Burke aide accused of ordering removal of documents
11:31 AM 3/27/03
Phil Brinkman State government reporter

A top aide to former state Sen. Brian Burke ordered staffers to remove potentially damaging information from Burke's state office after learning authorities were searching caucus computers for illicit campaign material, according to a search warrant released Thursday.

Tanya Bjork "freaked out" when she heard employees of the Senate Democratic Caucus had been told to step away from their computers in December 2001, former aide Cindy McGinnis testified at a secret court hearing, according to an affidavit filed in support of the warrant.

Bjork told employees to remove from their desks and computers anything that "didn't belong there," meaning campaign-related materials, McGinnis testified. That same day, Bjork gave McGinnis a box of materials to take from the office, the warrant request said, although it's unclear what the box contained.

Staffers also began combing through Burke's computerized office calendar, deleting any references to campaign-related events, according to testimony cited in the warrant request. At one point, McGinnis said, Bjork asked her to reconstruct nearly six months of the former senator's calendar.

The warrant and subsequent search provided the basis for the 18-count criminal complaint filed against the Milwaukee Democrat last June.

Burke, once considered the leading candidate for attorney general, was charged with using state staff to run his campaign, soliciting campaign donations at the state Capitol and destroying evidence - including the calendar entries.

Bjork was charged with two misdemeanors, and former aide Raghu Devaguptapu was charged with five civil forfeitures.

Dane County Circuit Judge Sarah O'Brien released the warrant Thursday, nearly one year to the day after she authorized it. It wasn't clear why the papers were being made public now, and O'Brien declined comment.