Wisconsin Political Speech Raid

Wall Street Journal ^ | 11/15/13

[Jean S]

Subpoenas hit allies of Scott Walker as his re-election campaign looms.

Americans learned in the IRS political targeting scandal that government enforcement power can be used to stifle political speech. Something similar may be unfolding in Wisconsin, where a special prosecutor is targeting conservative groups that participated in the battle over Governor Scott Walker's union reforms.

In recent weeks, special prosecutor Francis Schmitz has hit dozens of conservative groups with subpoenas demanding documents related to the 2011 and 2012 campaigns to recall Governor Walker and state legislative leaders.

Copies of two subpoenas we've seen demand "all memoranda, email . . . correspondence, and communications" both internally and between the subpoena target and some 29 conservative groups, including Wisconsin and national nonprofits, political vendors and party committees. The groups include the League of American Voters, Wisconsin Family Action, Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce, Americans for Prosperity—Wisconsin, American Crossroads, the Republican Governors Association, Friends of Scott Walker and the Republican Party of Wisconsin.

One subpoena also demands "all records of income received, including fundraising information and the identity of persons contributing to the corporation." In other words, tell us who your donors are.

The probe began in the office of Milwaukee County Assistant District Attorney Bruce Landgraf, though no one will publicly claim credit for appointing Mr. Schmitz, the special prosecutor. The investigation is taking place under Wisconsin's John Doe law, which bars a subpoena's targets from disclosing its contents to anyone but his attorneys. John Doe probes work much like a grand jury, allowing prosecutors to issue subpoenas and conduct searches, while the gag orders leave the targets facing the resources of the state with no way to publicly defend themselves.

[IrishBrigade]

As a presidential candidate, IMO Walker would be much more likely to carry Wisconsin than Christie would New Jersey.

...you dream if you think either Christie or Walker would deliver NJ or Wisc to the republicans...besides, are there any percolations out there that Walker is even considering a run...

[IrishBrigade]

Refuse to comply.

Or a simple envelope with “GFY” on a plain sheet of paper inside...

...precisely what I would do...let them make any subsequent moves, which will involve more of the legal apparatus, and make it all the more complicated for them....

[Carry_Okie]

...you dream if you think either Christie or Walker would deliver NJ or Wisc to the republicans...besides, are there any percolations out there that Walker is even considering a run...

Even if he is, he just shot himself in the foot coming out for immigration reform with a "path to citizenship."

[ExNewsExSpook]

Wouldn’t surprise me...we just saw a variation of these tactics here in Virginia. The “scandal” involving Governor Bob McDonnell and the gifts he accepted was used to tar him and Ken Cuccinelli. So far, no one has been able to demonstrate that McDonnell was guilty of anything except poor judgment. But the controversy was enough to keep him off the campaign trail and eliminate him as a challenger to Senator Mark Warner in 2014.

As I’ve said before, the seminal scandal of the Clinton years wasn’t Monica Lewinsky, Vince Foster, or Chinese money in his re-election campaign; it was FileGate. Within days of taking office, Clinton’s operatives obtained FBI background files on more than 900 Republicans. It shows the lengths the Dims will go to in attacking, smearing and discrediting anyone who poses a potential electoral threat.

I’m sure the Democratic op-research folks are looking for anything they can find on Ted Cruz and Rand Paul as well...