#JohnDoe2: Records on secret Scott Walker campaign cabal *MAY* be released soon

Update:  WPR has issued a correction.

CORRECTION: Wisconsin Public Radio reported this morning that Judge Rudolph Randa had issued a ruling in the John Doe lawsuit ordering nearly all documents in the case to be released to the public.  It was a proposed order, not a final order, and has not been signed by Judge Randa. We regret the error.

Blogger note: It was a bit confusing to readers since this correction did not appear on the 1AM story but instead appeared on a separate post.

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Text which appears below inside asterisks was added at 12:20PM. Text which has a line through it was altered at 12:20PM 05/15/2014.

According to Wisconsin Public Radio, a John Doe 2 document dump *could be* is imminent.

Note that we will not get access to key documents that reveal the identity of the ultra-wealthy *assholes who funded Eric O’Keefe’s illegal campaign coordination.

Judge Randa is *will probably help* helping powerful allies continue to rule the state in anonymity free from the “chilling” effect that your awareness would have on their plans.

Corrected WPR report 8:46AM 05/15/2014: 

Randa agreed last week to let several journalism groups intervene in the lawsuit, which was filed by the Wisconsin Club for Growth against John Doe prosecutors.  Those organizations wanted the release of all documents related to the probe.  In a surprise move yesterday, prosecutors said they did not object to that.  The attorney for special prosecutor Francis Schmitz wrote that this case had “become so widely known that maintaining the integrity of the investigation may no longer justify maintaining secrecy.”

Attorneys for the Wisconsin Club for Growth told Randa that disclosure of some of those documents could harm its First Amendment rights.  It drafted a  proposed order for Randa calling on him to keep four documents secret, but the Club said it did not object to the rest of the documents being publicized.

Randa has already ordered that prosecutors halt the investigation.  Prosecutors yesterday asked the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago to stay that ruling.

Incorrect WPR report from 1:08AM:

From Shawn Johnson, WPR: A federal judge has ordered the public release of more than 100 previously secret documents, collected as part of a John Doe investigation into possible illegal coordination between conservative interest groups and Gov. Scott Walker’s recall election campaign.

U.S. District Judge Rudolph Randa issued his order late on Wednesday night after John Doe prosecutors said they no longer objected to publicizing the documents.

John Doe investigations are normally kept secret, but the attorney for special prosecutor Francis Schmitz wrote that this case had “become so widely known that maintaining the integrity of the investigation may no longer justify maintaining secrecy.”

Five journalism groups initially asked for the release of the documents. On Wednesday, lawyers for two unidentified people asked Randa if they could intervene to keep portions of the documents private.

Randa did grant a request by the conservative Wisconsin Club for Growth to keep four documents private, after the group’s attorneys told Randa that disclosure of those documents could harm the Club’s First Amendment privilege.

 

A bit more on the documents from Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

“The material the group wants to remain under seal are internal documents that Wisconsin Club for Growth contends prosecutors seized illegally. Allowing information about donors to the group would have a chilling effect on political speech, Rivkin wrote.”

* I’m done trying to keep this blog Rated G. That’s become too difficult. The best I could manage today was a removal of a couple of F-bombs.