Former Walker aide to stand trial; more John Doe-related charges reportedly expected
MILWAUKEE - A staff member of then-Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker will stand trial on embezzlement charges, whlie more charges could reportedly come in the John Doe investigation.
Tim Russell faces two felony charges and one misdemeanor after he allegedly took $21,000 from a military charity fund for veterans and their families.
Prosecutors say Russell, 48, used the money for vacations with his partner.More charges expected against ex-Walker staffers, sources say
More charges expected against ex-Walker staffers, sources say
A new round of criminal charges is coming soon against at least a couple of Gov. Scott Walker's former county staffers for doing extensive campaign activity while on the taxpayers' dime, sources say.
The charges - which should be filed by District Attorney John Chisholm's office in the next week or two - will be part of the long-running John Doe investigation of Walker's aides and associates during his tenure as Milwaukee County executive.
Already, the probe has led to multiple felony charges against Walker's onetime deputy chief of staff, Tim Russell, and former county veterans official Kevin Kavanaugh. They are accused of taking more than $60,000 in donations intended for Operation Freedom, an annual event at the county zoo for veterans and their families.
Russell's domestic partner, Brian Pierick, was also hit with two felony counts for child enticement.
Law firm the go-to attorneys for Walker, state GOP
MADISON — The news last month that a conservative Supreme Court justice had received two years of free legal service while fighting an ethics charge was just the latest indication of an increasingly cozy relationship between the Republican Party and one of Wisconsin’s most prominent law firms.
The state is going through a particularly litigious period in its history, with nearly every piece of major legislation facing some kind of legal challenge.
As a result, the most influential three names in state politics — outside of Walker, Fitzgerald and Fitzgerald — just might be Michael, Best and Friedrich.
Collective bargaining. Mining. Redistricting. Recalls. Recounts. John Doe. Ethics charges. Michael Best & Friedrich has become the go-to law firm for all of the big issues facing Republicans.
Thanks to Newviner Ronko for the Walker graphic!
