belongs in the official system."
Kelly Rindfleisch, deputy chief of staff to Walker in 2010, faces four felony counts of misconduct in office for working for then-Rep. Brett Davis' 2010 campaign for lieutenant governor while on the county clock. Davis, who lost in the Republican primary, is now Walker's state Medicaid director.
The complaint says that Rindfleisch told a friend in an Internet chat shortly after taking the job with Walker that "half of what I'm doing is policy for the campaign."
During work hours between February 2010 and early July 2010, it says, Rindfleisch sent sent more than 300 emails to Davis and some 1,380 fundraising emails. The John Doe also turned up more than 1,000 emails between Rindfleisch and top staffers on Walker's 2010 campaign during work hours over the same period.
Also charged Thursday was Darlene Wink, Walker's one-time constituent services coordinator, who is facing two misdemeanor counts for using county resources to raise money for Walker's 2010 gubernatorial bid.
Wink, a former vice chair of the Milwaukee County Republican Party, resigned her county job in May 2010 after admitting to the Journal Sentinel that she was spending part of her work day doing campaign work.
According to the Rindfleisch complaint, Walker sent a private email to a top staffer in the wake of that controversy.
"We cannot afford another story like this one," Walker wrote to Timothy Russell, his longtime aide and adviser. "No one can give them any reason to do another story. That means no laptops, no websites, no time away during the work day, etc."
Walker's state office and his campaign had no immediate comment on the criminal complaints. The first-term Republican governor canceled a Wausau event scheduled for Thursday, citing the poor weather in that area.
Each of the felony counts against Rindfleisch carries a maximum penalty of 3 1/2 years behind bars and a $10,000 fine.
Rindfleisch's lawyer, Franklyn Gimbel, declined comment on the 57-page criminal complaint. Davis did not respond to repeated requests for comment made to his cell and office phones.
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