Groping, spying, harassing: Misconduct complaints within Wisconsin's Department of Justice

Correction: A previous version of this article incorrectly reflected Attorney General Brad Schimel's past comments on releasing misconduct complaints.

MADISON - At least seven Wisconsin Department of Justice employees have been accused of sexual misconduct since 2014, including a lawyer who was stripped of his leadership position but kept on staff after a coworker said he repeatedly harassed her.

Newly released documents show Department of Justice officials investigated complaints of making sexual innuendos, invading personal space, groping, joking about a worker's sexuality and spying on women through windows of the agency's Madison headquarters.

Most allegations were ruled unfounded or resulted in directives to stop inappropriate conduct.

One of the firmer responses was handed out to Greg Weber, who oversaw a unit until July 2016 that handles appeals of felony-level cases and reviews legislation affecting the criminal justice system. The previous month, a woman under his supervision reported she could no longer work for him.

A Department of Justice investigation found Weber's conduct "did not rise to the level of a hostile work environment or harassment" but was unprofessional. Through an attorney, Weber told USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin the accusations were unfounded.

The woman’s name was redacted in state investigation documents obtained by USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin this week under open records laws. The documents show the woman reported:

► Weber had asked her during a stressful workday, "How about we get drunk and you run off to the islands with me?"

► Weber had told her in response to a vacation-hours issue: "I see you owe me a day of your time. Perhaps I should have you dance with me in the garments of my choice."

► Weber had commented on the color of her toenails, sent her a phallic-themed picture on Facebook and said he had a dream about her. "It was creepy," she said of the dream comment.

► Weber had also told another colleague that a woman was "a distraction when those legs walk by" and objectified a different employee by comparing her to actress Sandra Bullock.

The woman who reported the allegations told Department of Justice officials that Weber’s conduct typically made her upset for a day or two, and then she’d get over it. When others offered to speak with Weber or involve human resources, she had declined.

But then someone shared an email Weber wrote in December 2015 that fantasized about her dancing with a "rose clenched in her teeth" and castanets. She called the email the last straw. The name of the email's recipient was redacted in records released to USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin.

"He doesn’t respect me but just thinks of my hair color, nail color and pictures me with a rose between my teeth. (He) doesn’t value the work I do or me as an employee and (he) just sees me as an object," she told officials. "I can’t even look at him right now."

An attorney who represents Weber told USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin on Tuesday that Weber is a happily married man, participated fully in the Department of Justice's investigation and received support from male and female colleagues.

"As anyone who knows Mr. Weber would attest, he is a kind and respectful person," attorney Peter Fox said.

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In a letter dated July 19, 2016, then-Deputy Attorney General Andrew Cook told Weber that an investigation of his conduct found his comments were offensive to the woman and "not conducive to a respectful work environment."

"I have lost confidence in your ability to be an effective supervisor for this unit," Cook wrote.

Cook reassigned Weber from his post as director of the Criminal Appeals Unit to an assistant attorney general position in the unit. His salary of $57.22 per hour remained the same, but he was no longer eligible for a $2.75 hourly add-on that supervisors may receive.

"He was transferred to a different role but was not demoted," Fox said.

Agency officials released records outlining the allegations against Weber and six other Justice workers this week. USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin requested the records after obtaining police records revealing that a Department of Justice agent had been accused of repeatedly exposing his genitals to coworkers and had later resigned. The news organization then urged state officials to release copies of all sexual misconduct complaints since 2014 to shed further light on their response to allegations.

Department of Justice officials acknowledged in a letter to the news organization that the public has an interest "knowing that government agencies are properly holding individual employees accountable." They also cited victim privacy and other concerns to justify redacting some information.

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In one case, the records show a female Department of Justice employee complained about being harassed by someone in another agency. In January 2017, the employee accused a captain from the Eau Claire County Sheriff's Department of following her around and sending non-work texts to her personal phone. The Sheriff's Department reviewed the complaint, removed the captain from a committee with the state employee and instructed him not to contact her.

State records also show Weber himself was involved in investigating at least one allegation of sexual misconduct in the agency. In April 2015, a female worker reported to Weber and two other agency directors that harassment by her supervisor, John Klappmiller, was well-known in her unit, human resources and several management positions.

An investigation of Klappmiller's conduct subsequently resulted in a September 2015 recommendation that he be fired for gender-based discrimination, sexual harassment and policy violations. Klappmiller submitted his resignation later the same month.

The worker described Klappmiller's conduct as bullying and "stalking." She said he had insisted on picking her up at home before work-related travel, randomly visited her home, insisted on meeting her kids and called unnecessarily outside of work hours.

Klappmiller's resignation and the nature of the allegations against him were first reported by The Associated Press in 2016. But the worker's comments that the harassment was well-known are coming to light for the first time.

Reached for comment Tuesday, a Department of Justice spokesman noted the agency's efforts to provide anti-harassment training to employees, including mandatory sessions for supervisors in 2015 and 2016.

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