Supervisors Weishan, Jursik, Introduce Resolution Supporting “John Doe II”
Measure Calls for Appeal to U.S. Supreme Court
Gov. Scott Walker. Photo from the State of Wisconsin.
Milwaukee County Supervisor John F. Weishan, Jr. and Supervisor Patricia Jursik today introduced a resolution calling for an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court by the District Attorney of a decision by the Wisconsin Supreme Court that ended the “John Doe II” investigation into an alleged illegal connection between Gov. Scott Walker’s campaign and special interest groups.
The John Doe II probe relates to alleged illegal coordination between Gov. Scott Walker’s campaign committee and special interest groups supporting his election in a recall attempt. Walker has never been charged in the investigation although six convictions of others resulted from a previous John Doe. The Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled that a special prosecutor in the case was barred from participating in any further activities related to the investigation.
“We know there were some inappropriate activities going on during Walker’s campaign for governor when he was County Executive,” Weishan said. “For a partisan Wisconsin Supreme Court to halt the investigation is simply wrong. The Board needs to express its support for an appeal because an appeal is the right thing to do.”
Jursik said: “The Special Prosecutor Francis Schmitz fully participated in John Doe II all the way through appeals. The Supreme Court is making up rules as it goes along by now removing Schmitz to prevent an appeal, an unprecedented move. These same justices fear a Supreme Court review because of their own conflict in accepting large campaign sums from some of the same donors.”
Weishan said the resolution was also an expression of opposition to coordination of special interest money with political campaigns. He cited a 2014 Milwaukee County referendum in which an overwhelming margin of voters supported a change to the U.S. Constitution to reverse the U.S. Supreme Court’s “Citizens United” case prohibiting the government’s ability to restrict political expenditures by individuals, corporations, special interests and other groups.
“Citizens United made big money a fact of life in American political campaigns, and the voters of Milwaukee County have expressed their opposition to the Court’s ruling,” Weishan said. “I call upon District Attorney John Chisholm to appeal the Wisconsin court’s ruling on the John Doe and send a message that the people of Milwaukee County will not tolerate illegal campaign activities between special interests and candidates.”
Weishan said a decision by the U.S. Supreme Court would clarify campaign law.
By Supervisor John F. Weishan, Jr and Supervisor Patricia Jursik.
NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.
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