Timing of Walker Email Key: Russell Was Not Deputy Chief of Staff, But Running Campaign-At-Work Operation | WisCommunity

Timing of Walker Email Key: Russell Was Not Deputy Chief of Staff, But Running Campaign-At-Work Operation

It has been widely characterized that when Scott Walker sent the "no more campaign work at work" email to Tim Russell, that it was directing Rusell in his oversight capacity as Deputy of Chief of Staff to reign in the illegal activity, however, Russell's official job in the county executive's office was Director of Housing, not Deputy Chief of Staff.

Russell had left the position of Deputy Chief of Staff on March 15, 2010 and the "no more campaign work at work" email came two months later on May 14, 2010.

In other words, at the time Walker gave the order to Russell, he had no official oversight capacity over the County Executive Office staff indicated in Walker's email-- his only role at the time was as the defacto head of illegal campaign operations in the County Executive's Office. In fact, Russell wasn't even supposed to be in the county executive's office-- his official job was more than a mile away at the Health and Human Services Building.

Or, to look at it another way, if Walker truly had no idea what was going on and simply wanted to send out a directive ensuring no more illegal campaign activity why wouldn't he send the email to those officially in charge of oversight of his office: Chief of Staff Tom Nordelli or Deputy Chief of Staff Kelly Rindfleish?

Clearly, he wrote to Tim Russell because he knew Tim Russell was in charge of the illegal campaign-at-work set-up.  As the complaint clearly states, we know this email to Russell had great impact, because after Russell got it, illegal campaign-at-work activity took a sudden downturn. Why would campaign-at-work activity of people that Russell had no official oversight of take this kind of downturn? 

The only logical explanation is that Russell was in charge of the campaign-at-work operation  and, more importantly, Walker knew that Russell was in charge of the illegal activity. 

And that, friends, is one of the biggest reasons that Scott Walker charges are just around the corner.

Published

January 29, 2012 - 9:10am

Author

randomness