SHARE About John Doe Separate but related criminal investigations initiated by Milwaukee County prosecutors have examined events and activities during Scott Walker's time as Milwaukee County executive and as governor. Prosecutors have conducted the probes under the state's "John Doe" statutes that grant extraordinary powers to investigators to compel testimony and maintain secrecy. The first John Doe investigation, begun in 2010, led to convictions of six Walker aides, associates or appointees on charges ranging from theft from a veteran's group to misconduct in office. The second Doe probe, launched in 2012, looked into coordination between conservative political organizations and Walker and other candidates during recall elections. The second probe was halted in May 2014 by a federal judge who agreed that the investigation denied one of the conservative groups' its free-speech rights. No charges have been filed in the second investigation. Walker has denied wrongdoing. See full coverage in John Doe special section

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Republican lawmakers in Madison have already overhauled how John Doe investigations are conducted in Wisconsin.

Now they want the records — and the power to arrest prosecutors and others to force them to testify before a legislative committee.

A group of GOP lawmakers introduced a bill that would grant the Legislature's access to records from closed John Doe investigations. The legislation, AB845, would create a legislative committee with subpoena power and access to records from secret John Doe investigations at the close of such probes "if such access is necessary or convenient to carry out the duties and powers" of the committee.

The bill, which was introduced recently, has drawn swift opposition from a number of law enforcement groups.

State Rep. David Craig (R-Big Bend), the lead sponsor of the bill in the Assembly, said the move is needed to ensure John Doe investigators and others in law enforcement are not abusing their power.

"It's really secret areas of government that the Legislature really should have oversight over," he said.

Madison attorney Lester Pines questioned whether such a law would be valid, saying he didn't believe legislators could gain access to records that have been sealed by court order.

"They have no idea what they're doing," said Pines, a Democrat who in recent years has sued over a number of laws enacted by Republicans. "People testify in John Does under promises of immunity and confidentiality. I mean, do they pass bills just to help me make a living?

"There would be so much litigation over that, it would make your head spin. It would be a lawyer's delight."

The proposed law enforcement oversight committee would also study issues related to technology, such as electronic surveillance devices. Under the bill, the committee could review the transfer of military weapons and surveillance equipment to law enforcement agencies in Wisconsin.

Backers are pushing the bill in the final days of the legislative session, and it is unclear if they will be able to gain momentum before the clock runs out. The Assembly plans to end this year's session by next week, though the Senate is expected to meet in March.

The measure comes at a time when John Doe proceedings have come under heavy scrutiny from Republicans after a pair of investigations of GOP Gov. Scott Walker's campaign and his aides and associates. Walker and GOP lawmakers approved a bill last year limiting secrecy rules for John Does and eliminating the ability of prosecutors to use them to investigate misconduct in office and other crimes related to politics.

The John Doe law allows prosecutors to force people to give testimony and turn over documents. John Doe hearings are often conducted in secret and until the recent changes were made, targets and witnesses could be barred from speaking publicly about the probes.

The first John Doe investigation resulted in six convictions of Walker aides and associates for crimes such as using taxpayer resources to campaign when Walker was Milwaukee County executive. Walker was never charged with a crime.

The second probe looked into whether Walker's campaign illegally coordinated with conservative groups. The state Supreme Court last year threw out that investigation before it was completed, finding nothing illegal had occurred and ruling candidates and issue groups can work closely together.

Craig acknowledged that the proposal would allow lawmakers access to all of the records from the now-closed John Doe II. He said that considering the claims of predawn "paramilitary raids," lawmakers should be able to review how such probes have been conducted to determine whether there were "imprudent decisions by law enforcement."

Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm and other prosecutors involved with the probe have insisted they acted properly and executed search warrants using standard protocols.

The committee would function much like a congressional oversight committee, Craig said.

The measure would also allow the committee to review devices being used by law enforcement, such as Stingrays, which simulate a cellphone tower and can be used to secretly track the precise locations of cellphone users without getting search warrants.

They can find phones even when they're not in use or when they have location privacy enabled. Originally developed for national security, they have become a powerful tool for local police who promise the Federal Bureau of Investigation they won't acknowledge having Stingrays to anyone else, including judges who might ask what led to a defendant's arrest.

Groups like the American Civil Liberties Union and the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a California nonprofit that advocates for digital freedom and privacy, say the practice, which pulls in all phones in the vicinity, not just the targeted number, amounts to unreasonable search and seizure under the Fourth Amendment.

At a public hearing Wednesday on the bill, Jim Palmer of the Wisconsin Professional Police Association warned that a number of the state's major law enforcement organizations have serious concerns about the proposal.

Palmer said the measure would likely compromise ongoing criminal investigations, undermine local control and limit law enforcement's ability to respond quickly in emergency situations.

He also raised concerns about who would have oversight of the newly formed committee.

That committee would have the power to issue subpoenas to people, and anyone who failed to show up could be arrested and brought before the committee to testify, the bill says.