Integrity: The Child Scott Walker Left Behind is a story that continues to be investigated by the WCMC. As updates are available, we will post them to our site.
The first “Scott Walker Integrity” article was published last Saturday by the WCMC. For the record, the WCMC reported on a statement received directly from Dr. Bernadette Gillick’s attorney, Michael Fargione, not from a secondary source. When reached by phone on Monday to follow up on the story, Fargione relayed to the WCMC that Dr. Gillick was “reaffirming everything she put in her original statement” and was “not wavering” on anything she had said or anything that was printed in the articles (the second article being, Editorial: On Integrity). Fargione praised the WCMC, stating that he was very pleased with the professional manner in which [the Coop] has handled things. He then went on to say that [the Coop] has been responsible in its journalism.
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Not surprisingly, the WCMC’s article was picked up on numerous blog sites over the weekend. Robert Costa of National Review Online interviewed Michael Fargione:
“Gillick has no plans to issue any modified statement or retraction. “It’s still accurate and contains everything she knows, so there’s no reason to rehash it,” he says. “What Bernadette knows is the experience that her roommate had. She doesn’t have anything to add to what she has said.”
Fargione says Gillick’s motives are pure, regardless of the timing of her decision to come forward with her memory of freshman year at Marquette. “She’s not a political person,” he says. “She’s not a resident of Wisconsin and hasn’t been involved in that stuff.”
“But she has family there,” he acknowledges. “They sent her stuff about Walker’s statement during a debate, that he was a man of integrity, and that triggered her initial reaction and statement.”
“I’m not a political activist; she’s not a political activist,” Fargione says. He adds that there was no coordination with Democratic operatives about the allegation: “There was certainly no strategy involved. It was something she told family and friends based on her personal experience; they encouraged her, and there was no consultation with any political committee or anything like that.”
Fargione knows that Walker could potentially sue Gillick for the claim. “Anybody with a computer can sue you,” he says. “The truth is a defense. She reported what she experienced and I don’t see any problem with what she said. She reported what she knew and the sources of her knowledge. It was a public statement.”
“I don’t see a problem with a person being able to make statements about her knowledge of a public figure,” he says. “What happens with that statement is outside of her control.”
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Fargione is an attorney with Hauer, Fargione, Love, Landy, McEllistrem & Rorvig, P.A, in Minneapolis, MN. He followed up the phone call with WCMC with the following letter:
To: [WCMC]
From: Michael Fargione
Re: Your reporting of statement by Dr. Bernadette Gillick
Date: June 4, 2012
Given the various comments that have been made concerning your reporting of the story involving Dr. Bernadette Gillick, I am writing to provide this brief chronology of events.
Last week Bernadette sent an e-mail to some friends and relatives following the recent debate relating to the recall election.
One or more of the recipients of her e-mail apparently forwarded the e-mail to members of the media. Bernadette started getting calls asking for comments. Thursday night she prepared a short statement that accurately described her experiences as a freshman at Marquette in 1988.
The statement involved the pregnancy of her freshman roommate and the subsequent birth of a little girl later in 1988. While Bernadette observed the emotional stresses related to the pregnancy and was present at the hospital when the baby was born, her information about the relationship between the roommate and the father of the baby was based upon things that were told to her by the roommate.
Bernadette did not have any current information about how to contact her former roommate. When she spoke with various members of the media, she offered to provide information about the roommate’s identity so that the media people could acquire first hand information. She did so, however, on the condition that the information was given “off the record” and would not be published unless the roommate herself consented.
You were one of the people to whom the information was given. You honored your word by investigating but by not publishing identifying information about the roommate. Your published report, in my judgment, accurately stated the information given in Dr. Gillick’s statement.
While responses to your reporting will largely reflect the attitudes that people had before your report was issued, I can confirm that you have reported responsibly based upon the information that you received and based upon the limitations that were imposed as a condition of your receiving the information.
Michael Fargione
Hauer Fargione
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Wisconsin Citizens Media Cooperative 
Thank you, again, for your extraordinary commitment to truth-telling. Rare in our so sad world.
I never for one moment disbelieved Dr. Gillick’s story. Not only does she have no reason to lie, she has every reason NOT to. Everything she said rings true and the counter stories don’t make sense.
What I feel horrible about is that so many of my fellow citizens don’t see this man for what he is.
Thank you Dr. Gillick for your courage and your integrity.
I can think of several obvious reasons why the mom would deny that the real father is who he is.
I only wish the information could have come out earlier… though it’s perhaps obvious that voters were not interested in the truth….
Thanks to Dr. Gillick for opening the window so some fresh air could come in.
There is buzz in Milwaukee that female classmates in attendance at MU who were contemporaries of ‘Ruth’ and Gillick’s, are quietly confirming the story. They are, however, respecting “Ruth’s” interests in denying it for the sake of her daughter’s privacy.
But, as we know, the truth usually finds a way out. This story will not go quietly into the night.
Dr. Gillick is drawing from 26 year old memories and has unfortunately made a mistake. Please do not spread this story to your friends, because you will only end up “with egg on your face.” Ruth is real, however she never even met Scott Walker. He is NOT the father. I have first hand knowledge of this situation.
@Jon Taft: What is your first hand knowledge?
Jon Taft,
Were you the one who handed “Ruth” the pen, so that she could sign some kind of non-disclosure agreement? And in return…..?
I applaud Dr. Gillick for coming forward and informing the public about the indescretions of Govener Walker. I am saddened for the way it ended for (Ruth) and her child. Not only did Walker lie about fathering this child, but initially told (Ruth) to get an abortion. Scott Walker will do anything to protect himself. The public needs to have this story reported on to it’s full capacity. Let’s all ask Scott Walker about his love child as he stands at a podium announcing he wants to be our next President. We certainly wouldn’t want a man who lies, denys, and talks out both sides of his mouth to be our commander and chief. The 3 times relected was a very close race, and there was talk about whether it was on the up and up. He had big money help in the form of the Koch brothers. The Koch brothers will stop at nothing to get what they want, and everyone knows how Walker does their bidding. If it takes a scandle to knock him off his pedestle, so be it. The truth needs to come out about this baby issue and be aired. Save our country from the likes of Scott Walker.
Karen, I’m sharing this story, far and wide, to include on his FB page. He’s such a skeezy Koch wh*re and would destroy this country like he has Wisconsin.
Why has this story not appeared on Fox, MSNBC, CNN or any other major media outlet? Did someone get to Ruth and make sure she keeps her mouth shut or bad things will happen to her and her families? I applaud Dr. Gillick and her attorney, but with this information and the holier-than-though attitude of our Governor on this type of issue, why is he not being hounded, why the kid gloves routine? If this were to happen to Hillary, Trump, Christie, there would be so much media on this type of story until they all got to the bottom of the situation. Why is Walker being held to a totally different standard than all of the other candidates? Because of the mighty Koch’s? I’d like this to be thoroughly vetted through our major media…Walker wants to be President of my country, we deserve to know if this is another one of his non-integrity things about him that he tries to bury. He truly has a lot of them that media doesn’t want to dig into, why?