Ethics Board hears complaint against Mayor Doug Diny

WAUSAU, Wis. (WXCO) – A long awaited hearing in the ethics complaint against Wausau Mayor Doug Diny has officially come to an end. 

The Wausau Ethics Board has officially heard the complaint against Diny regarding his removal of a ballot box last year. 

The complaint, which was filed in January, alleged Diny’s removal of the ballot box violated city ethics codes. 

In the nearly seven-hour hearing, the board and Diny’s lawyer Andrew Erlandson questioned witnesses, including Wausau police chief Matt Barnes, city council President Lisa Rasmussen, city clerk Kaitlyn Bernarde, and city attorney Anne Jacobson. 

The witnesses testified about email correspondences, specific events in the timeline of the removal, and state and local statutes. 

During his testimony, Diny said he feels the public didn’t know the box was there until it was missing. 

“I went out to inspect it, and I realized, you know, it’s very light, it was clearly not secured,” he said.

He said he didn’t intend to keep the box for an extended period of time. 

“It wasn’t my intention to keep it in my office for a full year,” he said. “It was to try to move the cheese, I think is the term that I used, in getting the proper lighting, the proper security, the proper markings. And at the time, I didn’t know there were issues with the marking per se, but I was concerned about the other security issues”

In looking back at the situation, Diny said he didn’t wish his quote “fifteen minutes of fame” on anyone. 

“I had CNN showing up here. We had news cameras. Before we had our security doors out front, we had news guys rolling and walking into my office,” he said. “It was a miserable period of time.”

The board’s hearing brings a months-long process to an end, which included several attempts by Diny to have the matter dismissed and delayed. 

The board did not immediately announce their decision.