In the latest development in the caucus scandal, Dane County District Attorney Brian Blanchard — investigator into the case — is being investigated himself.
Blanchard may not be able to continue the investigation into the John Doe proceedings because of allegations by Edward Picchi, a former campaign volunteer, that his 2000 campaign benefited from information gathered on state time by state employees.
Blanchard will be investigated for a conflict of interest in the John Doe proceedings, and it will be determined later this month whether he can continue his work on the case.
Blanchard has worked in the case for 16 months.
Dane County judge Sarah O’Brien released an order Wednesday ordering Milwaukee County District Attorney E. Michael McCann to investigate allegations that Blanchard benefited from a voter list created on state time during the 2000 election.
O’Brien will hold an open hearing Sept. 17, where information will be presented by McCann.
“The John Doe judge will consider at that hearing whether the facts establish any conflict with Blanchard continuing his role in this proceeding and whether it is necessary and appropriate to restrict that role in any way,” O’Brien said in the court order.
Blanchard said the scheduled hearing will examine allegations by a 2000 campaign volunteer that during the campaign and without his knowledge, he may have benefited from use of a list of voters created on state time by state employees.
“My petition arises from an allegation made in an e-mail message that I recently received from Edward Picchi, who was a messenger at the law firm where I worked in 2000 and who volunteered to work on my campaign,” Blanchard said. Blanchard said Picchi was a volunteer and did mostly field work or distributed campaign material.
“Soon after receiving Mr. Picchi’s e-mail, I also became aware for the first time of what purports to be a memo from Andy Gussert to Sen. Chuck Chvala, D-Madison, and another person that dates from June 2000 and describes contact with my wife,” he said.
Blachard said Gussert did not work on his campaign but that the statement should be examined.
“To put it plainly, Mr. Picchi’s e-mail and the June 2000 memo of Mr. Gussert both raise questions of whether anyone associated with my 2000 campaign sought or obtained improper or illegal benefits in a manner than resembles any subject of my investigation for the last 16 months, ” he said. “While I believe that my campaign did not improperly seek or improperly obtain benefits, it is important for the facts to become known and any questions about possible conflict to be resolve.”
“I continue to believe, based on all the information available to me, that I can bring the Capitol investigation cases on which I have been working to their ends fairly and in the interests of justice,” Blanchard said.
“I have no personal axe to grind in these cases, and can continue leading a responsible and thorough investigation without fear or favor.”
