Gov. Scott Walker must appear in court next week as a witness in a John Doe trial involving one of his former aides, according to a court summons signed by Walker’s lawyer Michael Steinle Sept. 28.
Prosecutors are investigating former Milwaukee County Deputy Chief of Staff Kelly Rindfleisch for allegedly making illegal campaign calls while at work when she was an aide to then Milwaukee County Executive Walker.
Rindfleisch pleaded not guilty in March to four charges of misconduct in public office.
University of Wisconsin-Madison associate history and law professor Karl Shoemaker said testifying as a witness in the case does not necessarily incriminate Walker as involved with the misconduct. Rather, the court believes he has information as a witness that could prove useful to resolving the case.
Although Walker is not being charged under the current investigation, Shoemaker said “the optics of it aren’t good.”
“No sitting governor or any other elected official wants to be required to testify in a case in which someone who worked with [or for] them is accused of wrongdoing associated with a campaign or with a political party,” Shoemaker said.
Other former aides and staff of Walker’s have also faced charges including embezzlement and campaigning while working in a taxpayer-funded office since the investigation began over two years ago.
According to the Milwaukee County Circuit Court subpoena, Walker must appear as a witness in court Oct. 16 to present evidence relevant to the case.
