Silent Running

The burgeoning Wisconsin scandal that major media ignored

Jun. 11, 2012

midnight

If the Wisconsin recall is truly second in importance only to the presidential race, as many media outlets have trumpeted lately, then why have those same outlets so badly neglected one of that election's most salient aspects? As millions of dollars in dark right-wing money poured into the state to preserve Gov. Scott Walker from his progressive opposition, it seems relevant that he and many top aides are under investigation in a campaign finance and corruption scandal that has been growing for two years. Yet the national media have largely ignored the fascinating details of that probe—which has already resulted in indictments, convictions and cooperation agreements implicating more than a dozen Walker aides and donors. Only readers of the local newspapers in Madison or Milwaukee would know, for instance, law enforcement documents have emerged in court during the past few days suggesting that Walker stonewalled the investigation in its initial phase. The typical reference to the scandal in the national media notes that Tom Barrett, Walker's Democratic opponent, is seeking to "stoke suspicions" regarding the investigation, "in which former Walker aides stand accused of allegedly misappropriating campaign funds." But the suspicions have been stoked by actual events, not campaign propaganda, including guilty pleas, immunity deals and home raids by law enforcement officials. (Last September, a team of sheriff's deputies and FBI agents raided the Madison home of Cindy Archer, a former top county official who served as the governor's deputy administration secretary until going on extended "sick leave" in 2011.) And Walker's associates stand accused of felonies that go well beyond the mere misuse of campaign funds. Without close attention to the Wisconsin media, you might not know that a top Walker associate is currently facing charges of embezzling funds from a veterans' charity—or that Walker's former spokeswoman just became the 13th figure in the scandal to accept an immunity deal from prosecutors. Indeed, nearly all of Walker's highest-ranking aides and associates from his years as county executive appear to be either facing prosecution or cutting immunity deals to save themselves. National Media Ignored Walker's Legal Troubles What is easy to learn about the controversial governor is his confrontational attitude toward the state's workers and perhaps his fealty to extremist billionaires like the Koch brothers. From the perspective of Fox News—whose TV personalities resent the idea that a public school teacher who imparts facts might receive a tiny fraction of what they are paid for broadcasting lies—these are great virtues that they praise loudly. But in the mainstream media, there has been a curious reticence in exploring the sort of scandal that ought to excite reporters, editors and producers. Of course, Walker has benefited greatly from the secrecy surrounding the investigation, which began in May 2010 under the "John Doe" rubric at the request of Milwaukee County prosecutors. According to documents that surfaced in court only during the past week, that original decision was due, ironically, to the prosecutors' belief that Walker, then running for governor, might cooperate with them if he didn't have to worry about damage to his own career. On May 5, 2010, an assistant district attorney filed a court petition asking to initiate a secret probe into the disappearance of thousands of dollars in donations to "Operation Freedom," an annual event for local veterans partially underwritten by county officials. Walker was then the county executive and a Republican candidate for governor who would narrowly win the following November. If the prosecutors could open the case under the cover of secrecy provided by the state's "John Doe" statute, they hoped to obtain greater cooperation from Walker's office in providing information and documents—which had not been made available. "It may be the county executive's office is reluctant to provide information to investigators due to a fear of political embarrassment," wrote Assistant District Attorney Bruce Landgraf in the secrecy petition, as reported by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. The irony of this revelation was double—not only because Walker has used the investigation's secrecy to avoid answering questions or providing records to the local media, but because he has brushed aside the convictions and immunity deals by claiming that he "initiated" the investigation and cooperated all along. Not so incidentally, the governor has established his own legal defense fund, into which he has so far transferred at least $160,000 in campaign money. It seems increasingly likely that his biggest problems may still lie ahead. Meanwhile, however, he has escaped the echo effect that serious national media coverage of the Wisconsin scandal would have inflicted on his immediate fortunes—and for that he should be grateful to the editors and producers who failed to tell the real story. Joe Conason is the editor in chief of <a href="http://NationalMemo.com" target="_blank">NationalMemo.com</a>. © 2012 Creators.com

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Comments (3)

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Or it could be part of the much needed plan of "Di...

