In recent weeks, special prosecutor Francis Schmitz has hit dozens of conservative groups with subpoenas demanding documents related to the 2011 and 2012 campaigns to recall Governor Walker and state legislative leaders.
Copies of two subpoenas we’ve seen demand “all memoranda, email . . . correspondence, and communications” both internally and between the subpoena target and some 29 conservative groups, including Wisconsin and national nonprofits, political vendors and party committees. The groups include the League of American Voters, Wisconsin Family Action, Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce, Americans for Prosperity—Wisconsin, American Crossroads, the Republican Governors Association, Friends of Scott Walker and the Republican Party of Wisconsin.
According to the Wall Street Journal’s report, one target who did confirm receiving a subpoena is Eric O’Keefe, the director of the Wisconsin Club for Growth, who stated he received his subpoena in October of this year.
According to a report by Lisa Kaiser of the Shepherd Express this latest iteration of the John Doe investigation could have a lot to do with the influx of vast, unreported sums of dark money (largely thanks to the Koch brothers) into Wisconsin during the 2010 and 2011 gubernatorial elections, as
A Shepherd investigation into Wisconsin Club for Growth’s funding sources found that shadowy national right-wing groups donated to the organization during the recall fight.
They include:
■ Center to Protect Patient Rights: Little is known about this Arizona-based conservative front group headed by the Koch-connected Sean Noble, but, as mentioned above, it donated $225,000 to the Wisconsin Club for Growth in 2011 and Noble’s blog posted flattering messages about Walker, who survived a recall the year after CPPR made its donation.
The organization paid a record-setting fine in California for not disclosing its funders.
■ The Wellspring Committee: National Public Radio and the Center for Responsive Politics recently investigated this dark-money group run by Ann Corkery, which mixes conservative politics and religion. It’s funded right-wing groups such as Americans for Prosperity, the Faith and Freedom Coalition and Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce. In 2011, the group sent $400,000 to Wisconsin Club for Growth.
■ Faith and Freedom Coalition: This Georgia-based issue advocacy group is headed by former Christian Coalition chief Ralph Reed and, according to the Center for Media and Democracy, has close ties to the Koch brothers’ Americans for Prosperity. The national Faith and Freedom Coalition gave Wisconsin Club for Growth $60,000 in 2011.
It will be interesting to see how deep this rabbit hole goes.
Let’s call this one, “JOHN DOE II” or son of John Doe I.
JIT for the 2014 elections!
Jud Lounsbury has a must read on this on Uppity Wisconsin. Talk about maybe hooking the biggest fish in the pond.
http://www.uppitywis.org/blogarticle/catch-predator-john-doe-episode-starring-walker-and-koch
Looks like all the groups collecting funds to overturn the SCOTUS Citizen’s United decision are having some effect. Dana Wachs, Dem. 91st Assembly, doesn’t think Scott Walker is going to run for governor again. Wachs says he thinks Walker is afraid it will hurt his chances on the national scene. Just speculation, unless this John Doe thing really gets legs.