The investigation into conservative groups and Gov. Scott Walker’s campaign may be halted, but the legal machinations surrounding it appear far from over. In the latest development, attorneys who beat back the probe are seeking to have a third party oversee prosecutors as they return evidence they gathered during the investigation. Their request to the state Supreme Court would also affect the treatment of material gathered in an earlier investigation that resulted in six convictions, according to the judge who oversaw that first investigation. Details are sketchy because the high court has sealed the filings until it determines whether they can be released. But the flurry of court activity shows that a fight over the investigation will continue as Walker pursues the Republican nomination for president.
The special prosecutor who led the second investigation has signaled he is considering trying to get the probe revived by going to the U.S. Supreme Court.
And those caught up in the two probes are continuing with a broad litigation strategy to challenge how the investigations were conducted. That litigation appears likely to continue for the foreseeable future.
Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm launched his first John Doe probe in 2010. John Doe investigations allow prosecutors to operate in secret and compel people to turn over documents and give testimony.
Full Article: As John Doe probe is halted, legal maneuvering continues.