Category: Investigations
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Over 300 Wisconsin wandering officers back in law enforcement, up 50% from ’21
Sheriff’s offices in Waukesha and Milwaukee counties, Milwaukee Police Department employ the most wandering officers as the total number of police statewide continues its long decline.
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COP CRUNCH CONTINUES: Total number of law enforcement officers in Wisconsin keeps dropping to new lows
Nearly 14,500 officers patrolled the state in 2008. Fewer than 13,000 officers were on the streets at the end of 2023, a drop of 11 percent, and another record low.
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Wis Dems Pocan, Moore oppose bipartisan bill forcing Chinese sale of TikTok or ban
The top U.S. intelligence agency says China uses the popular social media platform to influence American elections and “magnify U.S. societal divisions.”
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Conservative groups, trade associations, private companies – THE BIGGEST LOBBYING VIOLATORS IN WISCONSIN
When lobbyists violate the state’s strict rules, the Wisconsin Ethics Commission negotiates a fine. See who’s paid the biggest ones in recent years.
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Waupaca County Sheriff’s deputy has two DUI convictions on his record
Waupaca County Sheriff’s Deputy Mitchell Butterbrodt received the second in Beaver Dam in 2018 when he was an off-duty state trooper.
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Wisconsin police chief joined anti-government group Oath Keepers in 2017
Town of Dover Water Patrol Chief Josh Martinson’s name was on a leaked membership list of Oath Keepers. The chief says he “cut ties” after learning “what they stood for.”
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Names of active Wisconsin cops found on Oath Keepers membership list
An investigation by The Badger Project discovered the names of three Wisconsin police officers among the 38,000 on the leaked list.
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Four officers fired, forced out from policing back on job in NW Wisconsin
The state DOJ tracks police who leave employment with law enforcement agencies under negative circumstances. The Badger Project found these officers analyzing that database.
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Blind trusts, student housing and lots of stock: Where the top Wisconsin politicians keep their money and why it matters
Politicians at both the state and federal levels must report some of their assets and income every year. Those reports are public. For good reason.
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Rep. Steil took Qatar-funded trip to World Cup with bipartisan group
Tours under the Mutual Educational and Cultural Exchange Act are common, expert says. Qatar has a poor human rights history.
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Rebecca Bradley criticized a colleague for not recusing from a case involving a donor. Six years ago, she helped kill a measure requiring those recusals.
A group of retired judges asked the Wisconsin Supreme Court to enact the rule. Bradley and the rest of the court’s then-conservative majority rejected it on First Amendment grounds.
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The Brewers want millions in public funds for stadium renovations. In the first half of 2023, the team spent nearly $600k lobbying to make their case.
In dollars spent, the ballclub was the state’s top lobbying organization in the first six months of 2023.
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County jail officer staffing in Wisconsin has fallen to a ‘crisis level.’ Taxpayers are picking up the tab.
The number of county jail officers in the state sinks to its lowest point since the state Department of Justice started keeping track in 2008.
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After suffering record homicides during the pandemic, Milwaukee is reporting fewer this year. Nonfatal shootings are a different story.
Six months into the year, homicides are down about 30% in Milwaukee, mirroring the national decline in homicides and other violent crime following a surge during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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‘You’ll be dead before they get here’ – Vernon County sheriff’s deputy was arrested twice for threatening wife
Mark Bellacero, a law enforcement officer in western Wisconsin, was charged with a minor offense for the 2012 arrest. A district attorney chose not to charge him for the 2013 arrest.
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LOBBYING IN WISCONSIN: Seeking millions in stadium funding, Brewers boost lobbying
Koch Network groups, Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce, hospitals are some of the biggest lobbiers in the state.
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Protasiewicz flies past Kelly in direct donations, losing indy spending slightly
Once again, a statewide race sets a record for most expensive in Wisconsin history.
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Wisconsin has highest percentage of female justices on top state court in U.S.
The April election could alter the gender makeup of the court. Research suggests the addition of female justices has little effect on court rulings, with one notable exception.