Although Attorney General Peg Lautenschlager has formally apologized for her drunken-driving arrest and agreed to forgo pay as compensation, her actions are still causing some to question her position as the state’s top cop.
The Republican Party of Wisconsin has asked the Wisconsin Ethics Board to open an investigation into Lautenschlager’s DWI incident. The party also is asking the board to look into her alleged illegal use of a state vehicle, particularly using the car for personal reasons without reimbursing the state.
“[I]t appears the attorney general’s use of this vehicle may rise to the level of felony misconduct in office,” Darrin Schmitz, executive director of the RPW, wrote in a letter to the Ethics Board.
Other groups are also voicing concerns about Lautenschlager’s actions.
“It comes down to accountability,” Kari Kinnard, executive director of Wisconsin Mothers Against Drunk Driving, said. “[Lautenschlager] has said she now needs to educate citizens about the problem of drunk[en] driving, and we’d like to see her put those words into action.”
Kinnard added many of the group’s supporters have voiced their concern.
“We’ve been getting a lot of phone calls from people, and they’re not happy,” Kinnard said. “They’re demanding that we demand she step down.”
The Attorney General, however, has not gone undefended by her supporters. Lieutenant Governor Barbara Lawton has come out in support of Lautenschlager. She feels the Attorney General has been an important asset to the state government.
“Whether it is defending the environment, the rights of women or the consumers of this state, Peg is a tireless advocate for Wisconsin,” Lawton said in a press release.
Lautenschlager announced Tuesday she will pay 10 days of her $127,000 state salary, totaling $3,250, as punishment for driving a state vehicle while drunk.
“Obviously, as the governor has said, the top law-enforcing officer should meet a higher standard. It will be up to the people of Wisconsin to decide if this is enough,” Dan Leistikow, spokesperson for Governor Doyle said.
UW junior Joel Bennet also is unsure whether Lautenschlager should stay in office.
“The fact is her job as Attorney General means that she needs to be enforcing laws, and I think it puts not only her, but also the state of Wisconsin in a really bad position. If she stays in office, she’s going to be prosecuting people for the exact same crimes she committed,” Bennet said.
When Lautenschlager was arrested Feb. 23, she told police she had two glasses of wine earlier in the night. The Breathalyzer test, however, measured a blood-alcohol level of .12 percent, which experts say does not coincide with only two drinks.
In an interview with the Capital Times after the incident, Lautenschlager said a muscle-relaxant pill and a small amount of food could have been possible causes for discrepancy but would not comment on whether she drank more than she told officers.
For now, some UW students remain uneasy of the Attorney General’s overall conduct.
“It’s absolutely absurd for a public figure of her stature within the state to be conducting herself in such a manner,” UW sophomore Steve Slack said.
Bennet also addressed the lingering question of the Lautenschlager’s legitimacy as Attorney General.
“These are not the kind of headlines she wants, certainly, but it’s also not the kind of headlines the state wants when they persecute people for drunk[en] driving.”
