Judge Assigned John Doe Case Withdraws

A judge considering an investigative report into the secretive workings of a probe into Gov. Scott Walker’s 2012 recall election campaign is withdrawing from the case.

Jefferson County Circuit Judge William Hue asked Supreme Court Chief Justice Patience Roggensack to be taken off the case. Roggensack said Hue was concerned his involvement could become a distraction, and she said she agreed. Hue had posted comments about the case on Twitter before it was assigned to him.

The original investigation looked into whether Walker’s recall campaign coordinated illegally with conservative groups. The state Supreme Court ruled it did not.

A report this week by Republican Attorney General Brad Schimel recommends those behind seizing personal emails from scores of Republicans across the state and not keeping them secure be held in contempt.

Republican Assembly Speaker Robin Vos said Schimels’ report reinforces the GOP belief that the probe was an abuse of power for partisan purposes

But state superintendent and Democratic gubernatorial candidate Tony Evers calls the report “political retaliation.”

Roggensack will name a new judge.