2 ex-Walker aides accused of fundraising on job
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Two women who were on Gov. Scott Walker's staff when he was the Milwaukee County executive were charged Thursday with doing political fundraising while on the job, becoming the fourth and fifth people with ties to Walker charged this month as part of a corruption investigation.
Kelly Rindfleisch, Walker's deputy chief of staff before he became governor in 2011, is charged with four felony counts of misconduct in office. Darlene Wink, who was Walker's constituent services coordinator when he was county executive, is facing two misdemeanor counts of political solicitation by a public employee.
Wink, 61, was due to make an initial court appearance later Thursday, and Rindfleisch's first court date was scheduled for Feb. 22.
According to prosecutors, Rindfleisch, 43, spent a significant amount of time at work raising funds for Brett Davis, a Republican lieutenant governor candidate in 2010 who prosecutors say was favored by Walker's campaign committee over the eventual winner, Republican Rebecca Kleefisch.
Prosecutors say a private email network was set up and run out of the county executive's office that was used to communicate about campaign and government work.
It is illegal for public workers, while engaged in their official duties, to raise funds or otherwise work on political campaigns or use their public workspaces to do so.
Prosecutors say Rindfleisch left Walker's county office in November 2010 to work for him planning his inauguration, then worked for Walker as a fundraiser until this month.
Rindfleisch's attorney, Franklyn Gimbel, said she plans to plead not guilty. He said he and Rindfleisch have been in contact with the district attorney's office for several months, so the charges were no surprise.
"My client is obviously very disappointed that she has been charged so harshly in this matter," he said.
Wink, who in addition to working for Walker was a first vice chairwoman of the Republican Party of Milwaukee County, is accused of using her county computer on work time to help plan a Nov. 6, 2009, gubernatorial fundraiser and a birthday party for Walker.
Wink's attorney, Peter Wolff, said they have been talking with the district attorney's office about a possible plea deal in exchange for her testimony in the cases against Russell and Kavanaugh, but he couldn't reveal any other details.
"She was extremely disappointed once that information came out," he said. "Those were people she considered friends and she placed trust in as well. She's fully willing to cooperate with that investigation because of her belief — if it's proven — that what they did was extremely inappropriate."
They are the latest charges filed in connection with a secret probe by the Milwaukee County District Attorney. Three others with ties to Walker were charged earlier this month.
Walker's former deputy chief of staff Tim Russell faces embezzlement charges related to his alleged stealing of more than $21,000 in money from a nonprofit organization that Walker asked him to head.
Kevin Kavanaugh is charged with four felonies alleging theft and fraud in his role as treasurer of the local Military Order of the Purple Heart. Prosecutors allege he stole $42,232 in donations between 2006 and 2009. Walker had appointed Kavanaugh to the Milwaukee County Veteran Service Commission.
Brian Pierick, Russell's longtime domestic partner, became part of the investigation after prosecutors seized Russell's phones and computers and found evidence that Pierick was attempting to solicit minors for sex. He faces child enticement charges.
Prosecutors, in their criminal complaint, say Rindfleisch should have known that her conduct was illegal based on her previous involvement with the 2002 investigation into similar activity involving state lawmakers and their staff members known as the "caucus scandal."
Rindfleisch received immunity in that investigation. She worked as a staff member for state Rep. Scott Gunderson in the 1990s and for the Senate Republican Caucus where she worked on planning fundraisers for the GOP, the complaint said.
The complaint also shows an email Walker himself sent in May 2010 in reaction to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reporting that Wink was apparently doing partisan political work while working for the county.
"We cannot afford another story like this one," Walker says in the email he sent Russell. "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."
Walker had scheduled a public appearance in Wausau for Thursday, the day after he delivered his State of the State speech, but abruptly canceled it just an hour after the indictments were released. His office said it was canceled due to bad weather.
Associated Press writer Scott Bauer in Madison contributed to this report.
