Hopefully Republican Gov. Scott Walker will finally start taking some responsibility for his role in the hiring Kelly Rindfleisch and Tim Russell, both of whom have been charged with felonies as a result of the ongoing John Doe investigation in Milwaukee County.
New research obtained by the Democratic Party of Wisconsin reveals that Scott Walker alone was responsible for the hire and promotion of Tim Russell and Kelly Rindfleisch, two key figures in the John Doe criminal corruption probe that has, to date, charged six close Walker aides and supporters with 15 felonies, resulted in two convictions and required Scott Walker himself to establish a criminal defense fund.
Personnel records obtained through an Open Records Request from the Milwaukee County Department of Human Resources show that Scott Walker was solely responsible for hiring Kelly Rindfleisch and Tim Russell, and for their subsequent promotions to increasingly trusted, responsible and lucrative positions in the Walker administration. Russell, charged with embezzling charitable contributions intended for wounded veterans and families of fallen military servicemembers and using the money, in part, to finance illegal corporate contributions to Scott Walker’s campaign, is well known as a longtime aide and adviser to Scott Walker who served in a number of roles in the Walker administration, including Deputy Chief of Staff. Scott Walker alone signed off on Russell’s hire with the County – available to view here.
Rindfleisch’s hire to the County Executive’s office, however, has been wrapped in suspicion. In court documents released in the criminal investigation into Rindfleisch’s alleged felony misuse of public office, Walker’s then-Chief of Staff Tom Nardelli stated that he had been unaware of the circumstances of Rindfleisch’s hire to the office he ran. Rindfleisch stated that she was hired to the office to do political work on Walker’s campaign, under the direction and supervision of Tim Russell.
Milwaukee County personnel records indicate that Scott Walker alone signed off on both Rindfleisch’s initial hire to his administration and her subsequent promotion to Deputy Chief of Staff.
There never really was any doubt in my mind that Scott Walker – and Scott Walker alone – was responsible for hiring Tim Russell and Kelly Rindfleisch, and now we’re seeing proof that it was Walker’s decision to bring both into his County Executive office to serve as part of his “inner circle.”
If this keeps up all those “Scott Walker is my Hero” bumper stickers will have to be changed to “My Governor – Right or Wrong”, because it’s getting harder and harder to ignore the obvious.
Seriously – nice job.
When oh when is the John Doe going to investigate why a Wisconsin private sector union boss was publicly supporting Walker for Governor AND continues to support him (now not so publicly). Is there a quid pro quo other than McGowan’s appointment to Unemployment Insurance Advisory Committee (UIAC)??
As a WI rank-and-file union member whose union boss, Gooch McGowan SUPPORTS WALKER, I am amazed at the readily available criminal investigation info on Walker’s administrations that just doesn’t seem to be enough to convinced boss McGowan of his bad judgement in CONTINUING to support Walker. He’s just doubling down, albeit much less publicly.
For a laugh, you just have to DnLd the pdf of Spring 2012, Wisconsin News at iuoe139.org, McGowan’s newspaper. In that issue (and others) Boss McGowan continues to try to justify his CONTINUED SUPPORT FOR WALKER without ever using Walker’s name. Search the site for Scott Walker, and you come up empty handed. Funny guy.
And yet, hiding behind the veil of union secrecy (chicken s***)at union mtgs, he discusses his continued Walker support. Boss McGowan even spent 10s of thousands of hard earned (by the rank-and-file)dollars $$$$$ to mail all 9,000 WI members a 4 pg letter again trying to justify HIS support for union busting Walker.
Investigate with the John Doe ’cause many of the rank-and-file are afraid getting blacklisted for jobs if they speak up.
I could go on and on about this…but the thing that keeps nagging at me aside from the nerve of this low down scoundrel is: There is no evidence that Kelly Rindfleisch did any of the “county’s” work, so she was earning over 28 dollars an hour to do campaign work for Walker. That is more than some police officers earn and they risk their lives every day for the citizens, and then there are all those other people who have risky jobs who earn less. The nerve it takes!