Scott Walker has not been contacted by FBI over interactions with Russian, campaign says

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

MADISON – Gov. Scott Walker has not been contacted by the FBI for his interactions with a Russian woman charged with trying to interfere with U.S. politics, according to Walker's campaign.

But Walker campaign aide Brian Reisinger did not say whether Walker's discussions with the woman were described in a court filing.

Walker met the woman, Maria Butina, at a National Rifle Association meeting in 2015 as he prepared to launch his short-lived run for the GOP presidential nomination. She later attended his campaign kickoff in Waukesha.

An affidavit from an FBI agent alleges a "Russian official" requested that Butina write a brief report about a political event she was to attend. The filing does not include the name of the politician or the names of groups she was allegedly trying to infiltrate.

The next day, Butina wrote a report that "included descriptions of her speaking to a political candidate on the night of the announcement, as well as Butina's previous private meeting with the candidate at the 2015 annual gun rights organization members' meeting."

Reisinger did not say whether that portion of the affidavit referred to Walker but noted it did not explicitly name him.

He said Walker has not talked to the FBI or other authorities about Butina. He said Walker's campaign knew of no one from his team who had been contacted by authorities.

At the time, Butina wrote in online posts that Walker greeted her in Russian. She wrote that she did not detect any hostility from Walker toward Russia.

Reisinger did not say whether Walker knew any Russian and, if so, when and where he learned it.

Photos of their talk were posted on the website of Our American Revival, a political group set up by Walker leading up to his presidential run. Reisinger said the two did not hold a "meeting" and they talked at a time when many people were approaching the governor to take photos with him.

Martha Laning, chairwoman of the state Democratic Party, called on Walker to disclose whether he had any further contact with foreign nationals during or leading up to his presidential campaign.

In a statement, Laning said part of Walker’s explanation should include whether he made any commitments to Len Blavatnik, a Ukrainian-born billionaire whose company gave $1.5 million to a super PAC that supported Walker’s presidential run. (The super PAC returned $1.2 million of that after Walker dropped out.)

Reisinger said Walker had not made any commitments to Blavatnik or other donors.

Blavatnik, who has U.S. and U.K. citizenship, previously was part owner of a Russian oil company, but it’s unclear if he supports Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Butina also has ties to former Milwaukee County Sheriff David A. Clarke Jr., who stepped down last year and took a job as a spokesman for Trump’s super PAC, America First Action.

In 2015, Clarke took a trip to Israel and Russia valued at nearly $40,000 that was funded in part by Right to Bear Arms, a gun rights group founded by Butina.

Butina said in 2016 her group hosted Clarke and others with a National Rifle Association delegation because her group wanted to learn from the NRA.

"Sheriff Clarke is an impressive public figure who was very popular with both my fellow citizens and government leaders," Butina told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel at the time. "America is lucky to have him!"