Tracy Keogh
- Feb 18, 2018
- 3 min read

The Wrongful Conviction of Brendan Dassey and Wisconsin's Political Divide

“The Wisconsin comeback has only just begun” tweeted Wisconsin incumbent Governor, Scott Walker. Walker was first elected Governor in the 2010 Wisconsin general election, with 8 years of reforms and pro-growth policies nowhere in sight, it begs the question ‘is he coming back from his own inadequacies?'

John Doe

As the 45th Governor of Wisconsin and considered somewhat of a pariah for the liberal faction and a demi-god for conservatives, Walker’s moniker is firmly steeped in the illegal collusion of lobby groups and the murky waters of ‘dark money ‘accusations. Such accusations given credence by documents leaked in 2016 which highlighted his questionable fundraising and his reliance on private donors and shadowy non-profits.

The John Doe files casting umbra over Wisconsin’s problematic politics and the flimflam relationship harboured by corporations and politicians, point the affronted towards the Wisconsin Club for Growth (WCfG), a 501(c)(4) tax exempt non-profit.

Gubernatorial Election November 6th 2018

Having fought back from a recall election in 2012, the gubernatorial election to be held November 6th, 2018 will see Walker joust for his political standing once again in a field of Democratic opponents jockeying for position. November 6th is not singularly concerned with party, it is also about policy and upholding the constitutional rights of the people of Wisconsin; and as an advocate for the wrongfully convicted Brendan Dassey, it rests solely on Wisconsin legislature, Article V, section 6:

The governor shall have power to grant reprieves, commutations and pardons, after conviction, for all offenses, except treason and cases of impeachment, upon such conditions and with such restrictions and limitations as he may think proper, subject to such regulations as may be provided by law relative to the manner of applying for pardons…

A Governor's Constitutional Obligations

Governor Walker has not only refused since the beginning of his tenure to grant pardons, he has rebuffed any notion of his duty to convene a committee to hear such calls for clemency. A Governor’s constitutional obligation is a longstanding bipartisan tradition, and Walker’s dismissal of this constitutional duty is unprecedented in Wisconsin’s recent history.

Previous Governor’s such as Governor Tommy Thompson issued 148 pardons, Governor Jim Doyle issued almost 300 pardons and even Governor Scott McCallum pardoned 24 people in his short two-year term in office. Walker is the only Governor on the stained political landscape of Wisconsin to refuse to enact his constitutional duty.

Wisconsin it is time for change.

The Wrongful Conviction of Brendan Dassey

“I’m convinced we would have won that decision, it would have been a 4-4 decision which would have mean’t Judge Duffin’s opinion would have stayed in force, the District court’s opinion. But out of the blue, one of the Justice’s on the 7th Circuit retired on September 1st, and we knew going into that argument that in late September, that our chances of winning were remote at best. And we felt we had a good shot at getting Judge Posner’s vote” - Steven Drizin

This is just one in a litany of hapless transgressions that have dogged the road to justice for Brendan Dassey. While we cannot write Amicus briefs or fight for Brendan’s rights and actual innocence across the podium of the highest federal court of the United States, we can affect change at a grass roots level and campaign for those who oppose Governor Walker. And leading that field is navy veteran, attorney and former Chair of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin, Matt Flynn. A strong voice in shaping public policy in Wisconsin, when his office was asked by fellow Brendan Dassey advocate Viv Bowers Mr. Flynn’s thoughts about granting clemency;

“Matt believes we need to review convictions for potential pardons and he will appoint a pardon review board in his office when he is governor” “He believes that Scott Walker’s no pardons policy is hurting our economy and the social welfare of our state.”

Game changer.

Wisconsinites catapult your support behind Matt Flynn, be a voice for Brendan and make sure to take to the polls on November 6th, those of us who are littered around the globe, the arm of social media is long, be proactive for Brendan, support Matt Flynn for Wisconsin Governor 2018.

In the words of Brendan's lead counsel Steven Drizin: