Walker's Front Page Troubles

Walker's Front Page Troubles

It may not have happened in the NYC media market but a quick perusal of the news in WI this morning shows that the reporters on the ground who know Walker best think his knowledge of illegal staff email use is a big, and front page, story. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (that endorsed Walker) sums it up best:

"Throughout the secret investigation, as the Journal Sentinel reported, Walker maintained that he had zero tolerance for government employees doing campaign work while on the taxpayer clock. But the records detail almost daily interactions between his top county and campaign staffers...The longer he dodges questions, the more he undercuts his reputation as a straight-shooter. There are questions that need answering that only the governor can answer. The people of Wisconsin deserve those answers."

Announcing: JohnDoeWalker.com

In advance of new emails being released today in the "John Doe" investigation into Scott Walker's time as Milwaukee County Executive (where six Walker allies were convicted in various schemes), American Bridge has launched a new website on the investigation - JohnDoeWalker.com. Walker is the latest in a line of Republican governors to see his record marred by scandal, and the parallels between Walker's John Doe investigation and Chris Christie's Bridgegate run deep. Walker has claimed ignorance of his staff's corrupt actions, but countless questions remain. American Bridge will be taking a close look at the emails to see if they support Walker's claims, and sharing our findings on JohnDoeWalker.com today and the days ahead.

Another Republican Governor Under Investigation

To: Interested Parties From: Brad Woodhouse, President of American Bridge 21st Century Date: February 18, 2014 Re: New Information on Scott Walker’s FIRST John Doe Investigation Here we go again. A Republican governor under investigation. Again. New emails and documents released. Again. This time, it’s embattled Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker and the FIRST John Doe investigation into his tenure as Milwaukee County Executive. On Wednesday, new documents resulting from the John Doe investigation into Walker’s Milwaukee County Executive administration will be released. That investigation resulted in the convictions of six individuals with close ties to Walker, including two of his former deputy chiefs of staff. The investigation began when $11,000 in funds for a veterans’ charity supervised by the administration went missing. As the investigation continued, prosecutors stumbled upon additional staff misdeeds. Using a “secret email system” in his official office, Walker’s government staff conducted campaign work and fundraised for him while on taxpayer time. The investigation also brought to light a campaign finance reimbursement scheme and even a lurid attempt by a Walker ally to sexually solicit a seventeen-year-old. The investigation closed with no criminal charges filed against Walker, yet he still paid thousands in legal defense fees related to the investigation. Now, mere months after the first three-year long investigation was closed, there is a second John Doe investigation related to spending and coordination of outside groups in Walker’s 2011 recall election. The emails being released tomorrow are those of Kelly Rindfleisch, a former Walker Deputy Chief of Staff who pled guilty to misconduct for fundraising and campaigning for Walker while working on taxpayer time. The emails are from her private account, which she accessed using the so-called “secret email system.” While Walker has claimed he was unaware of his staff’s corrupt actions, countless questions remain. Keep reading for a few things to look for in the new emails tomorrow...

TPM: "GA GOPers Meet Unemployment Debate Question With Awkward Pause (VIDEO)"

Via TPM:

When a moderator for a recent Georgia Republican primary debate asked candidates by a show of hands whether they would vote to extend benefits for the thousands of American workers who have been stuck with long-term unemployment, the question was met with an awkward pause. At the Mayor's Day Senate Forum in Atlanta earlier in the week, none of the six candidates raised their hands in favor of extending benefits, but when the opposite question was asked -- who would vote against such a proposal -- all six candidates raised their hands. Rep. Paul Broun's (R-GA) arm shot up the fastest. The candidates' reaction could indicate that the extension of unemployment benefits could become an issue in Republican primaries.

TIMELINE: What Did Christie Know and When?

As BridgeGate documents subpoenaed by the New Jersey State Legislature are due to be turned over to investigators today, it's worth reviewing the timeline of what Governor Chris Christie has said he knew about this growing scandal and when he says he knew it. While Christie has doubled down on his claims that he knew nothing of the lane closures while they were happening, his public statements on this timeline have been inconsistent and imprecise. Christie has refused to answer media questions about the scandal for weeks, and his weekend straw man attacks on his appointee David Wildstein's high school years instill little confidence that another shoe isn't waiting to drop.

