Thursday, January 31, 2013

Walkergate: Morally, Ethically and Financially Bankrupt

As the gentle reader is fully aware, earlier this month, Tim Russell, Scott Walker's long time political aide and very good friend, was sentenced for stealing money from a veterans fund and a couple of political campaigns. In his plea bargain, we also confirmed that the investigators could have gotten him for so much more - from illegal politicking to child enticement.

Just last week, Russell's domestic and business partner, took a plea deal. Instead of being convicted of child enticement, he was able to get off the hook with contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

So as one can plainly see, these two miscreants are completely and utterly morally and ethically bankrupt.

But they are also financially bankrupt. As I kept pointing out, Russell was strapped for cash, having spent all of his purloined money on vacations and whatnot.

Thanks to a friend of Cog Dis, I have been made privy to the paperwork showing that both Russell and Pierick had filed for bankruptcy on March 30, 2012. That was about the time that two of Russell's attorneys - Mike Maistelman and Andrew Franklin - started arguing over some money that Russell came across from his mother.

(By the way, the bankruptcy papers showed that Russell's mother ended up giving him $10,000 during this whole mess. Another woman gave Russell $7,500. Talk about throwing good money after bad!)

What is interesting is that the attorney representing both men is Michael P. Maxwell.

For the political wonks, that name might ring a bell, as it should. Both Attorney Maxwell and his wife, Georgia, have ties directly to Scott Walker, as evidenced in this press release - and take note who sent out said press release:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 25, 2008
Contact: Tim Russell (414) 298-0008

GEORGIA MAXWELL NAMED WALKER CAMPAIGN MANAGER

WEST ALLIS – Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker announced today the hiring of long-time Wisconsin political professional and small business owner Georgia Maxwell as campaign manager of his
Milwaukee County Executive re-election campaign.

“Georgia has extensive campaign experience and great enthusiasm. I am pleased to have her in this leadership role,” Walker said. “She will make an excellent addition to our already strong team.”
“It is an honor and a privilege to serve in this role on Scott’s campaign,” Maxwell said. “I am excited to play a part in his re-election efforts so that he can continue to fight for the taxpayers of Milwaukee County.”

Maxwell has extensive Wisconsin campaign experience stretching back over a decade. In addition to helping elect Dan Vrakas as Waukesha County Executive in 2005, she has worked on numerous attorney
general, congressional, legislative, and municipal elections, including Bob Welch’s 1994 U.S. Senate race.

Currently, Maxwell is President of the Maxwell Group, a public affairs, grassroots, and message development consulting firm. Previously, she was employed as Government Affairs Director for the
Wisconsin Credit Union League and as a Capitol staffer for more than 10 years, working for State Senator Mike Ellis and State Representative Luther Olsen.

Maxwell received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin –Madison. She is married with three children. Her husband, Mike Maxwell, is a prominent attorney in West Allis.
Not only did Russell work with the Maxwells on Walker's last campaign to be Milwaukee County Executive, but Pierick also fits in this big, warm, politically incestuous family. As we learned in Russell's sentencing memo, Pierick used to work for Attorney Maxwell.

But there are some other points of interest that I gleaned from the paperwork.

One is that both men have the same address listed.  However, that address is for a UPS store mailbox.

Another peculiarity is that Russell is suing his former employer, Wyndham Resorts for wrongful termination.  Likewise, Pierick is suing the State of Wisconsin for wrongful termination.  What makes this really weird is that both men have retained Attorney Andrew Franklin to pursue these matters.

Yes, that's the same Attorney Andrew Franklin who stopped representing Russell during the Walkergate trial because Russell couldn't or wouldn't pay him anymore.

The one thing that kept crossing my mind as I was poring over the documents and writing this article is that all the time that Russell was losing his home, all his money, going into debt with his mom and who knows who else, Walker was actively working to support Kelly Rindfleisch's legal defense.

Presuming that Russell and Pierick were smart enough to figure this out, how do you suppose that made them feel.  Furthermore, do you think that this would be enough to get them to spill everything they knew?

If so, there are probably some very nervous people out there that aren't getting a lot of rest.

20 comments:

  1. you're stretchin... I know you want to report on breaking news hear, but this just isn't.

    It is reasonable to think walker is going to be indicted, but it is irrational exhuberance to read tealeaves like this.

    It is also reasonable to see that the high-powered chicago criminal defense attorneys are successfully shielding scott walker and we will never hear anything publically about his role in this affair -- maybe we will, but proclaimations don't make it so.

    Some of these posts get annoying as they are frivolous or even manufactured wholly of cloth.

