Former Scott Walker aide sentenced

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MILWAUKEE, Jan. 22 (UPI) -- Timothy Russell, a former aide to Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, has been sentenced to two years in prison for theft, with a judge saying Russell has no "shame."

Timothy, 49, was also sentenced Tuesday to five years probation after his prison term for embezzling more than $21,000 from a veterans' charity Walker hosted when he served as Milwaukee County executive.

Russell was deputy chief of staff for Walker and county housing director during Walker's term as county executive. Court documents indicate he transferred funds from the Heritage Guard Preservation Society into personal accounts and spent the money on vacation trips.

Russell apologized for the theft, but Milwaukee Circuit Judge David Hansher said Tuesday the apology was insincere, the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reported.

"There is also no true regret, remorse or repentance," Hansher told Russell. "I find that you don't even have any shame."

Russell has been linked to the establishment of a back-channel computer system in the county executive's office that prosecutors allege was used for secret communication between Walker's official county staff and workers in Walker's 2010 campaign for governor, the newspaper said.

Kelly Rindfleisch, who formerly worked as deputy chief of staff for Walker, has pleaded guilty to using the system to raise campaign funds for a former Republican legislator and unsuccessful candidate for lieutenant governor, Brett Davis.

A Milwaukee County jury in October convicted Kevin Kavanaugh, a former Walker appointee to the Veterans Service Commission, of stealing more than $51,000 intended for military veterans. Darlene Wink, a county employee when Walker was county executive, previously agreed to plead guilty to two misdemeanor charges of using public resources to raise funds for a political campaign.

Walker has retained a defense attorney and started a legal defense fund. the newspaper said.