Wausau Ethics Commission finds Mayor Doug Deeney violated ethics code by moving drop boxes
WAUSAU – The Ethics Commission on Oct. 15 is investigating a complaint against Mayor Doug Diny involving his move of the clerk’s office drop box during early voting for the November 2024 general election.
The commission determined that the mayor violated the City of Wausau’s Code of Ethics and ordered the mayor to act ethically.
“The Ethics Commission has determined that Mayor Doug Deeney violated Wausau Municipal Code Section 2.03.030(j) based on clear and convincing evidence presented in this manner,” Commission Chairman Calvin Dexter said after the commission reconvened for a public meeting on Oct. 15.
Code of Ethics Section 2.03.030(j) states: “No officer/employee shall do any act in his or her official capacity that the officer/employee knows is beyond his or her lawful authority or use his or her official title or that the officer/employee knows is prohibited by law from engaging in any act in his or her official capacity.”
Ordering the mayor to act ethically is one of several orders or recommendations the board may reach in its decision-making. The committee did not recommend to the Common Council that the mayor be censured, suspended or removed from office, nor was the mayor fined.
The Wisconsin Department of Justice’s investigation into the matter remains ongoing. Fond du Lac District Attorney Eric Toney was appointed special prosecutor in the case on August 14. Tony confirmed to a Wausau Daily Herald reporter on Oct. 15 that the investigation is ongoing, that anyone named in the investigation is innocent until proven guilty, and that he would not disclose any other details about the case or his investigation.
This was the board’s first meeting since Oct. 10, when it heard about seven hours of testimony from eight witnesses about incidents related to the drop box between Sept. 17 and Sept. 30, 2024, and on Sept. 13, 2024.th The eight-month investigation was launched after the commission first received a citizen complaint.
On Oct. 15, just after 4:40 p.m., the board met in closed session to review a draft decision written by outside counsel, Eric Larson of the Municipal Law and Litigation Group, based on comments the board made in closed session after the Oct. 10 hearing. About 30 minutes later, the board reconvened.
The original complaint accused the mayor of willfully violating three sections of federal law related to elections. At a committee meeting on August 25, the committee decided to dismiss the portion of the complaint related to one of the laws as irrelevant to the facts of the case. The remaining two laws allegedly violated relate to deprivation of rights (18 U.S.C. § 242) and prohibited conduct related to the right to vote (52 U.S.C. § 10307).
Erik Pfantz covers local government and education in central Wisconsin for USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin, emphasizing his background as a rural Wisconsinite. Contact him: epfantz@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared in the Wausau Daily Herald: Wausau Ethics Commission finds Mayor Doug Deeney violated ethics code
