The latest charges from the long-running John Doe probe cite Kelly Rindfleisch and Darlene Wink for doing campaign work from their Milwaukee County offices.
Documents released by the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office allege extensive political activity in Gov. Scott Walker’s county office as well as the existence of a secret email system set up so his workers could conduct both official and unofficial business on county time.
Rindfleisch, a longtime Republican political aide from Columbus, served as Walker’s deputy chief of staff. She faces four felony counts of misconduct in public office, punishable by up to 3.5 years in prison and $10,000 fines on each count.
The complaint says she sent some 300 emails during her working hours at the county, many related to fundraising for Brett Davis, at the time a lawmaker and lt. governor candidate. She also sent or received some 1,380 emails related to fundraising activities during working hours.
Wink, a familiar face around Milwaukee Co. politics for years, faces two misdemeanor counts of political solicitation by a public employee. Wink’s misdemeanor counts each carry penalties of up to six months in jail and fines of up to $1,000.
Peter Wolff, Wink’s attorney, said his client had no intent to do anything wrong and that Walker didn’t know about her activities.
Wink was not charged with felonies because her political activities were "materially less extensive" than others and she has provided information for a related investigation into the "destruction of digital evidence," according to a letter from the DA’s office.
– WisPolitics.com
