A former aide to Gov. Scott Walker (R-WI) has pled guilty to two misdemeanor counts in the investigation of former aides from Walker’s time as Milwaukee County Executive.
Darlene Wink’s guilty plea is part of a plea bargain, in which she is cooperating with investigators as they have pursued other former Walker county aides on felony charges. The charges to which she has pled guilty are punished by a maximum combined penalty of one year in prison and a $2,000 fine, but prosecutors have promised to only recommend a fine.
The “John Doe” investigation — a secret proceeding in which witnesses can be subpoenaed to testify under oath, but are forbidden from talking publicly about the case — is reported to have began in 2010, when Walker was a candidate for governor. Darlene Wink resigned after the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that she had been using state time to post comments on the paper’s articles, promoting Walker and criticizing his opponents in the gubernatorial race. These new charges, however, went to a higher level by crossing over into outright fundraising activity.
