Free Republic

Part 308 of 308 in the series Wisconsin's Secret War MADISON, Wis. - In the wake of Wisconsin's notorious John Doe investigation, lawmakers unveiled a bill Thursday that would create a legislative committee armed with subpoena power to investigate closed John Doe proceedings. The legislation, authored by state Rep. Dave Craig, R-Town of Vernon, and Sen. Van Wanggaard, R-Racine, delves into the broader, scarier reaches of secret investigative technologies and techniques, creating a committee that would have oversight of law enforcement and investigations at large. "One of the constitutional duties and powers of the Legislature is to make sure that...

Part 280 of 278 in the series Wisconsin's Secret War MADISON, Wisconsin – After lengthy delays and an extraordinary session that extended into the wee hours of Saturday morning, the Republican-controlled Senate passed a bill that overhauls the rogue state Government Accountability Board. But does the final version of the bill, with a controversial amendment, protect and defend the constitution? At the end of the day, the cold feet coalition prevailed. The amended bill goes a long way in decentralizing the GAB, the agency that oversees Wisconsin campaign finance, election, ethics and lobbying laws. But while it divides the political...

Part 279 of 277 in the series Wisconsin's Secret War MADISON, Wisconsin — As the Senate seems to be coming to terms on a “compromise” that would retain at least a couple of retired judges on the state Government Accountability Board, one of the targets of the rogue agency’s unconstitutional investigation is asking senators to think again. On Thursday, Eric O’Keefe of the Wisconsin Club for Growth sent Wisconsin policymakers a detailed communication outlining “potential misconduct” by GAB chairman Gerald Nichol.” O’Keefe cites several “troubling statements” Nichol has made in recent weeks that have exposed the judge’s partisanship serving on...

Part 262 of 260 in the series Wisconsin's Secret War MADISON, Wisconsin — Lost in the heated rhetoric of this week’s legislative hearing on a bill to overhaul the state Government Accountability Board (See: Joseph Welch impersonations), was an important question the GAB’s director has yet to adequately answer. State Sen. Dave Craig, R-Town of Vernon, still wants to know why the state’s election, campaign finance and lobbying law regulator used Gmail accounts to communicate about the secret John Doe investigation. “I find it very concerning that the GAB, which is charged with ethics and things related to open records,...

MADISON, Wis. – Gerald Nichol says he has had no problem with the way the state Government Accountability Board has operated over its eight years in existence. And Nichol, chairman of the troubled political speech regulator, said he’s good with GAB’s involvement in predawn, paramilitary-style raids on the homes and offices of conservative targets in the unconstitutional John Doe investigation. Those October 2013 raids included armed officers serving a warrant on a 16-year-old boy who was home alone. Though the teen’s father was the target of the political probe, the boy was told he couldn’t call his parents, or even...

MADISON – On Wednesday, The Senate Elections and Urban Affairs Committee approved the nominations of four members to the Government Accountability Board. This came after a public hearing on Tuesday in review of the nominations. During the hearing, the committee reviewed the nominations of two existing board members: Judges Gerald C. Nichol and Timothy Vocke along with two new members: Judges Harold Froehlich and Elsa Lamelas. Judge Timothy Vocke, who currently serves as the Board’s Chairperson, was approved on an unanimous 5-0 vote on Wednesday. Vocke, resides in Rhinelander and is a retired Vilas County Circuit Court Judge. He holds...