Wausau ethics board grants motion to compel, approves subpoenas for mayor-deposition hearing

The Wausau Ethics Board voted unanimously to grant a motion to compel depositions in the pending ethics complaint against Mayor Doug Denny and approved subpoenas for multiple city employees and contractors to appear before the board prior to the hearing.

The move followed a reading of the board’s determination that cited the city ethics code and state discovery law and concluded that taking depositions is necessary to allow the respondent to “exercise full discovery rights.” Board member Robin, who moved to grant the motion, read the determination and said the board “hereby grants the respondent’s motion to compel and would order the city clerk [and] city attorney … to sit for a deposition prior to the date of the hearing at a date and time agreeable to all parties.”

Why it matters: The board framed the action as a due-process step. The determination rejects the argument from the city clerk and city attorney that they could not sit for depositions because of an ongoing criminal investigation by the Wisconsin Department of Justice. In the board’s view, that separate investigation — and a February denial of a records request — were…