As the John Doe investigation into a number of Gov. Scott Walker’s former affiliates continued Thursday, two more former Walker aides were arrested by the Milwaukee District Attorney’s office for improper political fundraising. 

The DA’s office filed complaints against two former Milwaukee County employees, Kelly Rindfleisch and Darlene Wink, for engaging in political fundraising in a government building while employed on Walker’s County Executive staff, according to a statement released by Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm.

In the statement, Chisholm said Rindfleisch was charged with four felony accounts of misconduct in public office in the months of April and May 2010. The statement said Rindfleisch is alleged with having spent a significant amount of time in office working on fundraising for Lt. Gov. candidate Brett Davis.  

Chisholm also charged Wink with two counts of intentional political solicitation by a public employee in October and December 2009. She is charged with engaging in fundraising activity for then County Executive Walker while in a county building. 

Wink was a county employee who resigned after the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel learned she had posted about 70 favorable comments to Walker on the newspaper’s website while on the clock, according to the complaint.

Wink was scheduled to appear in court on Thursday, and Rindfleisch’s initial court appearance is scheduled for Feb. 22, according to the Wisconsin Court System access records.

Both defendants are presumed innocent until found guilty, the statement said.

The complaint filed against Rindfleisch contained an email from Walker, sent from his campaign email account in May 2010, directing Rindfleisch to avoid embarrassing news stories. 

“We cannot afford another story like this one,” Walker wrote in the email. “No one can give them any reason to do another story. That means no laptops, no websites, no time away during the work day, etc.” 

The story Walker references in the email is about Wink’s resignation after the state began an investigation into her work conduct.   

Ciara Matthews, Walker’s campaign spokesperson in wake of the recall election, released a statement following the arrests. 

“The Milwaukee County Executive’s Office expressed policy was that county employees were not permitted to use county time or resources to conduct any political activity,” the statement said. “Scott Walker expected everyone to follow the law and made that clear publicly and privately.”  

The arrests are part of the ongoing John Doe investigation led by the Milwaukee County’s DA office. In early January, three men, including a former aide and Walker appointee, were arrested for embezzlement charges.