Grand Chute Supervisor Ron Wolff charged with having private interest in public contract
GRAND CHUTE - Town Supervisor Ron Wolff was charged Monday with a felony for allegedly having one of his companies land a $26,865 contract with the town while he was in office.
According to the criminal complaint, his landscaping company, Lakeshore Cleaners Inc., was hired by Grand Chute to do plantings around the ponds at the Champion Center.
"The defendant, being a public officer, did, between May 4, 2021, and June 1, 2021, in his private capacity, negotiate, bid for or enter into a contract in which the defendant had a direct or indirect private pecuniary interest, while at the same time being authorized to participate in his capacity as a public officer in the making of the contract or to perform in regard to that contract some official function requiring the exercise of discretion on the defendant’s part as a public officer," the complaint says.
Wolff was elected to the Town Board in April 2021 and reelected in April 2023.
The bid by Lakeshore Cleaners was submitted on May 11, 2021, the complaint says, and the bid was approved by the town's sanitary district on June 1, 2021. The quote totaled $26,865, which is in excess of the $15,000 limit set by state statute.
Invoices for the work totaled $27,948, which Grand Chute paid in full.
The Post-Crescent tried to reach Wolff by telephone Tuesday, but he did not respond.
Wolff's initial appearance on the charge is scheduled for Aug. 1 in Outagamie County Circuit Court.
If convicted, the charge carries a maximum penalty of 3½ years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
'It is possible to abstain and still violate the law'
Wolff abstained from the vote approving the landscaping contract. However, newly elected board members were provided the document "Ethics & Conflicts of Interest – FAQs," which included the following paragraph:
"You must keep in mind that the felony statute, sec. 946.13(1)(a), prohibits a public officer or employee from acting in a private capacity to negotiate, bid or enter into a contract where the officer is authorized or required by law to participate in an official capacity in making the contract or exercising discretion under the contract, unless an exception applies. This means that it is possible to abstain and still violate the law – you may have to choose between doing business with your unit and keeping your public office or job."
The town administrator at the time, Jim March, told investigators Wolff claimed he had divested himself from Lakeshore Cleaners. The complaint says "it was later revealed to the administrator that Wolff was actually in an ownership role in the company."
According to the complaint, Wolff said March researched the conflict and informed him that because of a statutory exemption related to erosion control, he could continue with the work. The complaint says there was no applicable exemption.
The Town Board fired March without cause effective June 3. Wolff voted with the majority.
March filed a federal lawsuit against Grand Chute, Wolff, Town Chair Jason Van Eperen and Supervisor Jeff Ings, alleging they fired him in retaliation for cooperating with a state criminal investigation involving Wolff.
More: Grand Chute secures state grant to offer free Narcan kits to drug users, family members
Wolff under investigation for more than a year
The Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation has been investigating Wolff at least since March 2022, when DCI agents and Outagamie County sheriff’s deputies executed a search warrant on Wolff, a residence in Grand Chute, a residence in Nichols and Lakeshore Cleaners.
The search warrant sought evidence of misconduct in public office. Laptops and a cellphone were among the property seized during the raid.
Wolff and his wife, Karri Wolff, subsequently filed a civil rights lawsuit against DCI and unspecified Outagamie County deputies and employees. The lawsuit alleges their rights were violated by unlawful search and seizure, use of excessive force and retaliation.
That case is scheduled for a jury trial beginning Aug. 21.
Controversy surrounds Wolff's tenure on Town Board
Wolff has been at the center of controversy for nearly two years.
In August 2021, fellow Town Supervisor Brad Gehring filed an affidavit with the town clerk claiming Wolff was not a permanent resident of the town and therefore was unqualified to serve on the Town Board. An evidentiary hearing was held on the issue, and Angie Cain, the town clerk at the time, concluded that Gehring's complaint didn't satisfy the burden of proof.
Gehring told The Post-Crescent he subsequently took his concerns to Outagamie County District Attorney Melinda Tempelis. He was contacted by and met with DCI Special Agent Jay Yerges about two weeks later.
Yerges declared in a 2022 federal court document that Wolff admitted he wasn't a resident of the town.
Residency in the town is required for the position.
Contact Duke Behnke at 920-993-7176 or dbehnke@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @DukeBehnke.
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This article originally appeared on Appleton Post-Crescent: Grand Chute Supervisor Ron Wolff charged with felony misconduct
