Former aide pleads guilty to working on Walker’s campaign on county time

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A former aide to Gov. Scott Walker when he was the Milwaukee County executive pleaded guilty Tuesday to a pair of misdemeanor charges. Prosecutors recommended only a fine for 61-year-old Darlene Wink, one of four ex-Walker aides charged as the result of a long-running John Doe investigation.

Wink was accused of posting anonymous comments on blogs praising Walker’s campaign for governor, and working on other campaign events while she was supposed to be providing customer service for Milwaukee County residents.

She entered into a plea agreement before she was charged in late January. Milwaukee prosecutors said they gave her a break because she agreed to provide information about an undisclosed destruction of digital evidence – plus other matters being pursued in the John Doe probe.

Walker to meet with prosecutors

Meanwhile, Walker acknowledged on Monday that prosecutors initiated the meeting that the governor said he would have with them.

He told reporters in Waukesha that his campaign has provided written documents to the Milwaukee County district attorney’s office. Now prosecutors would like to talk to the governor about what was found and additional help he can provide.

Walker announced the meeting last week, but did not say when it would be. He said it was not the result of a subpoena. Walker said he hired two attorneys for the occasion, and taxpayers will not cover that bill.

Democrats plan news conferences

The State Democratic Party will hold news conferences throughout Wisconsin this week to highlight what it calls Gov. Walker’s ties to the ongoing John Doe probe.

Democratic spokesman Graeme Zielinski says the investigation has not attracted much news coverage outside of Milwaukee. Zielenski says Democratic chairman Mike Tate and Milwaukee County Board member John Weishan would “educate the media” at stops in Green Bay, Appleton, Stevens Point, Eau Claire and La Crosse on Wednesday and Thursday.

Four of Walker’s aides when he was the Milwaukee County executive have been criminally charged. They’re accused of crimes that range from campaigning for Walker’s gubernatorial race on county time to embezzling $63,000 from a county event for veterans.

Walker has said he was not aware of his aides’ alleged criminal activity at the time it purportedly occurred, but Democrats say the Republican governor has direct ties to the allegations. The Democratic Party says it will use charts and visual aids to make their points.

Democrats said a website would go up Wednesday with those charts, at WalkerInvestigation.com.

Tags: news, politics, wisconsin