By H. Nelson Goodson
Hispanic News Network U.S.A.
March 11, 2018
Milwaukee, Wisconsin - The 12th Milwaukee County Supervisor District race has become the center once again of the White liberal influence to dictate who will get elected in the predominately Latino community and thousands of dollars are being spent on both candidates running for office. The LeadershipMKE is spending thousands of dollars of advertising, which favors the election of Sylvia Ortiz-Velez and doesn't favor the re-election of Supervisor Peggy West, the incumbent. Supervisor West has raised the issue that dirty political tactics are being used. Both Ortiz-Velez and West claimed that their campaigns are not associated with LeadershipMKE. Even LeadershipMKE dot com included a disclaimer in their campaign to unseat Supervisor West, which says, "Paid for by Leadership Mke. Not authorized by any candidate or candidate's agent or committee." LeadershipMKE is also involved in other local campaigns to unseat unfavorable candidates for office as well.
Also, it is appropriate to inform that besides LeadershipMKE, some White liberals tend to try and influence who they want to succeed and become the next supervisor for the 12th District. West has been able to get endorsed by Milwaukee Common Council members, José Pérez, Tony Zielinski, Wisconsin State Senator Tim Carpenter (D), Wisconsin State Representative JoCasta Zamarripa (D), Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm, Milwaukee County Judge Pedro Cólon, Milwaukee Municipal Judge Phil Chavez and the list of public elected officials goes on.
According to Friends of Milw. County Supervisor Peggy West, District 12th Facebook (FB) page, it says "Peggy ...campaigns for her seat against the dirtiest of political tactics & thousands of dollars in special interest money...There's a difference between donating to a campaign and bankrolling one. Leadership MKE, which is fully funded by Chris Abele, has already poured $28,482.60 into the 12th District Supervisor race where Milw. County Supervisor, Dist. 12 Peggy West is the incumbent..." Well in this case, West has actually benefited by the LeadershipMKE campaign as well, since she has been getting equal advertising, but not as favorable as Ortiz-Velez. West is seeking to get re-elected for a fifth term and has missed at least 10 meetings of the Milwaukee Domes Committee, which is deciding the future of the domes. She did confirm that she attends all full Board of Supervisors meetings.
Ortiz-Velez seems to be the choice that LeadershipMKE would like to get elected. LeadershipMKE posted on FB, "We are supporting Sylvia Ortiz Velez because we feel Sylvia will actually show up and represent her constituents" regarding meetings.
Ortiz-Velez has been a paying registered member in the Democrat Party of Wisconsin and is the current Vice-president of the Hispanic Caucus in the Democrat Party. Ortiz-Velez has been able to get the support and endorsements of community known leaders, movers and shakers, and activists as Luz Sosa, Hector Cólon, Teresa Mercado, Gregorio Montoto, Nancy Hernández, Victor Huyke, Martin Jimenez, Rebecca Bahr-Arrichiello, Attorney Carlos Pastrona, Tony Garnica, Ernesto Nava, Raul Huerta, Ernesto Ramirez (Chato), Ricardo Diaz, Carmen Cabrera, Anita Abraham, Rogelio Cabral, Eleazar Lopez, Cy White, Scott Wales, Roy Camronero, Blanca Blanka Estrada, Frankie Sabath, Yussef Morales, Felix Questell, Johnny Osorio, Kristina Reyes and Mariana Reyes (Reyes Family), Juan Estrada (Estrada Family), Oscar Brenes, Owner of El Patron, Dionisia Gonzalez. Former Alderman James Witkowiak, Rogelio Cabral, Eleazar Lopez, Angel Salmeron Duenas and the list goes on.
