Cindy Archer
Cindy Archer is the Chief Information Officer for the Wisconsin State Public Defender's Office. She is also credited as one of the architects of Wisconsin Act 10, the "Wisconsin Budget Repair Bill" (2011).[1][2]
Biography
Archer began her public service career in the late 1980s under Wisconsin Governor Tommy Thompson (R). For 11 years she served in the Wisconsin State Budget Office, where she concentrated primarily on criminal justice agency budgets and policy. Archer then spent four years as the Management Services Director for the Wisconsin Department of Corrections.[3][4]
In the early 2000s, Archer transitioned to several positions in local government. She initially led the administration department for Blackhawk Technical College, before becoming the Director of Administration for Brown County, Wisconsin. She later took a position with Milwaukee County as the Director of Administrative Services under County Executive Scott Walker. In that position, she oversaw the budget office, Facilities Management, Information Management Services Division and Procurement, among other divisions.[3][5]
In 2011, she returned to state service as the Deputy Secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Administration, also under Walker, who by then was Governor of Wisconsin. She also served as Special Assistant and Legislative Advisor to the Secretary at the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families. In 2013, she took a position with the State Public Defender's office, and is its Chief Information Officer.[3]
Archer graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Public Administration and Political Science from the University of Wisconsin, La Crosse. She also earned a Master's Degree in Public Policy and Administraton from the University of Wisconsin, Madison.[3]
John Doe investigation
Two John Doe investigations were launched by Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm (D) into the activities of staff and associates of Gov. Walker (R). These investigations and the events surrounding them have been described as "the most tumultuous political events in Wisconsin in generations—perhaps in history."[6]
In 2011, as part of the first John Doe investigation into Walker's aides, Archer's home was raided by law enforcement.[7] On April 20, 2015, National Review's David French reported on Archer's description of the raid:
“I was so afraid,” she says. “I did not know what to do.” She grabbed some clothes, opened the door, and dressed right in front of the police. The dogs were still frantic. “I begged and begged, ‘Please don’t shoot my dogs, please don’t shoot my dogs, just don’t shoot my dogs.’ I couldn’t get them to stop barking, and I couldn’t get them outside quick enough. I saw a gun and barking dogs. I was scared and knew this was a bad mix.”[2]
She, along with two anonymous sources, goes on to speak about the intimidation tactics used by the law enforcement agents conducting the searches. French, in writing about the home raids, relayed Archer's recollection that a reporter had been tipped off about the raid on her home and was present during it.[2] The reporter was later revealed to be Patrick Marley of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.[8]
M.D. Kittle, who has been covering the John Doe saga for Watchdog.org and the Wisconsin Reporter, wrote, "Supporters of the Democrat-launched political John Doe probes into conservatives have argued secrecy is key to its success, denouncing any leaks that undermine the prosecutors’ case. But Archer’s suspicion that a reporter was present was apparently right – and indicates that secrecy is a tactic rather than a principle: a Milwaukee Journal Sentinel article published on the day of the raid, Sept. 14, 2011, indicates that a Journal Sentinel reporter arrived in time to see 'about a dozen law enforcement officers, including FBI agents' raid Archer’s home."[2][9]
In January 2012, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel published an article with details of the John Doe investigation looking into the bid process for a building lease for the county. In the story, they referenced the raid of Archer's house the year before.[10]
The first John Doe investigation was closed out in March of 2013 with no charges brought against any of the parties involved in the lease bid.[11]
Likewise, no charges were ever brought against Archer.[7][12] On June 30, 2015, she filed a civil rights lawsuit against John Chisholm, the Milwaukee County District Attorney behind the John Doe investigations.[13]
In an article for the Wall Street Journal, Archer wrote:[13]
| “ | After much soul-searching, I am filing a civil-rights lawsuit on Wednesday against Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm. I fear his retaliation, given what I know of his methods, but the Chisholm campaign against me that began at dawn on Sept. 14, 2011, requires a legal response to discourage the prosecutor’s continued abuse of his office.[14] | ” |
| —Cindy Archer | ||
In May 2016, federal judge Lynn Adelman threw out Archer's lawsuit and "allowed the investigators to file copies of records from the first John Doe investigation and a second one — which was halted by the state Supreme Court — with the federal court clerk for use in the event the lawsuit is appealed." Archer told the Wisconsin State Journal that she would appeal the decision.[15]
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Cindy Archer Wisconsin. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
- Wisconsin
- Milwaukee County
- Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker
- John Doe investigation
- John Doe investigations related to Scott Walker
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Wisconsin State Journal, "Cindy Archer, longtime aide to Scott Walker, gets new job, huge raise," July 3, 2014
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 National Review, "Wisconsin’s Shame: ‘I Thought It Was a Home Invasion’," April 20, 2015
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Wisconsin State Public Defenders, "Agency Leadership Team (ALT)," accessed April 16, 2015
- ↑ Milwauke Wisconsin Journal Sentinel, "Top Walker aide Archer takes leave of absence," August 25, 2011
- ↑ Wisconsin State Journal, "Cindy Archer helped interview finalists for IT job she later landed," July 11, 2014
- ↑ 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
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 'Milwauke Wisconsin Journal Sentinel, "Former Scott Walker aide exceeds top of pay scale with new job," July 11, 2014
- ↑ Wisconsin Watchdog, "What did the Journal Sentinel know and when did it know it?" April 23, 2015
- ↑ Watchdog.org, "Who was the reporter outside Cindy Archer’s house?" April 21, 2015
- ↑ Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "John Doe investigation looks into bids to house county workers," January 25, 2012
- ↑ Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "John Doe probe of Scott Walker office closed with no new charges," March 2, 2013
- ↑ Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "John Doe probe of Scott Walker office closed with no new charges," March 2, 2013
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 Wall Street Journal, "Why I’m Filing a Civil-Rights Lawsuit," June 30, 2015
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Wisconsin State Journal, "Scott Walker aide will appeal rejection of lawsuit against John Doe investigators," May 27, 2016
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