• At the February 2, 2012 retiree meeting Local 72 benefit representative Ara Mekhsian reported that there were up to 10,000 W-2’s and 1099-R’s sent out to our Wisconsin residents that had an incorrect coding that will be rejected by the state of Wisconsin when the tax payer file their state tax returns electronically. All other information reported on the form is correct. State Street will send out a revised tax form which reflects the correct State Employer Identification Number (EIN), along with a cover letter summarizing the issue. Revised forms and cover letter will be mailed starting Thursday, February 9th. Retirees should use this revised form when filing their 2011 State Income Tax Filing.

• If you have already filed your State Income Tax please note the following: Retirees in Wisconsin recently received a 2011 tax form from State Street which incorrectly reported their State EIN. Wisconsin will solicit anyone that filed incorrectly and request a re-file. If you have further questions, please contact your tax consultant or the State Tax Department. Please note this does not affect the Federal tax filing in any way. 

• All retirees will receive a 1099-R for pensions and a W-2 for Legal Services Imputed income from State Street Bank.

•  For those retirees with life insurance in excess of $50,000 the W-2 that you receive from State Street bank will reflect additional imputed income.

• 2011 retirees, in addition to the 1099-R and W-2 forms will also receive two W-2's Forms from Chrysler Payroll. One for SUB and the other for all other payments they received from Chrysler in 2011 including IPR, Vehicle Voucher, vacation pay, PAA pay, sick leave pay, Employee Appreciation pay, and any other type of pay, with the exception of SUB pay.

• 2011 retiree should have received W-2 forms from Chrysler Payroll. If they have not received them to date they should contact Chrysler Payroll at 1-877-827-7744 to request reprints.

• If a retiree has not received the corrected forms from State Street Bank by Friday-February17, 2012. Benefit Express should be contacted at 1-888-409-3300 for reprints of 1099-R and W’2 forms.

 

Wisconsin will become the third state ever to attempt recalling their Governor. In order to defeat the other side we must be more united than ever. With that thought in mind we should be committed to seeing we retain Scott Walker. The first step is to vote in the Democratic primary election and write in Scott Walker.

 

If we can gain a majority of the votes in the Democratic primary we will have defeated the Democrats at their game and save the tax payers millions of dollars. I'll see you at the polls.

 

Now that you’ve seen a sample of what these extremists want to do with dirty tricks all of us that believe every American has a right to be treated fairly and have a free trade union must take action. It’s very simple Scott Walker has got to go. As you read on and see other examples of how Walker has created a climate of scandal embarrassing every person in Wisconsin it isn’t hard to say no to Scott Walker.

 

 

Documenting the Political Corruption Scandal Surrounding Gov. Scott Walker, the following timeline is compiled from news reports and documentation released by law enforcement in criminal complaints in their John Doe investigation.

 

2008- Financial discrepancies discovered involving the handling of Operation Freedom funds. At the time, the funds were under the control of a chapter of the Military Order of the Purple Heart, whose treasurer was a Walker appointee to a county veterans committee, Kevin Kavanaugh.

 

2009- Russell was promoted to Walker's deputy chief of staff from a lesser position in Walker's office.

Because of the concerns over the Purple Heart's work, Walker transferred the treasurer duties to the Cudworth Legion Post.

 

Walker’s county chief of staff, Tom Nardelli, asks the DA to investigate $11,000 missing from the Operation Freedom account, after unsuccessfully being able to rectify the missing money with the Milwaukee Order of the Purple Heart who was responsible for managing the funds. Darlene Wink, a Walker staffer then in charge of Operation Freedom, had earlier raised concerns within Walker's staff.

 

Todd Hunter - a lawyer who helped set up Heritage Guard in 2004 as an advocate for preservation of historic buildings on the VA grounds - turned over control of the nonprofit organization to Russell.

 

Walker transferred about $19,000 in Operation Freedom funds to Heritage Guard, as well as control of its finances. The Walker and Russell memo transferred the "ownership, responsibility and operation" of Operation Freedom to Heritage Guard, which the memo said "had expressed a desire to administer, manage and continue this worthwhile event." Walker terminated the county's agreement with the Cudworth Legion Post, which had managed the funds in exemplary fashion, the complaint says.

 

The memo said Walker agreed to serve as the chairman of the advisory committee that was to be created for Operation Freedom. After that point, Russell actively raised private funds for the event. County executive office employees processed donation payments into a Heritage Guard account that Russell controlled, the complaint says.

 

2010-Kelly Rindfleisch hired as an 'Administrative Secretary, Policy Advisor' in Walker's county office.

According to the criminal complaint, Rindfleisch communicates to friend that there’s a secret network in Walker’s office, she takes direction from Russell and does half policy for the ‘campaign.’

Rindfleisch begins fundraising for the Brett Davis for Lieutenant Governor campaign, being paid $1,000/ month while still working in the county executive's office. Rindfleisch promoted to deputy chief of staff after Walker appoints Russell to Milwaukee County Housing Director.

 

Stacey Long, former girlfriend of William Gardner, president of Wisconsin & Southern Railroad, reports to the Government Accountability Board that Gardner asked her to contribute $10,000 to Walker using Gardner's money. The GAB begins its investigation into the Gardner donations.

 

Darlene Wink  constituent services coordinator for Walker and an official with the Republican Party of Milwaukee County, resigns from her county job after admitting she posted political, pro-Walker comments on the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel website while at work.

Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm launches a secret John Doe investigation appearing to target at-work campaign activity by staff members of Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker.

Walker returns all of the Gardner-related contributions, and Gardner donates them to charity after publicly accepting responsibility Rindfleisch resigns from the Davis campaign, emails Walker campaign manager Keith Gilkes about it.

 

Two Wisconsin & Southern employees receive immunity from prosecution in the John Doe. They admit giving thousands of dollars to Walker's campaign for which they were illegally reimbursed by Gardner or the company. Authorities seize the work computer of Tim Russell, then-Milwaukee County housing administrator and former Walker campaign aide. Russell and Wink, whose work computer also is seized, are active in the county Republican Party. Walker’s county and campaign offices are searched by the DA.

Walker is elected governor over Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett.

 

Rindfleisch leaves her county job and is put on the Republican Party’s payroll to raise money for Walker according to the criminal complaint filed against her. She continues to raise money for Walker through mid-January 2012.

 

Four more Wisconsin & Southern employees receive immunity from prosecution.

Rose Ann Dieck, a fundraiser for Walker and high-ranking official with the Milwaukee County Republicans, is granted immunity from prosecution by the court in the John Doe investigation.

 

2011-Three more Wisconsin & Southern employees testify under immunity grants, including company lobbyist Ken Lucht.

 

Gardner is charged in Washington County with two felonies for making at least $72,800 in illegal campaign contributions to Walker and other candidates dating back to 2003. Gardner agrees to pay a $166,900 civil forfeiture, the largest in GAB history. Seven Wisconsin & Southern employees pay $250 fines.

 

Walker's chief spokesman and former campaign worker, Cullen Werwie, is offered immunity from prosecution. His testimony, which is not related to the Gardner matter, remains sealed. Gardner is sentenced to two years of probation after pleading guilty to both counts. He faced up to seven years in prison.

 

Tom Nardelli, former chief of staff under Walker in Milwaukee County, is named administrator of the state Division of Environmental and Regulatory Services but quits his new $90,000-a-year job three days later. Nardelli joined the state Commerce Department in January.

 

Cynthia "Cindy" Archer, then deputy secretary for the state Department of Administration, quits her $124,000-a-year job. Archer is hired by the Department of Children and Families as a legislative liaison, making about $25,000 less, and then promptly takes a medical leave.

 

Newspaper reports reveal that Walker’s campaign has paid former US Attorney for Eastern District of Wisconsin Steven Biskupic $60,000 in legal fees regarding the John Doe investigation.

 

About a dozen law enforcement officers, including FBI agents, search Archer's Madison home. Archer, who held the county's top staff position while Walker was Milwaukee County executive, insists she has done nothing wrong.

 

In separate appearances, Walker tells reporters he has not been contacted by investigators and does not know the scope of the John Doe investigation.

 

State Court of Appeals rules that all grants of immunity in John Doe proceedings be made public, after an individual sought to keep his immunity deal private. The immunity deal was never granted. It was later revealed that the individual seeking a private immunity deal was Andrew Jensen.

 

Authorities arrest Andrew P. Jensen, a commercial real estate broker with Boerke Co. and a past president of the Commercial Association of Realtors-Wisconsin, for allegedly refusing to cooperate with the John Doe investigation into Walker’s current and former aides.

 

Jensen is released without being charged for a crime. As a condition of his release, Jensen has been ordered to meet with officials in the Milwaukee County district attorney's office on Jan. 25.

 

2012-Felony embezzlement charges filed against Tim Russell and Kevin Kavanaugh, child enticement charges against Russell’s domestic partner, Brian Pierick.

 

Felony and misdemeanor charges filed against Kelly Rindfleisch and Darlene Wink for illegally doing political work while being paid by taxpayers to do county jobs.

 

Walker declined to answer a question about whether he or his attorney had been contacted by investigators. By contrast, he said last week that he had not yet talked with anyone in Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm’s office. News reports that Walker’s campaign has paid nearly $110,000 in legal fees in 2011.

“I have no comment,” said Brett Davis, the first time he had said anything about the case.