Two Former Scott Walker Staffers Charged With Political Work On Taxpayer’s Dime

Drip…drip…drip.

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, prosecutors allege some Walker aides communicated using a private email network that was kept secret from other county workers. The Walker staffers conducted some official county business on that system, but the complaint says those emails were not released to those making open records requests.

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.

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.