Wisconsin Watchdog reports it has affidavits that prove Democrat Milwaukee County prosecutors recorded the communications (texts and emails) of conservative activist groups in hopes to bring down Republican Gov. Scott Walker.
Wisconsin’s Watchdog M.D. Kittle obtained the affidavits that show Milwaukee County prosecutors requested and received warrants to seize emails, phone and text data for roughly 17 Republican activists during 19 months in 2012.
According to a press release flagging the revelations, “Some of those spied on still have no idea they were targeted. Those who do know were issued a gag order to keep them from talking about their ordeal.”
One source that was targeted during the operation said the spying methods used were similar to the National Security Agency’s (NSA) domestic spy program, according to Wisconsin Watchdog.
“It was actually worse because (Milwaukee County prosecutors) were taking the body of emails and looking at actual data,” said the individual to Wisconsin Watchdog, requesting not to be identified.
“The (documents) reveal just how far they went,” explained the source. “These warrants reached well beyond what could be seen as real targets.”
Also at issue were bank records for one of the conservative organizations, which were sought during the same time period as the phone and email data.
“Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm, a Democrat, and his assistants launched the probe that began when Walker, who was running for governor, informed the DA’s office of a discrepancy in a county veterans fund,” Kittle reported.
Ironically, Chisholm and his assistants used Walker’s own concerns about fraud in the veterans fund as a pretext to investigate Walker’s office and allies – opening the door on what some conservatives have described as a “political opposition research investigation” into Walker. It is possible that many other individuals and organizations spied on have been unwittingly caught up in the secret searches of their emails, phone, text and bank records.
“Think about how many people they hit with these warrants,” said a target of the investigation. “People need to start asking themselves, ‘Did they get me?’”
Breitbart News reached out to both the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s office as well as Gov. Scott Walker’s spokespeople to respond to the Wisconsin Watchdog report, but hasn’t yet received a response.