Chantia Lewis is out of office. Here are 5 other former Common Council members who faced criminal charges

On Monday morning, Alderwomen Chantia Lewis pleaded guilty to two felonies and was immediately removed from office. Lewis likely faces jail time.

She's not alone. In fact, Milwaukee has a history of its members spending time in prison.

Here's a look at the Common Council's criminal history.

Willie Wade, 2019

Former Ald. Willie Wade was sentenced to four months in prison in 2020 over wire fraud in a bribery case. He is currently serving out three years of supervised release.

Wade accepted $30,000 by claiming he could convince another alderman to support the opening of a strip club downtown. He had misrepresented his influence to former Silk Exotic co-owner Jon Ferraro, who had been working undercover as part of an agreement on his own criminal case.

Wade, who represented Milwaukee's 7th District from 2003 to early 2016, had been serving as president and CEO of Employ Milwaukee at the time the federal case was brought.

Michael McGee, Jr., 2008

McGee was the eldest son of a former alderman and was elected to a north side district in 2004 after an unsuccessful bid for mayor. He was convicted in 2008 on felony charges including bribery, extortion and hiding financial transactions.

The charges were related to abusing his power as alderman over liquor licenses to collect cash, food and cellphones from business owners.

Prior to his conviction, McGee had racked up numerous run-ins with the law, including a citation for disorderly conduct and a conviction for breaking a windshield with a baseball bat. He was also investigated for having two Social Security numbers.

McGee did not resign and ran for re-election from prison in 2008 and was defeated by Ald. Milele Coggs. He served 6 1/2 years in federal prison.

He later opened a hemp store.

Paul Henningsen, 2003

Henningsen was placed on trial for five felonies, including an extortion charge. He had been shaking down housing developers, embezzling $25,000 in campaign money and faking records, according to the federal probe. Records showed that Henningsen wrote more than 90 checks to himself from his campaign account.

One witness, a grocery store owner, said he had been denied a liquor license because he refused to more a campaign contribution to Henningsen.

Prior to his arrest and resignation, Henningsen had represented his downtown district for more than two decades and was seen as a power broker on the council. He served a 33-month prison sentence.

Despite his political troubles, many colleagues remembered him fondly upon his death in 2016.

Jeff Pawlinski, 2003

Pawlinski, the second convicted under the federal corruption probe, was sentenced to eight months in prison for taking $40,000 in campaign funds. He represented the 13th aldermanic district for two terms on Milwaukee's south side.

He said he used the political money for personal financial problems he experienced during a divorce. Pawlinski had been serving as his own campaign treasurer.

The former alderman left politics but later returned as an unpaid advisor to Ald. Mark Borkowski.

Rosa Cameron, 2002

A trio of Common Council members were convicted in relation to a federal corruption probe led by then-U.S. Attorney Steven M. Biskupic.

The first, Rosa Cameron, represented the west side 10th District for less than two years before pleading guilty in November 2002 to misappropriating $28,900 in federal grants. The money, designated for a nonprofit organization she had founded, went instead to Cameron's campaign expenses.

The alderwoman told the judge that she believed she was entitled to the money because she had worked cutting grass and plowing snow without compensation. Cameron also acknowledged she did not have approval from the board of directors to write checks to herself.

Cameron's two daughters were also charged for lying to city investigators about receiving funds from the same nonprofit to the tune of $90,000.

Cameron served eight months in prison followed by four months of house arrest. 

Others from the past

In 1986, Ald. Richard Spaulding was convicted for accepting $11,800 in bribes in exchange for zoning and liquor license favors. The FBI sting resulted in two years behind bars and four years of probation.

In 1975, Ald. Mark Ryan was convicted for accepting a $600 clothing gift certificate for getting a tavern license for a restaurant and also solicited a $2,500 bribe to get the license restriction removed.

In 1972, Ald. Ted Stude was accused of accepting a $500 bribe in exchange for approving a tavern license. The charge was dropped after the prosection's chief witness died.

In 1951, Ald. Albert J. Krause was convicted of accepting a $250 bribe to help someone get a liquor license.

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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Before Chantia Lewis, 5 Milwaukee council members had convictions