H 84°, L 66° | Tomorrow: 
H 85°, L 69°
With the conclusion of a state investigation spanning more than two years, Department of Justice officials confirmed no formal criminal charges would be filed against Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4.
Former Dane Country District Attorney Brian Blanchard launched the investigation after a complaint was filed in October 2008. Verveer later took an unpaid leave of absence from the office.
According to documents obtained by the Wisconsin State Journal, Verveer allegedly made inappropriate phone calls to a woman’s 19-year-old son while he was facing a second drunken driving charge.
The documents also said Verveer allegedly made similar calls to a 21-year-old relative of the woman’s son and, on one occasion, met him at a bar in Madison.
Verveer, whose represents many UW students, declined comment on the matter to The Badger Herald, but told the State Journal he would occasionally maintain correspondence with individuals looking for guidance on the complexities of the legal system, including possible courses of action following the filing of criminal charges.
While no criminal charges will be filed, the case was referred to the state Office of Lawyer Regulation, which may pursue legal reprimanding or further investigation, according to the Wisconsin State Journal.
OLR Director Keith Sellen told the State Journal he could not confirm the office would pursue further investigation of the complaint or would take disciplinary action in regard to Verveer’s law license.
Assistant District Attorney Ismael Ozanne said though the beginning of the investigation predated his time serving in the District Attorney’s office, it was handled in a characteristically thorough matter.
He said Verveer was “shipped out of the office” due to conflict stemming from the terms of the investigation during his tenure as a Dane County prosecutor.
“It was because of the conflict that a third party was contacted to look into the allegations,” he added.
Ozanne added he was also aware of the extensive amount of time the Department of Justice had invested in Verveer’s investigation.
The Department of Justice is expected to release the details of the findings on Thursday.
In response to a State Journal open records request, the entirety of the department’s findings would be delivered in the form of nearly 1,110 pages of records and between 500 and 700 e-mails.
