Updated January 5, 12:33 p.m. ET
A new round of arrests has been made in the investigation of former aides to Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R), from his time as Milwaukee County Executive. This time, it is three different men, in a matter that reportedly involves serious alleged misconduct for a military charity.
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports:
Tim Russell, a longtime Walker campaign and county staffer, was charged with two felony and one misdemeanor count of embezzlement. One source said the charges are tied to Operation Freedom, an annual military appreciation day held at the zoo.
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Pierick, 48, was charged with two felonies counts for child enticement. He is an office operations assistant at DPI dealing with education for homeless children and youth, according to the agency’s website.
Also charged is Kevin Kavanaugh, Walker’s appointee to the Milwaukee County Veteran Service Commission, who was previously treasurer of the Milwaukee Purple Heart chapter at the time of the dispute over the missing amount of $11,000. Back in 2010, Walker’s county’ administration asked prosecutors to investigate the missing money.
Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm has scheduled a press conference at 12 p.m. CT, to detail the charges.
In mid-December, a businessman who was also a lower-level Walker donor was arrested in connection with the investigation, reportedly for refusing to cooperate with investigators.
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 originally stemmed from a staffer resigning in 2010, when she was found using her county time to post reader comments on online newspaper article promoting Walker’s gubernatorial candidacy and criticizing his opponents.
