Dear Scott Walker: Don’t sell out conservative victims of “John Doe” abuses
Scott Walker must not let “John Doe” investigators out of judicial head lock others have risked liberty to win.
We have been following the Wisconsin “John Doe” anti-conservative witch hunt for a long time.
The short story is that Wisconsin investigators using secret “John Doe” state processes have been targeting conservatives in Wisconsin under the factually and legally frivolous theory that they illegally coordinated with Scott Walker’s campaign.
After certain of the targets sued in federal court alleging a violation of their constitutional rights, a federal judge sided with the targets and issued an injunction barring further investigation and ordering return of evidence seized. The investigators are in a judicial head lock.
The civil suit against the investigators — who are local prosecutors by day — continues into the discovery phase. Money damages and other relief are in play, and the hunters have become the hunted.
Here are some prior posts:
- George Will – Wisconsin John Doe Investigation a Partisan Abuse of Law Enforcement
- Fed District Court reinstates injunction against Wisconsin “John Doe” anti-conservative probe
- Fed District Court enjoins Wisconsin “John Doe” anti-conservative investigation
Now comes a disturbing report in The Wall Street Journal that Scott Walker might cut a deal letting the investigators out, Scott Walker’s Friends:
Wisconsin prosecutors have suffered a series of stunning legal defeats in recent months as they pursue a secret investigation of the conservative groups that helped Governor Scott Walker get elected. Those cases are shaping up as a major policy victory for free speech and political debate—unless a last-minute settlement rescues the prosecutors.
We’ve learned that Steven Biskupic, who represents Friends of Scott Walker, has been negotiating with Wisconsin special prosecutor Francis Schmitz to settle the state’s investigation. The understandable concern among the direct targets of the John Doe is that Mr. Biskupic will cut a deal that would exonerate Mr. Walker while wresting concessions from some of Mr. Walker’s allies….
This legal progress makes the prospect of a premature Walker settlement all the more puzzling. Mr. Walker is facing a rough re-election fight this year, and perhaps he and his lawyers want to remove any chance of a September or October legal surprise.
Yet based on the evidence and legal judgments we’ve seen, the prosecutors should be on the defensive, not Mr. Walker. Judge Peterson clearly sees no evidence of any crime. The federal lawsuit that triggered Judge Randa’s preliminary injunction names the prosecutors in their personal and professional capacities, so they’re the ones who may need a face-saving legal exit.
Mr. Walker might think he can help himself with a settlement, but he’d be letting down his allies if he did so in a way that lets the bogus theory of illegal coordination survive. Wisconsin has an especially pernicious regulatory machine that targets political speech, and the legal backlash to the John Doe probe offers a rare chance to dismantle it. Mr. Walker is a hero to many for his fight against public unions, but he will tarnish that image if he sells out the cause for some short-term re-election reassurance….
On Tuesday a very clipped Mr. Biskupic told us that he was “not going to comment on anything related to any John Doe in Wisconsin because doing so would be a violation of court orders.” But after he hung up with us he warned other friends of Scott Walker about our call. Sounds like Mr. Walker has to decide whose side he’s on—his own, or the larger principles he claims to represent.
If Scott Walker sells out his conservative friends in Wisconsin, it will be inexcusable. They have had their houses raided, their property seized, their lives frozen, and their constitutional rights violated. One of them, Eric O’Keefe, even risked liberty to make sure that the story was told.
Selling out those John Doe victims would be selling out all of us around the nation who face various types of threats from bullying Democratic prosecutors, unions, media, activists, and lawfare practitioners.
Only the victims of the John Doe bullies should get to decide whether, when and on what terms to let the investigators out.
(Featured Image: Anti-Walker protester locks head to State Capitol railing, via JSOnline)
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Comments
Some fights you don’t mitigate. You fight them mordantly until they a DONE.
Not until the other side offers something short of total capitulation.
Done.
Rags I was hoping “mordantly” meant to the death. Which is what needs to happen here. If you don’t stomp out the vermin they will return and try harder the next time. The full weight of the law needs to fall on these reckless prosecutors. What is needed is total capitulation. Take their law licenses and titles to their cars and homes. Make them become the beggars they were hoping to make of Walker. Because if you don’t you really aren’t the man we need you to be.
Governor Walker, Pope John Paul II forgave his would be assassin, after he had served a long prison term and apologized. These maggots need to suffer. To not make them suffer is to give aid and succor to their craven cowardice. A Really Bad Idea.
What is the picture?
And what happened to photo credits?
You have to read all the words in a post:
(Featured Image: Anti-Walker protester locks head to State Capitol railing, via JSOnline)
In sum, only Gov Palin has the integrity to take on the Communists.
I seldom add comments but this really got me going. Any idea how to let him know how bad this is. Should he let these prosecutors off the hook it will be unforgivable, and I do have a long memory.
Once again, a ‘pub about to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. If Walker goes through with this, he will go down in flames politically and lose his re-election race. His core constituents that put him in office, fought to keep him there and have stood by him through vicious ‘rat assault after vicious ‘rat assault, know that, if the tables were turned, neither Walker nor they would ever get such a break. They will abandon him, and rightly so.
Governor, you do this deal, and you will be sticking a fork in yourself because you will be done forever, and that’s a long time.
The prosecutors are evil as they knew what they were doing was wrong but still used the power of their office to persecute their political enemies.
Walker should not let them off of the hook.
Can this use of “lawfare” be proven, so that these attorneys lose their licenses to practice, are disbarred, or whatever makes them incapable of every doing this to people again?
Disgusting. Gov. Walker, DON’T DO IT!!! You have weathered stronger, more vicious fights – don’t give in to this one!
