Randa’s order confirmed that one of Walker’s campaign advisers, R.J. Johnson, has been under investigation for allegedly controlling a “hub” of issue-ad groups in 2011 and 2012 in coordination with Friends of Scott Walker.

The judge said O’Keefe and Club for Growth deny they were coordinating with the Walker campaign. Even if they were, Randa wrote, that does not transform the activity into so-called express advocacy, which is regulated.

Randa’s ruling also contains dramatic new details about the investigation, including the raid by “armed officers” of the homes of Johnson — an adviser to both Walker’s campaign and Club for Growth — and another Club for Growth adviser, Deborah Jordahl, on Oct. 3.

“Sheriff deputy vehicles used bright floodlights to illuminate the targets’ homes,” the judge wrote. “Deputies executed the search warrants ... while their targets were restrained under police supervision and denied the ability to contact their lawyers.”

According to Randa, the prosecutors argued that the targets were engaged in a “wide-ranging scheme” to raise undisclosed funds to be funneled through several organizations working in concert with various candidate committees to beat recall attempts against Walker and state senators.