Ortiz-Velez has been a paying registered member in the Democrat Party of Wisconsin and is the current Vice-president of the Hispanic Caucus in the Democrat Party. Ortiz-Velez has been able to get the support and endorsements of community known leaders, movers and shakers, and activists as Luz Sosa, Hector Cólon, Teresa Mercado, Gregorio Montoto, Nancy Hernández, Victor Huyke, Martin Jimenez, Rebecca Bahr-Arrichiello, Attorney Carlos Pastrona, Tony Garnica, Ernesto Nava, Raul Huerta, Ernesto Ramirez (Chato), Ricardo Diaz, Carmen Cabrera, Anita Abraham, Rogelio Cabral, Eleazar Lopez, Cy White, Scott Wales, Roy Camronero, Blanca Blanka Estrada, Frankie Sabath, Yussef Morales, Felix Questell, Johnny Osorio, Kristina Reyes and Mariana Reyes (Reyes Family), Juan Estrada (Estrada Family), Oscar Brenes, Owner of El Patron, Dionisia Gonzalez. Former Alderman James Witkowiak, Rogelio Cabral, Eleazar Lopez, Angel Salmeron Duenas and the list goes on.
Ortiz-Velez shows a strong community base support to get elected compared to West's political base of endorsement's by public officials.
Today, West is facing several allegations that she took a $500 donation from a contractor, Sally Sprenger who operates ANEW Health Care Services, which has a contract with Milwaukee County to provide services to County residents, which is in violation of Milwaukee County Ethics Code 9.05(2) (k) & (l). West's January 2018 campaign donation report confirmed the contractor donation. She also allegedly didn't circulate some nomination papers to get on the April 3rd election ballot, according to a complaint filed by Ortiz-Velez with the Milwaukee County Ethic's Board that included multiple affidavits by signers confirming West didn't circulate the nomination papers that they signed. The Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office received a copy of the complaint that was filed by Ortiz-Velez, but since District Attorney Chisholm has endorsed West, the complaint will be turned over to another county district attorney in the state to review and determine, if West violated state law, which is considered a felony to file, certify and make false claims in nomination papers. According to Wisconsin Statue 12.13 (13) (a), falsifying nomination papers by certification is considered a felony punishable up to 3 years and six months in prison with fines up to $10,000.
On March 4, West's alleged relationship with a registered sex offender was exposed by a Southside resident on FB that involved Milwaukee police. Felix Questell, an outspoken constituent from the Milwaukee County Supervisor 12th District posted a FB video allegedly claiming that County Supervisor Peggy West had called police and accused him of posting a threat on a social network that Questell threatened to shoot a pedophile (a registered sex offender). Questell in the video confirmed that a police officer had called him that West had complained and the officer was just checking and letting him know what West had told police.
Questell says in the posted video, that West had lied.
Apparently, Questell had posted multiple posts on Facebook that West allegedly had a relationship with Thomas James Schroder, 44, a registered sex offender who was released on February 27 from the Milwaukee Secure Detention Facility. Schroder was convicted on January 15, 2008 for 2nd-degree sexual assault of a child. The Milwaukee Police Department website on registered sex offenders listed Schroder as homeless, but the Wisconsin Department of Corrections sex offender registry has him as compliant.
So far, West hasn't denied or confirmed that she actually has a relationship with Schroder. Last July, West announced on FB that she had set a wedding date for October 27, 2017, but according to Milwaukee County records, no marriage license was registered in the County or in the State of Wisconsin vitals that she got married.
The 12th Milwaukee County Supervisor District race has boiled over the political realm that several organizations have decided to ban or censor news coverage about West and Ortiz-Velez from a Latino community news source. The organizations in question are the ACLU-Milwaukee Chapter and especially in the Citizen Action Cooperative-MKE FB pages.
Ortiz-Velez is an active paying member of Acción Ciudadana de Wisconsin, which is the Hispanic Caucus entity in Citizen Action of Wisconsin. The Citizen Action of WI is considered a progressive organization and its political endorsement group decided not to endorse any candidate in the race for the 12th Milwaukee County Supervisor District race. The organization prides itself on struggling for progressive issues and encourages their members to be activists, leaders in their communities and seek elected political office, but in this case, it failed to endorse one of their own. What kind of message is the organization sending to their membership? Not a clear positive message of encouragement to its membership, when running for political office. West is not a paying member of Citizen Action of WI.
Also, no clear reasoning was made by the ACLU-Milwaukee Chapter other that several administrators claimed a news article posted about West and removed was out of the scope that it represents, but allowed other news articles to remain posted.
