Kevin Kennedy (Wisconsin)

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Kevin Kennedy
Kevin-Kennedy-JD.jpg
Basic facts
Organization:Wis. Government Accountability Board
Role:Director of General Counsel
Location:Milwaukee, Wis.
Expertise:Law
Education:University of Wisconsin-Madison
Website:Official website



Kevin Kennedy is the Director and General Counsel for the Wisconsin Government Accountability Board (GAB).[1]

Kennedy was born in Madison, Wis. in 1952. He graduated with an undergraduate degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He then attended law school there and received his law degree in 1976. After graduating, he worked as an assistant district attorney for Washington County, Wis. He then returned to Madison and was in private practice.[2]

He began his tenure at the GAB, which was then named the State Elections Board, in 1979 as legal counsel. He was elevated to executive director of the Elections Board and then head of the GAB when it was transformed from the State Elections and Ethics Board in 2008.[3]

The GAB, and specifically Kevin Kennedy, were involved in both John Doe investigations related to Scott Walker (R) that took place in Wisconsin starting in 2010.

John Doe investigations

See also: John Doe investigations related to Scott Walker

Two John Doe investigations, beginning in 2010 and ending in 2015, were launched by Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm (D) into the activities of staff and associates of Gov. Scott Walker (R).[4] On May 28, 2014, Eric O'Keefe, a political strategist targeted by the second John Doe, and the Wisconsin Club for Growth (WCFG), filed a lawsuit in state court against the GAB and Kennedy—who was one of the most active employees of the board in the John Doe investigations—for the GAB's involvement in the investigations. The lawsuit alleged the GAB had no statutory authority to participate in a criminal investigation.[5][6]

The GAB fought to keep the documents related to the suit from the public eye, but Waukesha County Circuit Court Judge Lee Dreyfus ordered portions to be unsealed in December 2014. The documents showed that GAB staff continued to investigate conservative groups even after the board voted to shut down the investigation.[7][8] Emails revealed that staff had considered using the John Doe to investigate Fox New's Sean Hannity and Charlie Sykes, a local Wisconsin conservative talk show host and critic of the investigation.[9] As the suit filed by O'Keefe and the WCFG against the GAB moved forward, the second John Doe investigation was brought to a close by the Wisconsin Supreme Court. On July 16, 2015, the state supreme court ruled in a 4-2 decision to officially halt the John Doe II investigation.[10][11]

For details on the ruling, see this page.

