MILWAUKEE (AP) - Thousands of emails were released Thursday that were collected during the first secret John Doe investigation into former aides and associates of Gov. Scott Walker when he was Milwaukee County executive.
The 7 gigabytes of documents, including more than 26,000 emails from Walker's county executive email account accumulated between 2005 and 2011, were released by Milwaukee County Executive Chris Abele. They were collected during the now-closed investigation that resulted in six convictions on a variety of charges.
Walker was never charged with wrongdoing.
Among Walker's released emails are internal staff communications, drafts of news releases, speeches and responses to reporters' questions, Christmas greetings, and personal messages in which Walker thanked supporters after his primary win for governor in 2010.
Other emails came from work accounts of those close to Walker, including chief of staff Tom Nardelli and his spokeswoman at the time, Fran McLaughlin. Personal emails have yet to be released and there is no timeline for when they will be made public.
The first John Doe investigation led by the Milwaukee County district attorney's office ran from May 2010 and ended in 2013. It focused on county employees and others who served under Walker when he was county executive, the post he held for eight years before being elected governor in 2010.
Six of Walker's aides and associates were convicted on various charges, including theft and misconduct in office. Walker, a potential 2016 presidential candidate running for re-election this year against Democrat Mary Burke, was never charged with wrongdoing.
A second secret investigation began in 2012, focusing on Walker's recall campaign and more than two dozen conservative groups that were working to help him and Republican state senators who were also facing recalls.
A federal judge in May put that investigation on hold and on Tuesday a federal appeals court heard arguments from prosecutors about why it should be allowed to continue. The state judge overseeing the second probe has also effectively halted it.
The 7 gigabytes of documents, including more than 26,000 emails from Walker's county executive email account accumulated between 2005 and 2011, were released by Milwaukee County Executive Chris Abele. They were collected during the now-closed investigation that resulted in six convictions on a variety of charges.
Walker was never charged with wrongdoing.
Among Walker's released emails are internal staff communications, drafts of news releases, speeches and responses to reporters' questions, Christmas greetings, and personal messages in which Walker thanked supporters after his primary win for governor in 2010.
Other emails came from work accounts of those close to Walker, including chief of staff Tom Nardelli and his spokeswoman at the time, Fran McLaughlin. Personal emails have yet to be released and there is no timeline for when they will be made public.
The first John Doe investigation led by the Milwaukee County district attorney's office ran from May 2010 and ended in 2013. It focused on county employees and others who served under Walker when he was county executive, the post he held for eight years before being elected governor in 2010.
Six of Walker's aides and associates were convicted on various charges, including theft and misconduct in office. Walker, a potential 2016 presidential candidate running for re-election this year against Democrat Mary Burke, was never charged with wrongdoing.
A second secret investigation began in 2012, focusing on Walker's recall campaign and more than two dozen conservative groups that were working to help him and Republican state senators who were also facing recalls.
A federal judge in May put that investigation on hold and on Tuesday a federal appeals court heard arguments from prosecutors about why it should be allowed to continue. The state judge overseeing the second probe has also effectively halted it.