Wausau City Hall. MWC file photo
WAUSAU, WI (WSAU) — The Wausau Ethics Board has scheduled its next meeting to discuss the complaint against Mayor Doug Diny.
The Board has scheduled a meeting for Thursday, April 3rd at 4:00 PM. The posted agenda indicates “discussion and possible action on whether [the] investigation is concluded or what further investigation may be needed.”
The complaint centers on Diny’s handling of a locked but not yet secured municipal dropbox that had been placed outside City Hall last September. City Clerk Kaitlyn Bernarde had intended for the box to be secured and opened the next week so it could be used to return completed absentee ballots.
RELATED: Eight Wausau Residents File Ethics Complaint Against Mayor Doug Diny
Diny said he moved the box into his office for safekeeping, noting that anyone could have walked off with it at the time. Opponets of the move believe he broke election laws and cite a State Supreme Court decision that gave local clerks the authority to implement ballot drop boxes at their discretion.
RELATED: Wausau Ethics Board to Investigate Complaint Against Mayor Diny
The Ethics Board announced they would investigate the complaint during a meeting in late February. Since then, Diny and his lawyer have called for the matter to be dismissed saying “In summary, I secured the drop box until the City Clerk and I could ‘iron out’ many of the issues of which she was aware, and to ensure that Wisconsin Election Commission (WEC) best practices.”
Diny has previously stated that he would testify before the board if the case gets to that point. The city has hired an outside attorney to assist the board in handling the complaint.
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