The Attorney General's office wants to open the secret John Doe transcripts that led to five convictions in the Capital Corruption Scandal.
The Department of Justice won't talk about it now after being quoted in a newspaper article but officials did confirm the request to unseal the documents that would show how the case was built against four former lawmakers and one state aide.
Jay Heck with Common Cause says that's a good idea. Heck says the John Doe investigation ended with the biggest corruption scandal in state history. People should know, he says, what happened to their state government.
Heck doesn't feel strongly one way or the other as to whether the secret details should come out before the election. He does feel Wisconsin voters “are not as stupid as a lot of politicians think they are” and they will be able to deal with the information in front of them.
Heck says some big names in state government may be mentioned in these secret disclosures but the investigation is over. No one else will be indicted because of the unsealed documents and since ethics and reform will be an issue for voters this fall, they're entitled to know how the corruption at the state capital took root.
A closed door hearing on the issue will be held in Dane County court in October.
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