Two investigators say that Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker obstructed a criminal probe into whether his staff stole tens of thousands of dollars from a veteran’s organization, reported WisconsinWatch.
Walker’s associates, former Deputy Chief of Staff Tim Russell and former veteran’s commission member Kevin Kavanaugh, stole $70,000 from Operation Freedom, an annual event held by Walker’s office in support of military veterans. They were convicted in 2013 after a three-year investigation. Upon the investigation’s launch in 2010, Walker’s office was uncooperative, according to the investigators, which prompted them to conduct a secret probe.
Walker’s office “was uncooperative and obstructed the District Attorney’s Office’s efforts to obtain documentation of the County’s receipt and disbursement donations from Operation Freedom,” said the investigators. “As a consequence, the District Attorney’s Office was forced to petition a John Doe proceeding in order to have legal mechanisms to obtain relevant documentation from the County Executive’s Office.”
WisconsinWatch noted that it was this particular investigation that shed light on Walker’s illegal campaign activity where he coordinated with conservative political groups, which should be a felony charge. However, the Wisconsin Supreme Court dismissed the investigation into Walker’s campaign activities and ordered that all related evidence be destroyed. No charges were ever pressed against Walker.
