Court trial set for New Haven treasurer accused of ethics violation

By LeAnn R. Ralph

MENOMONIE  —  An October court trial on an alleged ethics violation has been set in Dunn County Circuit Court for the treasurer in the Town of New Haven.

Judge Rod Smeltzer scheduled the court trial for Laura L. Ulrich at a status hearing August 15.

Dunn County Assistant District Attorney Andrew J. Maki filed the civil complaint in Dunn County Circuit Court March 27 against incumbent treasurer Laura L. Ulrich, 52, for allegedly using her public position as treasurer to send out campaign advertising with the tax receipts to promote herself in the April 4 election.

According to the civil complaint, the campaign advertising was sent out between January 15 and February 1 with the tax receipts to 177 people who own property in the Town of New Haven in violation of Wisconsin statute 19.59.

Deputy Jason Stalker with the Dunn County Sheriff’s Department was contacted February 6 by Marvin Prestrud, New Haven town chair.

Prestrud told Deputy Stalker that Ulrich had mailed voting propaganda out with the township’s tax receipts to town residents. Prestrud e-mailed a scanned copy of the letter to the deputy, according to the complaint.

Ulrich told investigators she had sent the letter to 177 people and that she had paid for both the postage and the envelopes, with a check for $21.24 to the Dunn County Treasurer’s office for the envelopes and had paid for $122.50 in postage stamps with her credit card, according to the complaint.

In her letter, Ulrich asked for votes in the April 4 election from town residents. The letter was stapled to the the tax receipts, but Ulrich did not send the letter to current town board members or to her opponent in the election, the complaint states.

If convicted of the ethics violation, Ulrich could be required to pay a fine of up to $1,000 for each violation, and if the court determines that she violated paragraph (1)(br) of the statute, the court may order Ulrich to forfeit an amount equal to the amount or value of any political contribution, service or other thing of value wrongfully obtained.

Wisconsin statute 19.59 states that no local public official may use his or her public position or office to obtain financial gain or anything of substantial value for the private benefit of himself or herself or his or her immediate family, or for an organization with which he or she is associated.

The section of the statute (1)(br) refers to promising to vote a certain way or take official action in exchange for a political contribution or to benefit a candidate or political party.

During a court trial, instead of presenting evidence to a jury, evidence is presented to the judge, and the judge makes a decision on the case.

The October 23 trial is scheduled to begin at 1:30 p.m. before Judge Smeltzer.