Newly released documents show that prosecutors claimed Gov. Scott Walker (R-WI) was at the center of a “scheme” to illegally coordinate fundraising with various conservative groups to help him survive a 2012 recall election.
The allegations are not new and have been dismissed by two judges but have received heightened media scrutiny in recent days because of the timing of the release of the documents.
In an appearance on Fox News Channel’s “Fox & Friends” on Friday, Walker respondent to that scrutiny by arguing there is nothing here and the media promoting the story have it “backwards.”
“Well, don’t just take my word for it — look at the facts,” Walker said. “The facts are pretty clear. You had not one, but two judges — a state judge and a federal judge. State judge, a well-respected court of appeals judge and a federal judge both looked at this argument and in the past, not just repeatedly, remember, this is not new news, it’s just newly released yesterday. Documents were opened. But no charges, case over. Both judges said they didn’t buy the argument. They didn’t think anything was done illegal. And so they’ve not only said we don’t buy it, but they shut the case down both at the state and federal level. So many of the national media and even some here in Wisconsin are looking at the state backwards. This is a case that’s been resolved. Not one, but two judges have said it’s over. And we’re just learning about it because it became open in documents yesterday. But there is no argument there.”
Walker blamed the attention drawn to this on taking on “big government special interests” and reiterated the point the case had been dismissed by both a federal and a state judge.
“I think there is no doubt,” Walker continued. “This is a prime example of what happens when you take on the big government special interests. They’re looking for ways to come at us. They’ll continue to do it. They did it two years ago in the recall election. They’re going to do it again now. We’ve got another tough election this fall. And so, they’re going to come at it with just about everything out there and the media, at least many of the media, are willing accomplices to this. But the facts of the case are pretty clear. They’re not something that I or any of my Republican allies are talking about. They’re two objective judges. Third parties, removed from the executive, legislative branch. Both have looked at this information. Both have said there is not a case here and, in fact, have taken it so far as to tell the prosecutors to stop their case going forward.”
“Fox & Friends” co-host Steve Doocy asked if what might be at play here is similar to what had happened to Gov. Chris Christie (R-NJ) and the increased scrutiny of the so-called scandal involving the George Washington Bridge blocked as part of a traffic study as a means of political retribution aimed at Fort Lee, NJ Mayor Mark Sokolich for not supporting Christie’s reelection bid.
“Oh, again, I think there is no doubt.” he replied. “This is one of those where the media jumps on this, some on the left spin this. You got detractors out there saying there is something more there and claim an order here. And I understand some people that haven’t been following us. In our state, John Does are unusual. This is supposedly kept confidential. This has already been done. So if you’re just reading this for the first time, you might think there is something there without knowing that the court looked at this, a state judge took care of this some time ago and a federal judge more recently heard the same information. In both cases they said there is not an argument there. And so what you see is the left and others out there trying to stir things up.”
Follow Jeff Poor on Twitter @jeff_poor
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