GAB Director Defends Agency Following Scathing Wall Street Journal Editorial

The director of the Government Accountability Board is defending the agency against allegations that its staff played a partisan role in the John Doe investigation of conservative groups.

The Wall Street Journal made the accusations in an editorial published Thursday, quoting emails from former GAB attorney Shane Falk to the John Doe special prosecutor Francis Schmitz. Falk accused Schmitz of lying about whether or not Gov. Scott Walker was a target of the probe into illegal campaign coordination with outside conservative groups. The emails urge the prosecutors to keep up the investigation and suggested that the “state is being run billionaires and corporations.”

A statement released by GAB director Kevin Kennedy says the agency staff feel passionately about ensuring all parties comply with campaign finance laws.

Special John Doe Prosecutor Francis Schmitz has asked the state Supreme Court to reconsider its ruling shutting down the investigation. Briefs in the case remain under seal.