“In reality, there are no issues of wrong doing within the Waupaca County Sheriff’s Office.”
By Trey Foerster
Waupaca County Sheriff Timothy Wilz attacked Waupaca County District Attorney Veronica Isherwood in a Facebook posting on Monday, Aug. 8.
He posted a letter and then a second letter penned by Chief Deputy Carl Artz.
Both Isherwood and Waupaca County Sheriff candidate Det. Sgt. Cameron Durrant have been contacted for comment. If either or both respond, their comments will be added to an updated version of this story.
A previous story here presented Isherwood’s views on the controvery.
Wilz’s “press release” from the Waupaca County Sheriff Department on WCSD letterhead carried the suggested headline “Waupaca DA Misleads Public with 11th Hour Election Stunt.”
His letter reads:
“The Waupaca County District Attorney reached a new low today by issuing an 11th hour election stunt in further attempts to mislead voters. I continue to stand up against those that attempt to harm the County and the victims of crimes.
“In reality, there are no issues of wrong doing within the Waupaca County Sheriff’s Office. Despite months of inefficient use of valuable court time, baseless allegations and a dis-service to the victims of crimes in Waupaca County, today’s press release from the District Attorney does no more than hurt the safety of our community.”
Isherwood’s press release on Aug. 8 indicating that a special prosecutor has been appointed “to review the investigation for possible criminal charges.”
That referral is the result of Isherwood’s office having received the results of a Wisconsin Department of Justice criminal investigation.
“In an announcement made by the District Attorney one day before election,” Wilz’s press release states, “I stand behind the hard-working dedicated employees of the Sheriff’s Office to uphold the rights and freedoms of the community.
“While the District Attorney now attempts to mislead the public by dismissing cases, sighting issues in the Sheriff’s Office, the reality is she is simply being soft on crime.
“Furthermore, I requested in March of 2022 an investigation of ourselves and the District Attorney’s Office and a letter was sent on June 21, 2022, to the Attorney General’s Office for misconduct charges against District Attorney Isherwood.”
The June 21 letter
The aforementioned June 21 letter was sent under the hand of Chief Deputy Carl Artz.
“This letter represents a formal complaint being filed against the District Attorney for Waupaca County, Veronica Isherwood, and a request that the Attorney General’s Office conduct a formal investigation into actions and potential law violations of the District Attorney. In 38 years of Law Enforcement, I have not witnessed this type of behavior by the District Attorney or any Law Official,” Art’s letter begins.
“This formal written request follows our previous requests which to date have received no response. I have written to Susan Happ, the Director of the Criminal Litigation Unit, on at least three occasions about the issues we have with the Waupaca County District Attorney. I have also asked for a Public Integrity Investigation with the State Department of Justice and have no response.
“While three DCI investigators have been on sight (sic), they disavowed any knowledge of our complaint and refused to address any of the Sheriff’s Office concerns. To the contrary, the individuals assigned by DCI appear to have close personal ties to the Sheriff’s Office officers receiving discipline demonstrating a biased review, if any review at all. It appears that review is more aligned with covering up District Attorney and State liability which is very concerning.
“Starting in September 2020, District Attorney Isherwood has inserted herself and compromised pending personnel matters in the Sheriff’s Office. Attorney Isherwood has become an advocate for several Sheriff’s Office employees disciplined for undermining their female captain potentially involving sexual discrimination, disregarding orders and undermining the Sheriff’s authority to determine whether to refer charges. In addition, she has created liability for the State by violating the due process rights of the female captain by finding her to be a Brady officer, a matter not accepted by the Waupaca Circuit Court of the Wisconsin Court of Appeals. Most recently she publicly determined the Sheriff and myself to be Brady officers, again with no due process or justification. Her process not only violates due process, but also the Sheriff’s right to determine what matters to refer. To be clear, the Sheriff’s office stands by its officers, its reports and its referrals.
“Further, the District Attorney has unilaterally changed the referral verification process numerous times, without notice to the Sheriff or his Office. Her process eliminates oversight of reviewing reports and making referrals in violation of the Sheriff’s constitutional and statutory rights. The District Attorney is not prosecuting cases for political gain of an opposition candidate running for Sheriff, plain and simple. In doing so, the safety and security of the citizens of Waupaca County are being jeopardized. The District Attorney choses (sic) to disrupt and usurp the constitutional authority of the Sheriff and the Sheriff’s Office.
“It is my belief that there are4 serious Misconduct and Abuse of Power issues by the District Attorney’s Office in Waupaca County. It is my belief there are serious issues with Standards of Conduct of the District Attorney, in regards to disclosing information to the Defense (Public Defenders Office) by not prosecuting cases or dismissing cases of the Sheriff’s Office. Again, this letter is a formal request that the Attorney General’s Office properly and fully investigate the concerns of misconduct by the Waupaca County District Attorney.”