See also

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Government Accountability Board, "Government Accountability Board - Office of the Director and General Counsel," accessed May 7, 2015
  2. ↑ Isthmus, "Wisconsin elections director Kevin Kennedy is at the center of state's political storm," November 1, 2012
  3. ↑ Humphrey School of Public Affairs - University of Minnesota, " Kevin Kennedy Approaching 35th Year in Wisconsin Elections," April 4, 2014
  4. ↑ United States District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin Milwaukee Division, "Eric O’Keefe, and Wisconsin Club for Growth, Inc.," accessed February 23, 2015
  5. ↑ State of Wisconsin Circuit Court Waukesha County, "Complaint," May 28, 2014
  6. ↑ Wisconsin Reporter, "John Doe targets sue Wisconsin’s Government Accountability Board," May 20, 2014
  7. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named EOKvGAB
  8. ↑ Wisconsin Reporter, "Rogue agency defied judges to carry out partisan probe of Wisconsin conservatives," December 19, 2014
  9. ↑ Wisconsin Reporter, "Will discovery reveal more bombshell information about ‘rogue’ GAB?" May 8, 2015
  10. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named decision
  11. ↑ Watchdog.org, "Wisconsin Supreme Court shuts down John Doe investigation, affirms First Amendment," July 16, 2015
v • e
John Doe investigations related to Scott Walker
Background
Lawsuits
State court lawsuits: • Three Unnamed Petitioners v. Gregory A. Peterson • Eric O'Keefe, et al. vs. Wisconsin Government Accountability Board, et al. • Two Unnamed Petitioners v. Gregory A. Peterson • Christopher Brekken v. Bruce J. Landgraf • Christopher L. Wiesmueller v. Neal Nettesheim • Francis D. Schmitz v. Gregory A. Peterson • Cynthia Archer v. John Chisholm, et. al. • Federal court lawsuits: • Eric O'Keefe and Wisconsin Club for Growth, Inc. v. Francis Schmitz, et. al. • Relevant rulings: • McCutcheon v. Federal Election Commission • Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission • Wisconsin Right to Life, Inc. v. Thomas Barland • Citizens for Responsible Government v. Wisconsin Government Accountability Board, et. al. • Federal Election Commission v. Wisconsin Right to Life, Inc. • Wisconsin Coalition for Voter Participation Inc., et. al. v. State of Wisconsin Elections Board, et. al.
Prosecutors
Special prosecutor: • Francis Schmitz • Personnel in Milwaukee County DA's Office: • John Chisholm • Bruce Landgraf • David Budde • David Robles • Robert Stelter • District attorneys in the five John Doe counties • John Chisholm • Ismael Ozanne • Jane Kohlwey • Larry Nelson • Kurt Klomberg
Courts
Judges
Attorneys
Attorneys of JD targets: • Steven Biskupic • Todd Graves • Michael Bresnick • Edward Meyers • Dean Strang • Matthew O'Neill • David Rivkin • Andrew Grossman • Attorneys of JD prosecutors and judges: • Patrick Fiedler • Samuel Leib • Randall Crocker • Douglas Knott • Joseph M. Russell
Supporters of JD investigations
Media
Elected Officials
Government Accountability Board
• Wisconsin Government Accountability Board • Current board members: • Gerald Nichol • Timothy Vocke • Thomas Cane • Harold Froehlich • John Franke • Elsa Lamelas • Past board members: • Thomas Barland • Michael Brennan • Staff: • Kevin Kennedy • Dean Nickel • Jonathan Becker • Shane Falk • Nathan Judnic • Elizabeth Blackwood • J. Douglas Haag • Vendors: • Digital Intelligence
Targets of John Doe I
Prosecuted: • Kelly Rindfleisch • Darlene Wink • Kevin Kavanaugh • Tim Russell • Brian Pierick • Wiliam Gardner • Investigated: • Friends of Scott Walker • Christopher Wiesmueller • John Hiller • Jim Villa • Cindy Archer • Jailed by prosecutors/No charges filed: • Christopher Brekken • Andrew P. Jensen, Jr. • Home or office raided: •Kelly Rindfleisch • Cindy Archer • Darlene Wink • Tim Russell • Brian Pierick • Christopher Wiesmueller • Compelled to testify: • R.J. Johnson
Targets of John Doe II
Individuals: • Kelly Rindfleisch • Eric O'Keefe • R.J. Johnson • Deborah Jordahl • Jed Sanborn • Carol Valley • William Eisner • Keith Gilkes • Sean Hannity • Charlie Sykes • Organizations: • Wisconsin Club for Growth • Club for Growth • Wisconsin Right to Life • United Sportsmen of Wisconsin • Coalition Partners, LLC • R.J. Johnson and Associates • Nonbox • TenCAPITOL • Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce • American Federation for Children • Americans for Prosperity • Americans for Prosperity Wisconsin • Right Direction Wisconsin PAC • Republican State Leadership Committee • Committee to Elect a Republican Senate • Wisconsin Recall Action Fund • Jobs First Coalition • Ending Spending Action Fund • Mary Stitt & Associates • Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce • League of American Voters • Citizens for a Strong America • Republican Party of Wisconsin • Republican Governors Association • American Crossroads • Wisconsin Family Action
Other
v • e
Influencers
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v • e
State of Wisconsin
Madison (capital)
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