WORT FM producer Alejandro Alonso Galva catches up with Ed Pilkington, reporter from The Guardian’s US office.
Their newly-published story revealed secret documents and emails collected by prosecutors during the “John Doe” probe in Wisconsin. The documents show coordination between Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker, his campaign, and 501(c)4 group Club for Growth — and detail the influence of money in politics. The documents were previously ordered to be destroyed, but are now under seal by court order. Some 1500 pages were leaked to The Guardian.
The Wisconsin Supreme Court shut down the most recent John Doe investigation, agreeing with a lower court that found the activity being investigated was not illegal. Walker was never charged.
The question remains as to whether Walker broke federal campaign finance laws – and whether the US Supreme Court agrees with the Wisconsin Supreme Court about what constitutes illegal campaign coordination.
The Milwaukee County District Attorney and others have petitioned the US Supreme Court to let them resume the John Doe investigation. The US Supreme Court is expected to decide whether to take that case later this month.
Read the story in The Guardian.
