Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker’s (R) political team is bashing former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton for using a private email account to conduct official business at the State Department.
“Hillary Clinton’s potential evasion of laws is something she should answer questions about,” Kirsten Kukowski, the communications director for Walker’s political organization, said in a statement. “Wisconsin has a strong open records law with a broad presumption of access to records and the governor has very specific policies in place in his office to assure the laws are complied with fully.”
Democrats quickly began calling foul in response, saying Walker staffers used personal laptop computers and set up a clandestine wireless router to conduct campaign business on government time when he was Milwaukee county executive. These details have been a major focus of one of the “John Doe” investigations.
“It was Scott Walker who had a secret email system that was used in his office to avoid public scrutiny when he was Milwaukee county executive. Walker routinely used a campaign email account himself to discuss official business and to email county staffers also using private email addresses,” an email from the Democratic National Committee said. “Walker’s county aides even set up a secret wireless router in the county executive’s office and traded emails that mixed county and campaign business on Gmail and Yahoo accounts.”
The Democratic-leaning opposition research shop American Bridge 21st Century called the attack hypocritical as well.
“The past few weeks have revealed Scott Walker to be the least prepared, least knowledgeable Republican presidential wannabe, but now he’s making a run at being the most hypocritical, too,” American Bridge Vice President Jessica Mackler said in a statement. “These cheap, political attacks are ignorant of Governor Walker’s record–and reality.”
One of the primary responses defenders of Clinton have made is that Walker and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (R) also have shady pasts. Those counterpunches are likely to continue as long as focus remains on Clinton’s email account at the State Department.
