Milwaukee County Investigating Complaint Against Sheriff Clarke

A County division in charge of finding "waste, fraud, and abuse" in Milwaukee County, is now investigating a complaint against Sheriff Clarke.

That complaint claims Clarke detained, and questioned a Milwaukee man, after the two exchanged words on a January 15th flight. 

County Executive Chris Abele referred that document to the County Audit Services Division. 

     "We deserve better, and it isn't about politics, it's just about good government," says Abele.

Audit Director Jerry Heer would not confirm an investigation was taking place, but did tell us his division has investigated elected officials before.

If any wrong-doing is found, his division would forward along those findings to the District Attorney's Office, or the county Ethics Board.

Heer's Division is part of the county comptroller's office, and is not overseen by County Executive Chris Abele. 

     "What the auditor can do, is they can demonstrate facts, they can show facts, but they don't have the power to enforce an action on that," says Abele. 

The Ethics Board does have the power to fine, and punish, county officials. 

Sheriff Clarke's Office responded to the development Wednesday morning, calling the investigation "fake news". 

"In an act of political grandstanding, the political witch hunt continues by democrat politicians and operatives. This is nothing more than an attempt to harass and bully Sheriff Clarke. This is fake news. He remains undeterred and unfazed as he has been dealing with this for more than a decade."

       "The latest political stunt by County executive Abele is a waste of time. He does not have the authority to investigate the Sheriff’s Office, and the sheriff is making it very clear that personnel responsible to him will not be talked to by anybody from the county executive’s office."

Heer says there is no timeline for Audit Division investigations.