Or it could be part of the much needed plan of "Divide and Conquer". Now that Scott has finished "using" Milwaukee County to leverage himself into the conservative, anti-public funds limelight, the next thing is to expose how corrupt Milwaukee people are, to get the entire state to "Stand With Walker" in the battle to cut Milwaukee down at the knees. Talk about betrayal!

White Ohioans hate black Cleveland, white Michiganders hate black Detroit, white "fibs" hate black Chicago, all hate their biggest city for being the biggest drain on their state tax dollars, that redistribution into their "black hole" money pit.

Like in negative campaign ads (which work better than positive ads, by the way), you play on the voters fears to motivate the undecided or bring out the base to get to the polls and vote. Worked very well here, all's fair in class war, right?

But, when Milwaukee is finally put out of its misery, no longer able to afford to defend itself, which community is next?

What I am most ticked off at is the stupidity of the Democrats, who seem to have a single minded pursuit to "tax the rich" and force liberal values on all, including the moderate centrist people who make up the bulk of the state. Yes, they dislike seeing their hard-earned money going to waste on people who are not trying as hard (or not like looking in a mirror), and yes, they dislike seeing their paychecks not keeping pace with the true cost of living. They also dislike seeing Mr. FatCat get away with outsourcing their family supporting jobs while leaving an environmental wasteland, and dislike seeing their locally spent money going to out-of-state corporate pockets.

When everyone was focused on HOW MANY jobs were created, remember that the Labor Departments Census was on Jobs AND WAGES! Nobody talk about the WAGES of those new jobs. It was said that the Doyle administration (yes the evil pro-teacher Democrat) had still had more jobs created in his final year than this one of Walkers. NOBODY asked "What percentage of those newly jobs paid a family supporting wage?" or "What percentage of those newly jobs provided family health insurance?"... and then compared that to Doyle's, or any other years?

Barret's single minded Democratic base were fools to have not considered the QUALITY of the jobs, not just the QUANTITY of the jobs.

As much as anonymous david thinks a real man "hustles" from his local community, what we really want is those "economic hero" jobs, the ones that earn a high pay from a company that makes a product that is sold to people OUTSIDE the state, therefore bringing in NEW money that is not from the locals. This NEW money is then spent in the local grocery stores, bars and liquor stores, pizza places, barbershops, nail salons, and beauty shops, the people who are just hustling the in-town money. Ya think the new "right-to-work" type of jobs are going to be family supporting "economic hero" jobs?

Anonymous more than 11 years ago

Its obvious that Walker is a rock star and no one ...

Its obvious that Walker is a rock star and no one cares about petty legal stuff. Most people don't get it, why its so bad to have your own separate email accounts. Or to put some money aside for a defense fund in case some insanist tries to give you trouble.

Bottom line is people were fed up with teachers with six figure executive salary packages and million dollar pensions and only working hlaf the year.. Organized crime bosses running the unions. Poor people scamming he system getting free health care, Earned Income Credit, Food Stamps, and Welfare, and not having to work.

I hope Walker gets a jobs program going where we export our lazy unemployed and send them out of state.

Look dummy, if you can't find a job here, then f.....king move away!!! Load up your rattle trap car and get the hell out of here.

Anonymous more than 11 years ago

Come on. Let it rest. Walker isnt going to be ar...

Come on. Let it rest. Walker isnt going to be arrested. Just because a few aides were into something it doesnt mean Walker was. I like the idea of taking away teacher pay unless its evaluated on merit. Make the teachers work for the pay increases. Everyone else does. My sister is a teacher. She was complaining one day that walker took 20 of her paid sick days. I said 20 days, you get 20 paid sick days. She said no I had 90 paid sick day but now its 70. Come on, how stupid do you have to be to see this unbalanced. Who else gets this plus all the vacation time. Good lord. Cry me a river express, you lost the recall so you predictably move on to a witch hunt. I also love that walker is making state workers tow the line. I have had many personal situations with state workers and can tell you they are power hungry, brainless people with massive egos. Maybe not all but the ones Ive encountered. Thank you so much Scott Walker. You have shown me we can change things.

Anonymous more than 11 years ago