Milwaukee Prosecuting Pension Officials For Accepting Perks

January 30, 2004 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - The Milwaukee Country Ethics Board is moving forward with plans to prosecute eight past and present pension officials for dishonestly accepting perks from firms doing business with the county's Pension Board.

The move by the ethics board comes after it authorized complaints against past and current pension officials over accepting entertainment, travel and other perks from pension fund management firms and other consultants to the fund in November, according to a Milwaukee Sentinel report.

The board alleged that dozens of such gifts constituted improper personal gain and could be expected to influence or reward pension officials. Each ethics violation carries potential fines of up to $1,000.

No complaints have been issued against the firms that provided the perks.

In moving forward with prosecuting the alleged crimes, the board tabbed lawyer John Fiorenza to prosecute its case. Fiorenza occasionally hears cases in Milwaukee County as a reserve judge and has recently been serving as an adjudicator in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee’s review of allegations of sexual misconduct against priests.

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