Well, there you have it, the latest about what has transpired in the 12th Milwaukee County Supervisor District race and you can draw your own conclusions.
The Ethics Board only investigate violations that have not expired under statues of limitations when a complaint is filed, which certainly shows that West violated Ethics Codes by accepting campaign donations from a contractor and got away simply because it wasn't reported at the time, since the time limit to file a complaint expired.
Update:
The Milwaukee County Ethics Board hasn't determined, if Supervisor Peggy West recently violated any Ethics Codes by accepting campaign donations from a County contractor as alleged by an amended supplement complaint filed by Sylvia Ortiz-Velez who is challenging West in the April 3rd election.
Supervisor Peggy West posted the following statement on her personal Facebook (FB) page dated 3/12/2018 and says, the "Ethics Violation" allegation is false. West says, that the contractor in question, "is NOT and HAS not been a county contractor for more than 2 years because the department she allegedly has a contract with is no longer under Milwaukee County Government and has become its own entity."
The following is West's personal FB account posted statement:
This will be the last time that I justify accusations leveled at me however, as a candidate perhaps I am fair game for my name to be drug through the mud, however my supporters are not and should not be.
There is allegedly an ethics complaint which has been filed against me for accepting a campaign contribution from a County "contractor".
This "Ethics Violation" allegation is false.
1. This person is NOT and HAS not been a county contractor for more than 2 years because the department she allegedly has a contract with is no longer under Milwaukee County Government and has become its own entity.
2. It is NOT a violation of county ethics code to accept a donation from county contractors. This is written in our Ethics Code & very easy to check.
Ways this ALLEGATION could have been checked;):
1. On the county website under Ethics Code you can find a full write up of it.
2. Call the Ethics Committee to ask.
3. Call the Contractor in question and ask if they have contracts with Milwaukee County or check their website. (I did both).
The Milwaukee County Ethics Board did recently learn that Supervisor West did accept campaign donations by a contractor with the County as reported.
The Milwaukee County Ethics Board hasn't determined, if Supervisor Peggy West recently violated any Ethics Codes by accepting campaign donations from a County contractor as alleged by an amended supplement complaint filed by Sylvia Ortiz-Velez who is challenging West in the April 3rd election.
Supervisor Peggy West posted the following statement on her personal Facebook (FB) page dated 3/12/2018 and says, the "Ethics Violation" allegation is false. West says, that the contractor in question, "is NOT and HAS not been a county contractor for more than 2 years because the department she allegedly has a contract with is no longer under Milwaukee County Government and has become its own entity."
The following is West's personal FB account posted statement:
This will be the last time that I justify accusations leveled at me however, as a candidate perhaps I am fair game for my name to be drug through the mud, however my supporters are not and should not be.
There is allegedly an ethics complaint which has been filed against me for accepting a campaign contribution from a County "contractor".
This "Ethics Violation" allegation is false.
1. This person is NOT and HAS not been a county contractor for more than 2 years because the department she allegedly has a contract with is no longer under Milwaukee County Government and has become its own entity.
2. It is NOT a violation of county ethics code to accept a donation from county contractors. This is written in our Ethics Code & very easy to check.
Ways this ALLEGATION could have been checked;):
1. On the county website under Ethics Code you can find a full write up of it.
2. Call the Ethics Committee to ask.
3. Call the Contractor in question and ask if they have contracts with Milwaukee County or check their website. (I did both).
The Milwaukee County Ethics Board did recently learn that Supervisor West did accept campaign donations by a contractor with the County as reported.
Supervisor West is currently Chairwoman of the Finance & Audit Committee and is a member of the Judiciary, Safety & General Services Committee, according to the Milwaukee County Board website.
Supervisor West has received more than $2K since 2011 from Sally and Gary Sprenger who operate ANEW Health Care Services, according to Blogging Blue dot com. The Ethics Board only investigate violations that have not expired under statues of limitations when a complaint is filed, which certainly shows that West violated Ethics Codes by accepting campaign donations from a contractor and got away simply because it wasn't reported at the time, since the time limit to file a complaint expired.
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