The Department of Justice recently opened an investigation into the destruction of approximately one hundred boxes of former Wisconsin Governor Tommy Thompson’s official records.

The documents, meant for the Wisconsin Historical Society archives, were instead mistakenly tagged for removal from a state warehouse and subsequently were turned to pulp. The lost records were to be used to historically document Thompson’s time as governor in the state from 1987 to 2001.

After receiving a request for an official inquiry into the matter issued by Assembly Speaker John Gard, R-Peshtigo, the department’s Public Integrity Unit announced it would investigate the destroyed records.

In a letter sent to state Attorney General Peg Lautenschlager, Gard accused Gov. Jim Doyle’s office of purposely destroying Thompson’s records because of an agenda against the former Republican governor and his political legacy in Wisconsin.

“It is no secret that the current governor and his administration have been openly hostile to much of Governor Thompson’s policy agenda and cultural legacy here in Wisconsin. That is their partisan prerogative. They do not, however, have the prerogative to attempt to airbrush that period of Wisconsin government out of our history books or our State Historical Society archives,” the March 16 letter read.

Gard also argued it was “particularly disturbing” that among those items destroyed were Thompson’s correspondence records concerning financing for Miller Park’s construction. The Brewers’ finances are currently being audited by state officials.

Governor Doyle’s office did not return phone calls regarding the matter.

Laura Engan, deputy secretary of the Department of Administration (DOA), claimed the papers were destroyed inadvertently. She said she found no basis for Gard’s allegations that the Doyle administration purposely destroyed Thompson’s records.

“I can’t see how there would be anything to what he is saying at all,” Engan said, emphasizing that other offices’ documents were also destroyed during the DOA’s routine process of cleaning house, proving that Thompson’s records were not singled out.

Engan attributed the mistake to a DOA staff incorrectly sorting data on the department’s computerized system. Engan also pointed to the Historical Society’s decision over the summer to stop double checking records marked for destruction as another reason the documents were mistakenly destroyed.

Despite the DOA’s assertion that there was no foul play in the matter, Engan emphasized the department would welcome any kind of outside inspection that may help officials get to the bottom of what happened and ensure it never reoccurs.

“It was truly a human error. However, having said that, we have no problem at all with any sort of external investigation,” she said.

Thompson resigned his spot as governor in 2001 to accept an appointment from President Bush to serve as secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. His Lieutenant Governor Scott McCallum served as Wisconsin’s Governor until Doyle, the former state Attorney General, won the seat in 2002.