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The long legal battle over a contentious political investigation into Gov. Scott Walker’s recall campaign is now in the hands of the U.S. Supreme Court.

Three Wisconsin prosecutors on Thursday filed an appeal of the state Supreme Court’s decision to halt the so-called John Doe II probe, a matter that has sharply divided conservatives who believe in unfettered political speech and liberals who lament an erosion of the public’s ability to know who is influencing elections.

Critics of the state Supreme Court decision say Justices Michael Gableman and David Prosser should have recused themselves from the decision because the same groups under investigation helped elect them. They also say the decision went beyond prior U.S. Supreme Court rulings on coordination and campaign finance laws.

The filing marks the beginning of the next — and possibly final — chapter in a high-stakes political and legal battle that has played out over the past six years mostly in secretive court proceedings.

Dane County District Attorney Ismael Ozanne, one of the three prosecutors involved, confirmed the case had been filed, but said he was awaiting word that the filing had been received before he could disclose the arguments being made.