Walker's Chief Of Staff Resigns

[hue]

Source: WISN News

Eric Schutt To Take Over Oct. 8

MADISON, Wis. -- Gov. Scott Walker's chief of staff who helped guide the administration during the tumult over public-employee unions and passage of his first state budget is stepping down.

Keith Gilkes said he'll leave the $112,000-per-year job as of Oct. 8 to return to his one-man business as a political consultant. Gilkes, 34, hinted the timing was linked to promised efforts to recall Walker over his push for sweeping changes that stripped away almost all public union collective bargain rights.

"As we see activity on the Democrats' part, on the public-sector employees' part, talking about running campaigns against the governor, we want to ensure our message is being heard," Gilkes told The Associated Press. "We want to make sure we're prepared for anything they may attempt against the governor whether now, a year from now or three years from now."

A message left with the Democratic Party of Wisconsin was not immediately returned.

Walker announced Friday that his deputy chief of staff, Eric Schutt, will replace Gilkes effective Oct. 8.

Read more: http://www.wisn.com/politics/29352535/detail.html#ixzz1ZT5p9oYC


Read more: http://www.wisn.com/politics/29352535/detail.html

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More Walker staff jumping ship! Lol!

[Warpy]

1. I think they all expect him to be recalled after the first of the year

and this defection is only the first of many.

I just hope the state can find someone who isn't owned by the Koch brothers next time.

[sarcasmo]

9. +1

[tropicanarose]

13. I hope so.....I wonder if Russ Feingold will run for WI gov. Woudn't that be great?!

[No Elephants]

15. The OP does not read like a defection. Reads as though they are gearing up for a fight.

Axelrod left the President's staff to run his 2012 campaign. That was not a defection.

[Kennah]

2. One wonders if Gilkes is cooperating with authorities to avoid jail. One hopes.

[tsuki]

14. Was he also in the Milwaukee administration?

[No Elephants]

16. Did you read past the headline?

[Kennah]

18. Yes, but what would Gilkes say? "My resignation is unrelated to the ongoing investigation."

[No Elephants]

19. Sounds to me as though he is only switching hats, as Axelrod did when he

switched not too long from Presidential advisor *wink* to official campaign mode.

As for what else Gilkes could say, he could have said thousands of things other than, in essence, I am gearing up to fight for Walker. Things that would have served Gilkes a lot better than what he chose to say.

[Blue Owl]

3. I sure wouldn't want to be the Chief of Wanker's Staff

:evilgrin:

[EC]

4. So with the John Doe investigation into mixing campaigning

with working for the people, they've decided not to take chances and make sure the work Gilkes is doing doesn't get them in further shit?

Gilkes will be out making sure that the recall doesn't succeed, that's for sure. I wonder what they are dreaming up?

[Archae]

5. I just had a 70's flashback...

That climaxed with Walker...I mean Nixon getting into the helicopter for the last time. :-)

[hue]

6. Here's a link to Daily Kos's take on it...

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/09/30/1021631/-Scott-Walkers-Chief-of-Staff-Resigns


Gilkes also said that his resignation is unrelated to an ongoing John Doe investigation by the Milwaukee County District Attorney. That investigation has already reached into the highest levels of the Walker administration. His top aide in the Department of Administration resigned in August and was assigned a job in another state agency. She is on paid medical leave and has not yet reported to her new position. The FBI assisted with the execution of a search warrant on her Madison home recently and confiscated computer hard drives and other materials.

It was also learned recently that Walker's spokesperson and two other Walker associates have been given immunity from prosecution in the John Doe probe.

This resignation smells. Walker's chief of staff resigns a $112,000 per year post to go back to being self-employed and prepare for something that might happen up to three years from now. The resignation is announced on a Friday afternoon when Madison media are devoting massive coverage to Saturday's University of Wisconsin - University of Nebraska football game (Nebraska's first game ever in the Big 10 conference.)

We're supposed to believe it has nothing to do with an investigation of Walker's gubernatorial campaign, which Keith Gilkes managed before becoming Walker's Chief of Staff.

[Botany]

7. Jumping ship while there is still time

[Name removed]

8. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[hayrow]

10. Walker and this syndicate seem to be the most incompetent division of the Koch criminal enterprise

However, Governor Kleefisch would be just more of the same.

[jerseyjack]

11. Not at all. The Koch brothers love him.

Didn't Charles Koch have a half hour phone call with Walker to tell Walker what a great job he was doing? And Walker explained to Koch, the plans to increase pressure on the unions and the Dems? :nopity:

[tropicanarose]

12. Hahahahahaha! They arrest Blago and they can't get rid of this criminal?

[No Elephants]

20. Not only Blago, but Edwards. And the Edwards case was a lot thinner than Blago's.

The woman who gave Edwards that money had filed gift tax returns and supposedly knew exactly what he was going to do with the money. Too bad she's dead and can't testify.

[wordpix]

17. no way a 34 y.o. jumps ship on a $110K job + bennies unless

1) he's being investigated, 2) he had a falling out with Walker, 3) he's gonna make lots more money working on the recall campaign. Which is it? :shrug: