Wausau City Hall
WAUSAU, WI (WSAU) — After more than seven hours, the ethics hearing into Mayor Doug Diny’s handling of a locked, unsecured municipal dropbox in September 2024 had concludes
Among those who testified during the morning session included:
- Police Chief Matthew Barnes
- City/County IT Director Gerald Klein
- Public Works Director Eric Lindman
- Facilities Manager Leo Gau
- Council President Lisa Rasmussen
Barnes told the board that Mayor Diny had discussed security concerns about the box, but he never got an indication that he intended to block its use. “To the best of my recollection, [he shared] concern regarding it being unsecured in front of City Hall, just showing up there. He informed me that over the weekend, he had moved it.
“I would describe the communication as the Mayor was disappointed and frustrated that the ballot box arrived in front of City Hall. He was concerned that it wasn’t bolted down or secured. It was a bit of a surprise that it even arrived there at that point,” added Barnes.
“Did he say anything to suggest that he was going to obstruct or not permit its deployment for the November [2024] general election?” Asked Diny’s attorney, Andrew Erlandson. “Not to me,” replied Barnes.
Klein’s testimony centered on his role managing the security cameras and I/T infrastructure around City Hall, including discussions he had with the Mayor about camera coverage around the box.
Lindman faced a line of questioning from Erlandson regarding instructions to retrieve or install the box. He says he received communications from the Mayor regarding the box on Monday, September 23rd, the day after it was removed, but doesn’t recall conversations with the Clerk about it.
“Did you get a call [or email] from the Clerk that day?” Asked Erlandson. “I don’t recall a call [or email],” Lindman responded.
Lindman added that he doesn’t recall being asked to retrieve the box on any of the following days. Bernarde, who spent more than two hours on the stand, later told the board that she worked directly with two employees at the Department of Public Works in the matter.
Gau spoke about installing ballot dropboxes for previous elections and how he handled the current box, saying there was an intent to rebrand the box.
Rasmussen spoke for nearly 30 minutes, giving a narrative to an email exchange between herself and the Mayor in the days following the incident. She said while she was frustrated by Diny’s actions, she tried to “appeal to his better judgement” in getting him to return the box and rethink what he was doing.
In her experience, she said elected officials should be “hands-off” when it comes to elections. “That experience led me to be very concerned about where this goes next, and the fact that it happened at all. That’s why I sent this particular email to the Mayor.”
The board agreed to a one hour recess for lunch after Rasmussen’s testimony. Clerk Kaitlyn Bernrde took the stand following the break, and provided more than two hours of testimony.
She was followed by City Attorney Anne Jacobson and Mayor Diny. Testimony wrapped by 6 PM, with the board voting to go into closed session.
Just before excusing themselves into the Maple Room, the board and its attorney announced that they would reconvene but would not provide a decion on whether Diny’s actions represent a violation of the city’s Ethics Code.
“I don’t see the decision being ready today,” said Attorney Eric Larson, who has been advising the board in the matter. “It has to be reduced to writing, [so] it probably will not be announced until it is. It is not going to be reduced to writing today.”
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