Jeff Bollier

USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin

GREEN BAY - The special prosecutor who charged Mayor Jim Schmitt with three campaign finance violations has recommended Schmitt be fined and complete community service.

In a sentencing memorandum filed this week in Brown County Circuit Court, Milwaukee County Assistant District Attorney Bruce Landgraf recommended Schmitt be fined $4,000 and sentenced to 40 hours of community service for accepting more than $11,175 in campaign contributions that exceeded the $1,040 individual limit. Schmitt is accused of relabeling some of the excess contributions when some city aldermen complained to the Brown County District Attorney's Office in January 2015.

Schmitt is expected to plead guilty Monday to misdemeanor charges of making false statements on campaign finance reports, attempting to accept funds from someone other than the reported contributor and attempting to accept funds in excess of the individual contribution limit.

RELATED: Green Bay aldermen call for Schmitt's resignation

RELATED: Schmitt campaign worker quit over recordkeeping

Outagamie County Circuit Court Judge Mitchell Metropulos, the substitute judge hearing the case, could sentence Schmitt to up to nine months in prison and a $10,000 fine on each of the three counts. But Landgraf agreed not to recommend jail time or probation as part of the plea agreement. In the sentencing recommendation, he notes that the campaign finance violations would have resulted in fines, at most, had they been dealt with at the time they occurred, between 2011 and 2014.

"Jail, of course, is not the presumptive disposition for a defendant with no record," Landgraf wrote. "In any event, monetary penalties for a politician — paid with personal and not campaign funds — can have greater significance and represent more meaningful punishment than 'jail.'"

Landgraf wrote that he approached Schmitt's attorney with a draft of a criminal complaint and offered the deal that requires Schmitt to plead guilty to three misdemeanors and dissolve his campaign committee. In exchange, Landgraf said he would not recommend a prison term.

The sentencing recommendation indicates Schmitt shut down the campaign committee and donated the $23,198 balance to the Common School Fund on Sept. 7.

The agreement also calls for almost three dozen more campaign violations to be read into the record during the sentencing. Landgraf said the plea agreement "is intended to settle all campaign violations described in the criminal complaint."

Metropulos can consider those 34 additional campaign finance violations when sentencing Schmitt.

Landgraf expects the convictions to limit Schmitt's future political career.

"I note that these criminal convictions are likely to inhibit Mr. Schmitt's political career no matter what happens regarding his current position," Landgraf wrote. "This limitation is itself a form of punishment. If not removed from office by the voters or the city council of Green Bay, he will have to overcome the stigma of three criminal convictions to attain any office higher than his present position. Given the fact and the nature of these criminal convictions, that will be a difficult hurdle to overcome."

Citing similar reasoning, Schmitt's lawyer, on Wednesday filed a sentencing recommendation of a $1,500 fine only.

Court documents indicate Schmitt changed the names of political donors to their siblings, spouses or children in order to circumvent campaign finance rules. In at least one instance, Schmitt put a donation in the name of someone who does not exist. Landgraf said there were seven incidents he investigated that produced 37 campaign finance violations.

jbollier@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter @GBstreetwise.