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The Badger Herald

Independent Student Newspaper Since 1969

The Badger Herald

Independent Student Newspaper Since 1969

The Badger Herald

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Walker aid releases plea agreement

A judge will decide at 1:30 p.m. today whether to accept a plea agreement released Wednesday for Kelly Rindfleisch, a former top staffer of Gov. Scott Walker accused of allegedly raising campaign funds on state time.

Milwaukee Assistant District Attorney Bruce Landgraf sent a letter to Rindfleisch’s lawyer outlining the conditions of the plea deal.

Rindfleisch would plead guilty to one count of Misconduct in Public Office, which is a class I felony. She has been charged with four counts for allegedly raising campaign funds for Lt. Gov. candidate Brett Davis, who now directs the state’s Medicaid program, while working in the Milwaukee County office.

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During sentencing, Landgraf will tell the judge Rindfleisch should be on probation and serve some time in jail, although the letter noted it would be the court’s decision. She will be allowed to argue for the outcome she prefers.

This would be a “full and final settlement” of the charges against her as well as any other illegal campaign fundraising she might have done between April 1, 2010 and July 15, 2010, the time period the letter noted was when she stopped doing the work in question.

This case is part of a larger and ongoing John Doe investigation that has already led to charges against a few former Walker staffers. Walker has repeatedly insisted he has no reason to believe he is the primary target of the investigation. Walker was set on the court schedule to testify in Rindfleisch’s case on Tuesday.

The letter said a condition of her plea deal holds that she must cooperate with anything else regarding her case.

Mike Browne, spokesperson for the liberal advocacy group One Wisconsin Now, said the investigation is not over, and Rindfleisch may still need to testify in other trials.

“There is nothing that precludes her from participating in future trials,” Browne said. “She could be subpoenaed to testify in those trials.”

Under the agreement, she is not allowed to violate the law, which would include not following a subpoena, Browne said.

University of Wisconsin law professor Karl Shoemaker said although it may not be explicitly stated in the letter, the agreement is centered on Rindfleisch providing testimony.

“Clearly, the prosecutor is going to play it close to the vest,” Shoemaker said. “Any plea deal she enters is going to come with some pretty firm guarantees that she is going to offer the testimony she has promised to offer.”

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