In the wake of two more arrests of Scott Walker staffers, charged with abusing the public trust and campaigning and raising money on taxpayer time, a lot of people are poring over and parsing the lengthy complaints againt Kelly Rindfleisch and Darlene Wink, to see if the trail leads to their boss, who was Milwaukee County executive at the time.
Wink's attorney insists Walker knew nothing about what was going on right under his nose, although half of his administration seems to have known about it. But for the moment let's say that's true, until someone disproves it, perhaps in the next batch of criminal complaints.
Walker clearly knew on May 14, 2010 that one of his staffers was breaking the law. A newspaper story said Wink was posting pro-Walker comments under news stories posted online and doing other political work while in her county office. Was he shocked? Not likely
The day that first story broke about Wink, Walker, from his campaign email account, personally emailed Tim Russell, then the county housing director, at 8:46am on Friday, May 14.
What was the message? Was it, make sure this never happens again? Was he concerned that Wink, and possibly others on his staff, were breaking the law? Not exactly. He wrote:
I talked to her [Wink] at home last night. Feel bad. She feels worse.
We cannot afford another story like this one. No one can give them any reason to do another story. That means no laptops, no websites, no time away during the work day, etc.
Why did he "feel bad?" Because she got caught, doing what Walker's campaign had asked her to do?
Does his email say, "This has to stop. This is illegal"? Does he ask Russell (who's is charged himself with embezzling money from veterans while working for Walker) what else is going on, or ask him to get to the bottom of it, or make sure nothing illegal is being done?
No. Walker, running for governor at the time, simply says there can be "no laptops, no websites, no time away" -- because "We cannot afford another story like this one."
That's not exactly Eagle Scout behavior.
More later.
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Rindfleisch was no novice' she knew the laws and ignoredthem.