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Madison - Officials have offered immunity to a new person in a secret investigation of current and former aides to Gov. Scott Walker going back to his time as Milwaukee County executive, court records show.

An order by an appeals court Friday is the latest sign the investigation is continuing.

A grant of immunity was considered for an unnamed person about four or five weeks ago, according to former Appeals Judge Neal Nettesheim, who is overseeing the John Doe investigation. The person sought to have the immunity grant performed in secret, but Nettesheim determined it had to be done in open court. The person then appealed.

The District 1 Court of Appeals on Friday denied the request to rule that the immunity hearing be held in secret, saying the unnamed person had not shown that Nettesheim had a plain legal duty to do so.

The appeals court judges quoted a past Supreme Court decision that said that "it is clear the policy is that the public ought to know who is given immunity from prosecution."

Most parts of John Doe proceedings are held in secret, but grants of immunity are given in open court, and records of who has received immunity are available publicly.

Under an immunity deal, a person cooperates with an investigation by answering questions under oath. But prosecutors can't then use the testimony against the individual.

Now that the appeals court has ruled, the immunity grant can proceed - but only if prosecutors want to do that, Nettesheim said. They may have changed their minds because of developments since the matter was last before the John Doe, he said.

"I don't even know if the state is going to want to pursue its grant of immunity," he said.

Milwaukee County Assistant District Attorney Bruce Landgraf, who is leading the investigation, declined to comment.

John Doe investigations are secret proceedings in which witnesses can be subpoenaed and compelled to testify under oath about potential criminal matters and are forbidden from talking publicly about the case. Sources have indicated the Milwaukee County district attorney's office is looking into campaign activity by Walker's former county staffers.

The inquiry continues as Democrats attempt to recall the Republican governor for legislation he signed in March that all but ended collective bargaining for most public workers.

The investigation was launched about 17 months ago - around the time Darlene Wink left her county job as Walker's constituent services coordinator in May 2010. She quit shortly after admitting that she had frequently posted online comments on Journal Sentinel stories and blogs while on the county clock; nearly all of her posts praised Walker or criticized his opponents.

Authorities later took her work computer and executed a search warrant of her home. They also took the work computer of Tim Russell, a former Walker campaign staffer who was then working as county housing director.

Wink's attorney, Christopher Wiesmueller, said Friday that the person seeking the immunity is "not my client."

"I'm just as confused as you are," Wiesmueller said.

Mike Maistelman, Russell's attorney, could not be reached late Friday.

The long-simmering investigation drew attention in September when a dozen FBI agents and other law enforcement officials raided the Madison house of Cindy Archer, a key Walker aide at the county and the state.

Told of the court filing and asked if she had been offered immunity, Archer said Friday: "I have no idea of what you're talking about."

The secret investigation has already netted at least one conviction.

William Gardner, president and chief executive officer of Wisconsin & Southern Railroad Co., was sentenced to two years' probation after pleading guilty to two felony violations of state campaign finance laws for exceeding the donation limits and laundering donations to Walker and other Wisconsin politicians.

Two people so far have been granted immunity in the phase of the investigation that has focused on Walker aides. They are Walker spokesman Cullen Werwie and Republican Party official Rose Ann Dieck.