To quote the immortal Winnie: “Never give in. Never give in! …”
Jail time seems an appropriate remedy for government official’s betrayal through misuse of power. This is worse than identify theft. More akin to rape than administrative overreach.
You can not compromise with the devil! They would have continued to totally ruin everyone they were targeting if no one had fought back! DO NOT LET THEM OFF THE HOOK! Prosecute to the full extent of the law – have some CRIMINALS do the perp walk.
It wouldn’t be the first time Walker threw subordinates under the bus to protect his political aspirations. Already, Walker is dirtier than Nixon was when he was forced out of office.
On November 4th, all eyes will be on Wisconsin, with good reason: http://goo.gl/1axoJX
Walker dirty? Name one dirty thing he’s done. Or go crawl back under your log. You tried all your dirty tricks in the recall, and you lost. Accept it.
Since you left me with only two choices, and since I haven’t been under a log and therefore could not have crawled out from under one, I’ll go the extra mile and provide you with these ‘dirty’ things that Walker has done.
1) As Milwaukee County Executive, he purposely mismanaged the county public assistance programs into the ground to the point that the state had to take it over.programs
http://www.jsonline.com/news/milwaukee/38911954.html
2) As Milwaukee County Executive, when 13 tons of concrete fell off the McDonnell Park parking structure and killed a 15 year old boy, Walker’s only concern was how it would affect his campaign for Governor. http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/e-mails-show-wisconsin-gov-walker-as-hands-on-tactician-fixated-on-publicimage/
2014/03/03/d6b62d24-9f15-11e3-b8d8-94577ff66b28_story.htm
3) He was aware that his staff was using a secret email account to do campaign work while on county time.http://urbanmilwaukee.com/2014/03/03/back-in-the-news-private-email-system-built-in-2002-for-walker-staff/
There is more, but that should suffice and speaks directly to the comment about Walker being dirtier than Nixon.
Thank you for your interest in this matter. Should you feel you need further edification on this matter, feel free to visit http://hintswithhunches.blogspot.com, or read a paper once in a while.
By the way, although name-calling and insults may seem like the perfect way of expressing yourself, all you truly accomplish is drawing attention to the paucity of facts that are at your command.
One final thought. If you are going to accuse someone of hiding (as in ‘under a log’), then you might consider not hiding yourself, as in using an alias, such as ‘Milhouse’. The name I am using here is my own, given to me by my parents on the occasion of my birth.
I am not afraid to express my thoughts about any subject I may engage in, using my own real name.
This is, apparently, not true for everyone.
I want these prosecutors to be homeless, living under a bridge or in a park, rummaging through waste bins for half-eaten McDonald hamburgers. That would satisfy me.
Negotiations to settle litigation should be part of all cases. Sometimes, they are required by law, and often they are required by the court. That does not mean the wrong kind of settlement automatically follows.
The “smaller” parties have every right, and in this case a responsibility, to make their concerns known.
It would be a travesty if, during the next election, the union-backed candidates could claim that this lawsuit was a teapot tempest, as proven by the fact that it was settled.
“Negotiations to settle litigation should be part of all cases.”
If you’d said “almost all cases” I’d agree. There are cases where the only negotiation position should be “NO. This goes to the bitter end”.
And then you leave.
Walker is nobody’s fool, but neither does he have the ability to alter reality. Chisholm’s office has effectively reduced the amount of cash being raised by conservatives in Wisconsin and stifled conservative political action. Their intimidation tactics have had the desired effect. The fact that they’ve been caught at it does nothing to change the situation on the ground.
The local media still uses the Doe investigation’s innuendo leaks to bludgeon Walker rather than castigate the prosecutors. They regularly flog the man with thin air. This election cycle is in peril and Walker (and his supporters) may not have the luxury of fighting a scorched earth battle in order to satisfy principle. The prosecutors fight with taxpayer’s treasure while the conservative groups have to use real money in limited supply.
Democrats welcome a protracted legal battle that leaves Wisconsin’s conservative political action groups bleeding cash for lawyer’s billable hours rather than advancing conservative causes. Walker Derangement Syndrome is still alive and well in Wisconsin.
Once again – when there is an accusation against a Republican the story is the accusation. When there is an accusation against a Democrat the story is the accuser.
You’ve just proven why folding is not the answer. Seeing this through to the end with publicized cash pay-outs to the victims and a couple of hand-cuffed perp walks visuals is the answer.
Finish the bastards off. The money will flow again.
If he cuts a deal to let them off this time, then he’s guaranteeing that they and others like them will do it again and again. The monster must be crushed even if it does risk fundraising; and then the campaign should go 100% negative and highlight exactly what these bastards did.
In any case, even if Walker settles, how does that bind O’Keefe?
What is it about Republicans that makes them so weak kneed, lily livered and stupid?
Reality – that the press is so powerful, that one may actually go to jail for standing up for Conservative beliefs.
The jelly-spined ‘pubs shake in fear of the media, which is right where the ‘rats want them to be.
If they’d get it together, stand strong and blow through the media wall of discrimination, they’d get some power and gravitas back instead of looking like wussed-out, deer-in-the-headlights morons.
It starts with getting rid of John Boehner.
Can’t even begin to describe my frustration that this (might) be going on. Makes me literally sick to my stomach.
Let us pray that Walker’s real tactic is to stall with this negotiation, then blow them up a few weeks before the election. People aren’t paying much attention at this time of year – proms, graduation, vacation plans, warming weather, etc..
But if it’s on the up and up, he’s done.
This does not ring true with everything else we’ve seen of Scott Walker. I wonder if he isn’t floating a sort of trial balloon, fishing for one prosecutor willing to testify against the rest.