Milwaukee County Ethics Board files 2024 annual report; committee places report on file

Adam Gilmore, executive director of the Milwaukee County Ethics Board and administrator of the County Personnel Review Board, presented the board’s 2024 annual report to the County Committee on Judiciary, Law Enforcement and General Services and answered supervisors’ questions about confidentiality and how summary determinations are handled.

Gilmore said the report satisfies the board’s obligations under Chapter 9 of the Milwaukee County ordinances and includes summaries of determinations while preserving the confidentiality of inquirers. “If you ever feel yourself in a situation that you want confidential advisement to make sure your actions are in keeping with the ethics code, you follow the example that's set here by dozens of your peers in the past year who sought to act with those appropriate interests in mind,” Gilmore told the committee.

Supervisors asked how Mr. Gilmore decides which inquiries he resolves unilaterally and which are elevated to the full Ethics Board. Gilmore said he handles many straightforward inquiries himself and brings a full quarterly list to the board for review; when an issue is ambiguous he consults the chair and vice chair and, if necessary, elevates it for full board consideration. He said that approach has been consistently supported by the Ethics Board.

Committee members pressed on the level of detail in the published summaries and on apparent lack of penalties for some determinations. Gilmore said summaries are deliberately concise to protect privacy, especially when elected officials or high-ranking employees are involved, and that the board relies on formal complaints and investigation requests to pursue disciplinary action when warranted. He told the committee that several investigation requests received last year were dismissed by the board as deficient in proving allegations.

Supervisor Johnson Jr. moved “to receive and place on file the report.” The committee voted 5-0 to receive and place the 2024 annual report on file. Gilmore noted the report is published annually on the county website.

The presentation was informational; no regulatory changes or discipline resulted from the committee action.