Former aide to Wisconsin governor charged with fraud

A former aide to Wisconsin’s Republican Governor Scott Walker was charged with fraud on Thursday, accused of embezzling thousands of dollars from a fund for families of soldiers killed in Iraq and Afghanistan. The complaint accused Tim Russell, who worked closely with Walker when he was Milwaukee County Executive, of diverting more than $21,000 intended for Operation Freedom to his personal bank account and using some of the money to go on Hawaiian and Caribbean vacations. Another man also faces fraud and embezzlement charges linked to the case, while Russell’s domestic partner, Brian Pierick, faces charges of child enticement that prosecutors said came to light in the investigation.