Daniel Bice

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

This story was originally published on Sept. 15, 2016

Some of what is reported by the Guardian U.S. in its story on leaked John Doe documents had been previously disclosed, but there was also a good bit of new stuff.

Most notably, the story broke the news that Harold Simmons, owner of NL Industries, a producer of the lead formerly used in paint, made three donations totaling $750,000 to the Wisconsin Club for Growth in 2011 and 2012. Gov. Scott Walker and Republican lawmakers then pushed through a measure intended to retroactively shield lead paint makers from liability.

But that wasn't all.

Here are six other things that we found in the 1,352 pages of leaked records:

* Republican insiders discussed ginning up concerns over voter fraud in the days after then-Supreme Court Justice David Prosser narrowly defeated challenger JoAnne Kloppenburg in April 2011.

"Do we need to start messaging 'widespread reports of election fraud' so we are positively set up for the recount regardless of the final number? I obviously think we should," wrote Steve Baas, a senior vice president with the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce, to a group of conservative operatives on April 6, 2011, a day after the Prosser-Kloppenburg contest.

"Yes. Anything fishy should be highlighted," wrote former Assembly Speaker Scott Jensen, a Republican. "Stories should be solicited by talk show hosts."

Asked to clarify his email, Jensen said on Wednesday, "The British newspapers are world famous for printing illegally obtained information. I am disappointed that is now the standard at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel."

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Rick Hasen, a national election law expert, said on his blog on Wednesday that the email exchange suggests that much of the talk about voter fraud is "all about manipulating Republican public opinion." He added, "This cynical 'messaging' is sadly validating of what many of us have said."

* Walker sat for a lengthy interview with Milwaukee County prosecutors on March 22, 2012, as part of the first John Doe investigation.

In a three-page excerpt from a much longer transcript, Walker was questioned about Milwaukee real estate broker David Boerke, who had represented a firm bidding to house the county's Department on Aging in private office space while Walker was still Milwaukee County executive.

In the interview, Walker said he knew Boerke was a campaign contributor but didn't know if he had any business before the county or whether he was a member of the Walker campaign's finance committee. The second-term Republican governor was accompanied by three criminal defense attorneys during his talk with Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm, three prosecutors and his chief investigator.

At one point, Walker was asked if members of his finance committee hit up small, medium or large donors or corporate contributors. Walker responded by pointing out that it would be illegal to accept corporate donations.

"That was not a trick question," Chisholm interjected.

Walker responded, "Yeah, I know."

* The mining firm Gogebic Taconite secretly donated more than $1.2 million to two conservative political groups in 2011 and 2012.

The Journal Sentinel had previously reported that Gogebic Taconite had given $700,000 to Wisconsin Club for Growth, a pro-Walker group then headed by one of his campaign advisers. After that contribution, the GOP-controlled Legislature and Walker approved legislation aimed at streamlining regulations for an iron ore mine in northern Wisconsin.

But the figure actually turns out to be higher. According to one of the John Doe records, the mining firm gave at least $930,000 to Wisconsin Club for Growth and another $300,000 to the Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce -Issues Mobilization Inc. — another conservative dark money group — during 2011-'12.

* Walker met with Donald Trump — now the Republican presidential nominee — on April 3, 2012, in a whirlwind visit to New York City, according to Walker's calendar from the day.

According to one of the leaked documents, Walker started the day by voting shortly after 7 a.m. in the presidential primary election in Wisconsin.

He then boarded a plane and was set to land in New York at 11:05 a.m. Walker headed for lunch with Cardinal Timothy Dolan, the former archbishop of Milwaukee. On the way, he called John Roberts III, CEO and president of J.B. Hunt Transport Services. Roberts would later donate $10,000 to Wisconsin Club for Growth, records show.

Walker had a 50-minute lunch with Dolan and then was off to a meeting with Louis Bacon of Moore Capital Management, according to the calendar.

At 2 p.m., Walker met with Trump at Trump Organization Building on Fifth Ave. The meeting lasted 45 minutes. Trump later gave Wisconsin Club for Growth $15,000 and another $10,000 to Walker's campaign in 2014.

From there, Walker met Steve Forbes at the Forbes Building on Fifth Ave. He finished up his day by meeting with Jack Mack, chairman of Morgan Stanley, and attending a reception at the Reed Smith law firm.

Walker was on a plane shortly after 7 p.m. and he was back home in Wauwatosa before 10.

Earlier this year, Trump told reporters that Walker gave him a plaque during a visit to New York. The real estate mogul also criticized Walker's reforms in Wisconsin and said he "sent him packing like a little boy" during Walker's failed presidential bid.

Walker later reluctantly endorsed Trump earlier this year.

* One of Walker's top campaign advisers discouraged the governor from running on Act 10 — his signature piece of legislation curbing collective bargaining — during the 2012 recall election. Walker eventually beat Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett.

"First and most importantly, all of our data from polling and focus groups tell us that any discussion of the fight over collective bargaining turns voters off to the idea of voting for you," Dan Blum, deputy campaign manager, wrote Walker on April 26, 2012.

"Making the argument that Barrett wants to re-litigate that issue and it would stunt growth might make logical sense, but voters emotional reactions are still to remember negative thoughts about that time, and it hurts you more than the Democrats," Blum continued.

* Eric O'Keefe, one of the driving forces behind the effort to stop the John Doe, was said to have a major role in the national fundraising efforts for the Walker team before the recall campaigns.

"I just locked in Eric O'Keefe to head up our national fundraising operations with donors we know from the Koch seminar and across the country as we discussed at the residence," R.J. Johnson, then an adviser to Walker's campaign and Wisconsin Club for Growth, wrote to Walker campaign manager Keith Gilkes on March 29, 2011. O'Keefe was a director for Wisconsin Club for Growth.

The email came a month after billionaire industrialist David Koch said he didn't even know Walker's name until a prankster called Walker impersonating Koch. Koch and his brother Charles have since become big backers of the Republican governor.

In another email, Johnson said Karl Rove, former campaign strategist for President George W. Bush, had promised to help "find" $1 million for Wisconsin Club for Growth, presumably through Rove's political action fund. Johnson said in July 2013 that Rove had already come up with $500,000.

John Diedrich, Patrick Marley and Dave Umhoefer of the Journal Sentinel staff contributed to this report.

Contact Daniel Bice at (414) 224-2135 or dbice@jrn.com. Follow him on Twitter @ DanielBice or on Facebook at fb.me/daniel.bice.