In the most recent developments in the John Doe investigation involving several top aides to Governor Scott Walker, Walker has claimed that he does not bear any responsibility for his former employees now facing criminal charges.

The probe, which began in 2010, is investigating four of Governor Walker’s aides on suspicion of violating campaign finance rules and embezzling funds.

Those charged include railroad executive William Gardner, who was sentenced to two years probation in July after admitting to exceeding campaign contribution limits to Walker’s campaign as well as money laundering.

Walker’s former deputy chief of staff Timothy Russell and former county veteran’s official Kevin Kavanaugh were charged with stealing $60,000 from Operation Freedom, a Walker-led military appreciation clinic.

Most recently charged are Kelly Rindfleisch and Darlene Wink, two of Walker’s aides from his time as Milwaukee county executive in 2010. According to criminal complaints filed on Jan. 26, Rindfleisch is charged on four counts of misconduct in public office, with each charge being worth three and a half years in prison, a $10,000 fine or both.

Rindfleisch was an aide in Walker’s then-county executive office as well as a fundraiser for Brett Davis, a former lieutenant governor candidate. The criminal complaint includes screenshots of emails and chats between Rindfleisch and Davis about fundraising and campaigning. The complaint claims that more than 1,000 emails were exchanged between February and June 2010. Recipients and senders of these emails include campaign manager Keith Gilkes, deputy campaign manager Stephan Thompson and campaign communications director Jill Bader. 

Wisconsin law states that public employees are prohibited from “acting, in the employee’s capacity as an employee, in a manner which the employee knows is forbidden by law to be done in the employee’s official capacity.”

In the criminal complaint, Rindfleisch is accused of violating several Milwaukee city ordinances, including doing campaign work for a candidate while while engaged in official duties and receiving campaign donations while on the clock.

Wink resigned from her post in the Office of the Milwaukee County Executive in May 2010 after the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel revealed that Wink had been posting politically charged comments, particularly pro-Walker ones, on their website under the user name “rpmcvp.” The criminal complaint states that Rindfleish’s fundraising activity during the work day declined after Wink’s resignation.

“When people look at the details, they’ll see,” Walker said to reporters last Thursday. “I think our integrity was strong going in and will remain strong coming out of this process.”

When asked by reporters if he was not a target in the probe, Walker responded: “Correct.”

Walker’s claims of innocence have been met with skepticism. Graeme Zielinski, communications director for the Democratic Party of Wisconsin, said it is important for Wisconsin voters to know the outcome of the probe.

“What we already know about the John Doe criminal corruption probe shows that Scott Walker was in the middle of crimes and may have committed crimes himself,” Zielinski said. “What is more, the crimes to which people have already pleaded guilty directly benefited Scott Walker himself. People in Wisconsin have every reason to fear that Scott Walker brought this criminal culture with him to Madison.”