Whoa: Former prosecutor says Wisconsin investigation fueled by "hyper-partisan" DA and union activist wife
Last we checked on Gov. Scott Walker, he was (a) knotted in the polls with his Democratic challenger, and (b) fending off mind-bendingly dishonest media coverage of the scurrilous investigation into Wisconsin conservative groups - which has been summarily thrown out of court by two different judges. The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals took up the 'Joe Doe' circus yesterday, as twice-thwarted prosecutors sought to have their secret probe reinstated; lawyers for the Wisconsin Club for Growth, one of the targeted organizations, argued that a scathing lower court ruling shutting down the investigation and exposing the prosecutors to misconduct lawsuits ought to be be upheld.
A press account of Tuesday's oral arguments said the judges, "repeatedly quizzed lawyers…why the federal courts should weigh in on a state investigation" at all. Leading up to the proceedings, former FEC official Hans Von Spakovsky penned an op/ed in the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel spelling out what's at stake in the case.
As we await the panel's ruling - which is expected before the upcoming elections - a new report from respected journalist and Brookings senior fellow Stuart Taylor, Jr. sheds fresh light on the possible motivations behind the whole imbroglio. According to a source described as a former prosecutor with firsthand knowledge of the investigation's inner workings, Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisolm's efforts have been driven by intense partisanship. The source says Chisolm's wife is a fanatical anti-Walker agitator, and assesses the entire inquiry as a vindictive political crusade...Also read:
AFSCME: "We have a score to settle with Scott Walker"
Reality Check: Public's trust in federal government to handle international problems now lower than during the Bush years
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