Rick Scott's 2014 Budget: A Textbook Case Of Election Year Pandering

As Governor Rick Scott delivers his 2014-2015 budget address, Floridians would do well to see Scott’s budget for what it is: A textbook case of election year pandering. While Scott’s budget plans included hundreds of millions of dollars in vague tax breaks for special interests and dramatic cuts to various revenue sources, the Tea Party governor has also discovered an election year infatuation with spending on Everglades reconstruction, child welfare, and teacher pay raises. Scott’s predilection for election year pandering is nothing new, but the extent of it in his latest budget proposal is staggering. Scott Has A History Of Election Year Pandering (VIDEO). According to a news segment highlighting clips of Governor Rick Scott, Scott has a history of election-year pandering. In the clip, a FOX reporter states of Scott: “He’s the Tea Party Republican who slashed school funding then raised it as he prepared for re-election, after he tied teacher pay to performance, before giving out raises regardless of performance.”

Christie Admin Cites Executive Privilege in Denying & Delaying Request for Staff Personal Emails

After Governor Chris Christie stated that he would "act accordingly in terms of releasing...to the public" information related to his office's conduct in the bridge scandal, his administration has now provided unlawful reasons for denying and delaying its response to a request for personal email correspondence of Bridget Anne Kelly and Michael Drewniak. American Bridge requested those emails be made available to the public under New Jersey's Open Public Records Act (OPRA) following revelations that Christie's staff conducted official business on personal accounts. Christie's administration failed to provide a timeline for releasing these emails, and cited the volume of requests it is receiving in its response. Most concerning in the Christie administration's denial is its reference to executive privilege. If Christie truly wanted to put this scandal behind him, his office would swiftly comply with requests for information related to his staff's conduct. Here is a copy of the letter from the Christie Administration. And here is American Bridge's response to their unlawful delay in responding to our request.

VIDEO/MEMO: Christie's State of Controversy

Chris Christie’s reelection last November was supposed to propel him into the pole position for the race to the White House. However, the timing of his victory coincided with the release of a damning excerpt from Double Down: Game Change 2012 by Mark Halperin and John Heilemann. Unwittingly transcribing the prologue for 2016, Halperin and Heilemann recounted the incredulity with which Romney’s VP selection committee discovered the preponderance of scandals in Christie’s wake.

American Bridge NJ OPRA Request

Emails Contradict Christie's Samson Claims

During today’s press conference, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie claimed that David Samson, Christie’s appointee as Port Authority Chairman, had convinced Christie that he had “absolutely no knowledge” of the politically-motivated lane closures brought to light on January 8^th in emails from Christie’s top staffers. However, in those same emails, former Port Authority official David Wildstein assured Christie’s Deputy Chief of Staff Bridget Anne Kelly “Samson helping us to retaliate.” The ominous message suggests that further exploration of what Christie and his top officials knew, and when, is warranted. David Wildstein Emailed Bridget Anne Kelly That David Samson, Chairman Of The Port Authority, Would Help Them Retaliate. According to the email from David Wildstein to Bridget Anne Kelly on September 13, 2013 “The New York side gave Fort Lee back all three lanes this morning. Samson helping us to retaliate.” [Email, 9/13/13; viewed via New York Times, 1/8/14] Christie Interviewed Port Authority Chairman David Samson, Said He Was "Convinced That He Had Absolutely No Knowledge Of This." During a press conference on January 9, 2014, Christie said: "I think General Samson put out a statement yesterday that he had no knowledge of this. I interviewed him yesterday. He was one of my interviews. I am convinced that he had absolutely no knowledge of this, that this was executed at the operational level and never brought to the attention of the Board of Commissioners until Chairman Foye wrote his email - or Executive Director Foye wrote his email to the Board of Commissioners. And so I sat and met for two hours yesterday with Mr. Sampson - General Sampson - and again, I'm confident that he had no knowledge of this, based upon our conversations and his review of the information. So I think, you know, as he said yesterday, he is angered by this and upset about it, and I know that he's going to lead - cooperate with the OIG investigation that's ongoing and lead a discussion at the Port Authority about what could be done in the future to stop such conduct." [Chris Christie, Official Press Conference, 1/9/14]