Tim Russell, a former campaign and county aide to Gov. Scott Walker, was arrested by authorities on Thursday and charged with three theft counts as part of the ongoing John Doe investigation into Walker staffers, sources said.
Computer records show Russell was charged with two felonies and a misdemeanor count of theft. One source said the charges are tied to Operation Freedom, an annual military appreciation day held at the zoo.
In 2010, Walker's county administration had asked prosecutors to investigate what had happened to $11,000 raised in 2007 for the event.
Russell's attorney, Michael Maistelman, could not be immediately reached for comment.
Also charged Thursday was Brian Pierick, Russell's longtime partner. Pierick was charged with one felony count of child enticement.
Walker spokesman Chris Schrimpf had no immediate comment on the news but said the office would provide one later in the day.
"We're still looking at it," he said.
Russell, who was housing director for Walker at the county, is facing Class G and Class I felonies. A class G felony carries a fine of up to $25,000 and up to ten years in prison or both. A class I felony carries a fine of up to $10,000 and up to three and a half years in prison or both.
In August 2010, authorities seized Russell's county computer just weeks before the gubernatorial primary.
A longtime political hand, Russell, 48, used to run former Gov. Tommy Thompson's Milwaukee office and had been with Walker since he ran for county executive in 2002. Russell did not get a job in the Walker administration in Madison.
Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm announced Thursday that his office would be making an announcement at noon about additional charges in the secret probe. Chisholm's office has been overseeing the investigation for more than 1 1/2 years.
http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/news/136737438.html
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