Lee Pulaski, lpulaski@wolfrivermedia.com
The Shawano County Board received a report Wednesday on an investigation of the Sheriff’s Department over the objections of some supervisors who wanted it discussed only in closed session.
The Administrative Committee hired attorney Dan Borowski in May to investigate $1,000 in jail bond money that went missing in 2013.
Borowski’s investigation ultimately expanded to include the actions of Sheriff’s Department employees involved in a campaign dustup with Shawano police officer Adam Bieber, who is running for sheriff in the Nov. 4 election, though minutes from subsequent meetings do not show any vote to expand the original probe.
Before the report could be heard Wednesday, several supervisors pushed for it to be sent first to the Public Safety Committee, which has oversight over the sheriff, and then back to the board for a closed session. Supervisors said specific employee performance issues should not be aired in public.
County Board Chairman Jerry Erdmann said the presentation was not going to identify anyone, so it was unnecessary to go into closed session.
“This government will remain transparent. I will not be involved in a coverup,” Erdmann said. “That’s why I feel information should at least be known as to why this investigation took place.”
The motion to postpone the report until November was defeated 17-9 shortly after Supervisor Bert Huntington, chairman of the Public Safety Committee, said the supervisors should know why the investigation was undertaken rather than rely on rumors.
Sheriff Randy Wright brought the investigation to light Oct. 8 during a Public Safety Committee meeting. He said it was a “witch hunt” timed to influence the Nov. 4 election, in which he is running as a write-in candidate after being defeated by Bieber in the August primary, and asked that it be halted.
Supervisor Ray Faehling said the missing $1,000 had already been investigated, though that investigation yielded no information about what happened to the money.
“My constituents think it is a waste of money because it was already investigated, and it’s just water over the dam,” he said.
Borowski told the board that the investigation was not focused solely on events that took place during Wright’s tenure. In addition to the money that went missing in 2013, there have been at least a dozen similar incidents dating back to 1999, he said.
Borowski added that if the missing money is not a result of theft, it could be an employee performance issue. Out of all the incidents, there was only one where the money was found, he said.
“If there has been misconduct, you have a duty as a county to act,” Borowski said. “If there hasn’t been, there’s a duty to clear the names of these deputy sheriffs.”
Borowski is also investigating an incident at the Shawano County Republican Party’s annual picnic in July. After Bieber presented his platform, three deputies, who have not been named publicly, questioned Bieber in a way that some witnesses likened to harassment.
No complaint was filed, but that fact is irrelevant, Borowski said, as the county has a responsibility to make sure employees, including those in protective services, behave responsibly in the public eye. He noted that law enforcement regularly looks into issues without a complaining witness.
“Citizens are often hesitant to file complaints against law enforcement officials for a variety of reasons, including fear of getting involved or retribution from law enforcement,” Borowski said.
The investigations are expected to be finished by the end of the year.
“No conclusions have been reached,” Borowski said.