Tim Russell's Bad Timing

Tim Russell is the go-fer and all-purpose aide who used the Milwaukee County staff job handed him by then-Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker to allegedly steal from a veterans' events fund Walker set up and ran out of the County Executive offices, prosecutors have alleged.

Russell, who previously ran former Gov. Tommy Thompson's Milwaukee office, had worked for Walker's county executive office from 2002 until Walker was elected governor in 2010. Russell also worked on Walker's gubernatorial campaign but did not follow Walker to Madison.

The complaint against Russell said he stole more than $10,000 from a private entity he controlled that was supposed to benefit military veterans. The complaint said he instead used the money in part to pay for Caribbean and Hawaiian vacations. 

Imagine if Russell was anywhere near the millions pouring into Walker's campaign to fend off the looming recall, and the as-yet-totaled-and-sourced kitty to pay two top-shelf criminal lawyers Walker has hired to deal with the John Doe probe.

Walker said Friday that he hired two attorneys, Mike Steinle and John Gallo, to "assemble additional background information." Walker said no public money will be used to pay for that work.

"While all of us need to let this matter run its course, I will continue to cooperate and provide any appropriate information that is requested," he said.

Steinle is a criminal defense attorney in Milwaukee. Gallo is a former federal prosecutor in Chicago. His online biography says his practice includes representing criminal defendants and grand-jury targets.