12th person granted immunity in Wisconsin John Doe case

[hue]

http://www.todaystmj4.com/news/local/150868935.html

MILWAUKEE- A 12th witness has been granted immunity in a secret Milwaukee County investigation that has already led to criminal charges against five people, including four close to Gov. Scott Walker.

Online court records say David Halbrooks was granted immunity Wednesday. Halbrooks declined comment when reached by The Associated Press.

The website of Milwaukee law firm Maistelman & Associates Inc. lists Halbrooks as an "of counsel." The term generally refers to an outside lawyer who provides specific legal expertise to a law firm.

[hue]

1. I wonder if we'll ever see news like this in the Milw. Urinal/Sentinal??? n/t

[Scuba]

2. AKA the "Scott Walker Rah Rah Fishwrap"???

[dragonlady]

7. Here is the link to the J-S

I saw this on the main page of their website last night. (The J-S and WTMJ are part of the same corporate entity, you know. The letters TMJ were taken from The Milwaukee Journal, back in the days when it was a good newspaper.)

http://www.jsonline.com/news/wisconsin/12th-person-granted-immunity-in-john-doe-case-6j5c1q4-150876645.html

A side note: they say Halbrooks is of counsel to the Maistelman firm. Mike Maistelman has been representing Tim Russell, Walker's right-hand man. And before somebody wants to beat up on Maistelman for that--all defendants deserve representation, and that's how lawyers make a living. They do their job, and the judge or jury decides the case.

[midnight]

10. I have to admit, I find this a bit of a strange coincidence...

Maistelman representing a client is one thing, but one of his own "Of Counsel" being given immunity is where the oddness comes in. I'm not an attorney and maybe this is all just the way things work out some times...

[Scuba]

3. So what did they deal? Will charges be filed before June 5th?

Curious minds want to know.

[hue]

4. It's my fondest wish that Walker will be indicted before the recall...

WI Peeps have the right to know about the criminal past of who they are voting for to be governor!!!
Yet David Halbrooks is a very important witness and it's better that his testimony will be included.
It seems that this investigation is going on forever as the depth of criminal involvement runs very deep, but we must have patience!!!
It seems like a never ending nightmare of lies & corruption!!

[midnight]

5. Is this person given immunity because they broke the law or because they saw someone else break the

law? Thanks.

[hue]

6. Probably both. They accepted/wanted immunity because they broke the law,

but they are a valuable witness and would testify as a part of a deal to get immunity. It's a trade off or bargain; I give the prosecutor the information and they give me immunity (for my part in the corruption).

[midnight]

9. hue, thanks for you take on this....

[mojowork_n]

8. More info (and a little more speculation) here:

Background and some good links here, at *Cognitive Dissidence* blog:

http://cognidissidence.blogspot.com/2012/05/walkergate-most-curious-immunity.html

Halbrooks is not they type of person one would expect to be involved with Walkergate. He is a former lawyer and judge. In fact, he was "Of Counsel" to Michael Maistelman's law firm, meaning he didn't work for the firm, but was willing to provide his legal expertise to the firm from time to time. Halbrooks was also part of the state's Election Board, the predecessor of the GAB, and was part of it when they busted the crooked Mark Block in the Wilcox scandal.

That said, because of his vast experience and storied past, he was/is a bit of a mover and shaker. He was appointed to the Milwaukee 7, a group consisting of civic leaders, business people and politicians whose mission is to draw businesses to Southeastern Wisconsin. And some of the board members that Halbrooks worked with include Michael Grebe, Walker's campaign chair; Republican money man Jim Kreuser; and someone named Scott Walker.

A more tangential connection is that he apparently had the support of realtors. We all know that the realtors were in deep with Walker and a shady deal regarding the renting of a section of the Reuss Federal Building has been reported as being part of the Walkergate investigation.

Without further information, it is impossible to know with any certainty how Halbrooks is involved with Walkergate. It could be the land deal. It could be another part of it. It could be something altogether new.

Now THAT'S kind of interesting, I'd say.

It's worth noting that the longer the John Doe/Walkergate probe goes on, the more *outraged* and "shocked" conservative Republicans appear to be, as noticed by Joel McNally yesterday. (I'd almost forgotten about Mr. Jessica McBride, that Waukesha Herr Blucher character.) Read the piece:

http://www.expressmilwaukee.com/article-18613-the-party-of-criminals.html