Scott Walker John Doe Probe Extends To Madison, Record Search As Recent As June

There may be a very good reason Scott Walker is not being featured as a major speaker at the Republican National Convention.  There might be more suspicion of Walker and his past, including those who worked for him, than many are willing to state for the record.

What the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel is reporting tonight sums up the rumors that have swirled over the past weeks.  The investigation into Scott Walker’s time as Milwaukee County Executive has moved to Madison.

No one in the GOP can feel good about this news, even as it stands now as only speculation.  No one wants to be too close to Walker, a politician that has now been investigated for 27 months.  No one expends this type of money, manpower, and energy if there was not something that needed to be unearthed and understood.

The new records confirm that prosecutors are also seeking information from Walker’s state administration and did so as recently as June, after Walker’s victory as the first governor in the nation’s history to win a recall election.

Milwaukee County Assistant District Attorney David Robles on June 18 made an open records request to both Walker’s office and the state Department of Administration for all communications “related to the designation and determination of individuals as ‘key professional staff’ of the Office of the Governor” since the time Walker took office on Jan. 3, 2011. Webster said 22 positions in the governor’s office fit this criteria, essentially everyone in the office who is not an intern or clerical staff, such as secretaries.

Robles also asked for records related to assigning Walker aides or transition staff to “executive salary group 3,” which is a state personnel grade that is used as a reference to set the maximum salary for some staff in the governor’s office. The pay range for this group is between $69,300 and $107,400, and it applies to four full-time positions in the governor’s office: deputy chief of staff, director of policy, chief legal counsel, and director of communications. A fifth position, chief of staff, is at a higher pay grade for which the top possible pay is $125,300 a year.

There is no one who can feel good about the news of our governor being continually investigated.  I understand this makes for great Democratic Party press releases, but this does not make our state look good, or our political process resemble anything other than what we read about elsewhere.  It is sad that this probe needs to be undertaken.

In 2010 Scott Walker promised the people of this state a better government if he were elected.  He raised truckloads of cash in order to retain his position in the recall.    He has not delivered on that promise, and seemingly was not able to govern honestly and ethically while serving in Milwaukee County.

Sadly, the stain of this investigation lingers, and seems to pose a cloud over everything that Walker does.

Mitt Romney has enough problems of his own to press himself too close to Walker, who seems to be the target of the John Doe probe.

Maybe Walker should best forget about the GOP national convention and spend time raising more cash for his legal bills. 

Or was that what Walker intended to do at the convention, anyway?