GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) – A formal complaint has been filed against a Green Bay alderman.
According to WLUK, Zoe Van Oss brought forth the grievance against Alderman John Vander Leest following a conversation over the possible removal of Mayor Jim Schmitt from office.
The council voted in February not to oust Schmitt, after he pleaded guilty to misdemeanor campaign finance reporting violations.
After she sent Vander Leest an email expressing her support for Schmitt, Van Oss says he forwarded the email to her employer.
Van Oss, an Ashwaubenon resident, calls the actions “bullish and alarming.”
Through his attorney, Vander Leest has denied the allegations.
Vander Leest was one of the alderpersons who voted to remove Schmitt from office.
“Please note the attached email correspondence and recorded action Mr. Vander Leest forwarded my email to my employer. His intention was to cause me financial harm and to intimidate me at my work place because I did not agree with him. I also believe, had I been a man and not a woman, he would not have thought he could get away with this action,” Van Oss wrote. “I am seeking reassurance from the ethics board that the public has a right to voice their opinion with retribution or slander from a city official by contacting one’s employer to cause financial harm and loss of employment.”
In a five-page response, Vander Leest’s attorney Tricia Nell requests the complaint be dismissed.
Multiple reasons are cited for the dismissal including: Van Oss not being a Green Bay resident, Van Oss not indicating any code violations that were committed, and Van Oss using her work email and phone to contact Vander Leest.
The city’s Ethics Board will review the complaint 6 pm Monday at Green Bay City Hall.
