Gov. Jim Doyle is considering removing a Calumet County District Attorney following allegations the DA ‘sexted’ a domestic abuse victim while prosecuting her ex-boyfriend, a spokesperson for Doyle said Friday.
“The shocking and troubling accounts are very serious and the governor is in contact with the attorney general to discuss all the options,” Doyle spokesperson Adam Collins said. “Among those options, there is a possible process for removal.”
DA Ken Kratz, who allegedly sent text messages of a sexual nature to a domestic abuse victim in October 2009, said in a press conference Friday he will not resign from office but will get therapy.
Kratz said his behavior was “inappropriate” and apologized for his lack of respect toward the victim, his family, his staff and the citizens of Calumet County.
Qualifying the apology, Kratz also said he made it clear the woman could stop the conversation at any time and no relationship would evolve until after the victim’s case was over.
According to the police report, Kratz, 50, began sending text messages to Stephanie Van Groll, 26, after she met with him last October to discuss the case against her ex-boyfriend who was convicted of trying to strangle her.
Van Groll continued to receive text messages from Kratz over the next two days. According to the police report filed by Van Groll, she felt if she did not respond to the text messages, her case against her ex-boyfriend would be in jeopardy.
Kratz sent Van Groll over twenty text messages, asking in one if she was “the kind of girl that likes secret contact with an older married elected DA…the riskier the better”?
Van Groll filed a complaint with the police three days after Kratz started texting her.
Recently released emails show the state Department of Justice became aware of the situation in November, but took no disciplinary action against Kratz other than telling him to step down from the Wisconsin Crime Victims’ Rights Board.
However, Ken Potter, administrator of the state DOJ’s division of legal services, told Kratz his actions could be misconstrued as sexual harassment, despite Kratz’s insistence his text messages were complimentary, not sexual, in nature.
“Telling [Stephanie Van Groll] she is pretty is complimentary. Telling her several times she is ‘hot’ or referring to her as a ‘tall, young, hot nymph’ certainly has sexual overtones,” Potter said in an email to Kratz.
Multiple state legislators and organizations are calling for Kratz’s resignation.
Rep. Fred Kessler, D-Milwaukee, said the DA’s actions could discourage victims from seeking help in the future.
“Overall, I believe his conduct is repulsive and the best way to ensure that citizens in that community know justice will be fairly administered is for him to be removed,” Kessler said.
Both Kessler and Rep. Al Ott, R-River Forest, asked Doyle to remove Kratz from office.
Kratz served as president of the Wisconsin District Attorney’s Association and as head of the Wisconsin Crime Victims’ Rights Board, from which he has since resigned. Kratz is not up for re-election until 2012.
