Gov. Walker responds to charges in John Doe investigation



WAUWATOSA -- Gov. Scott Walker made his first comments about the secret John Doe investigation into his former and current staff Friday. He says he's confident his integrity will remain intact.

Two women on that staff were charged Thursday with engaging in political fundraising while at work. Darlene Wink was charged with two misdemeanors, accused of doing campaign work for Walker at her county job in 2009 when Walker was Milwaukee County Executive. Walker's Deputy Chief of Staff at the time, Kelly Rindfleisch, was charged with four felonies, accused of campaigning for a lieutenant governor candidate from her county office.

"I had an expressed and clear policy that county employees in my office and elsewhere were prohibited from using county resources and county time to be involved in political activities. it's a policy i expressed not only publicly, I expressed repeatedly," Walker said.

Gov. Walker says he is cooperating with the district attorney's office and cannot speak to many questions. When asked if he feels the investigation is targeting him, Walker said, "no."

Two other former Walker associates were charged Jan. 5 with embezzling more than $60,000 from veterans and their families. Another man is charged with child enticement charges, evidence of which was allegedly discovered while investigating one of the others.

Meanwhile, a spokesman for the Democratic party of Wisconsin. Graeme Zielinski,  says Walker not knowing about the wrongdoing at the time is like "the piano player at the cathouse not knowing what's going on upstairs."