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    1. Let's not forget about Mike Steinle - he's no high powered Chicago defense attorney.

      He is, however, the best in the entire City of Milwaukee - probably the state. Steinle's definitely doing his job.

      Delete
    2. Can they help him with delivering on his promise of 250,000 new jobs?

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    3. 250,000 legal jobs...

      Delete
  2. I never said that this story was earth-shattering, but I found it interesting. Nothing manufactured either. It's all there in the papers.

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    1. I think 6:42 has been reading a different blog. What exactly is far-fetched here? Please explain.

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    2. It is far-fetched to say that the wheels of justice work the same for the puppet of multinational billionaires as it does for us that jay-walk.

      THE GAME IS RIGGED and one can generate a lot of page-views posting speculation.

      Just like FITZMAS, in the end it will come down to what the prosecutors are willing to stand behind publicly in the court of law.

      We know what happened to bush/cheney and the gang behind that cabal - nada.

      The same money is behind walker -- been reading this blog and some of the posts may make a few feel better, but mean little or nothing.

      Delete
    3. Case in point, bed-hopper randy hopper beat a drunk driving rap last year and has another one pending, though the disposition at CCAP demonstrates that he high-powered lawyer is again beating the system.

      Most could not get away with one drunk driving ticket in a 12-mo period and would never be able to string along the second.

      This is how our "justice" system works -- back to walker, though. The propaganda is far too good -- powerful, consistent, and carried across the state.

      We are being set up for another fitzmas.

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    4. Thanks for explaining what you meant.

      Delete
  3. "What is interesting is that the attorney representing both men is Michael P. Maxwell."

    I did not know of this connection.

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    1. It raises the question of why the Court and Prosecution would allow a known Walker associate to be privy to the prosecution of one of Walker's minions. Do they want Walker to know what they know or what Russel is telling them?

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  4. I think capper was saying that this is clean up news, and that there was a big announcement coming in regards to Walkergate. Maybe it has something to do with Wink turning state's evidence in a more formal way?

    Anyway, I for one am curious how this will end up. There is a lot more out there that hasn't even come to the surface yet.

    So far, all of the plea deals were slaps on the wrist. If the D.A. would have charged Tim Russell for everything he did, he would have been in jail for a few decades and probably on the sex offenders registry as well. But that didn't happen. Why? Because the D.A. has bigger fish to fry.

    So, on goes the investigation. It would be interesting to look back at how the Walker Campaign paid Tim Russell for his "opposition research" or if it was paid through other individuals or organizations. I don't know the answer to that question, but it would be an interesting thing to look at.

    That might lead us to where I think this thing is going.

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    1. It is a BIG DEAL that no one has been charged with the private router (wire or mail fraud). If a crime is charged as a "conspiracy," then all actors are responsible for the crime, regardless of the level of involvement. Therefore, Walker could be charged for crimes related to the router - even if he had little involvement.

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  5. "Her husband, Mike Maxwell, is a prominent attorney in West Allis." I like the horn tooting "Prominent" and the reference to Georgia's small business background. It's like they're Dem equivilants of a teacher and a union leader, or the Dick and Liz of the GOP world!

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    Replies
    1. I think both sides use "small business" to mean something like, "successful, hard-working, realistic and on your side".

      I'm with you on "prominent" though, it is like it means "important and worth voting for" to the targeted voter.

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  6. They do seem very much like partisan stereo types (though both sides got 'em).

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  7. seems to me it's likley walker or his proxies are probably paying for both perick's and Russle's lawyers as well as getting direct info about the john Doe case from those lawyers.

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  8. Hey, Isn't that the Georgia Maxwell who was just outed by Dan Bice for not having finished a degree at UW Madison? Says she thought she had enough credits. That's BS. I remember very well getting a copy of my diploma that meant I completed something. You know one way or another and she was another.

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  9. http://www.wisconsin.edu/news/2014/03/vp/Maxwell-resume.pdf

    Check out this link on her. She worked on a Psychology/behavioral science and law degree. Really, or is it really a BS degree? At the very least, she didn't say she had a degree but it sure was implied. And I don't mean bachelors. Would someone please connect these dots. I think there is more. A lot more.

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  10. http://www.wispolitics.com/1006/080125walkercampaign.pdf

    I didn't see her arguing for a retraction of the facts in 2008. I would like to see the corrected press release if she did. If I saw something false about myself I would feel compelled to step up to the plate and clear it up.

    What a joke this state has become and with a few clicks this dirty puzzle is easily put together.

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