Wis. Stat. § 19.59 — WI Code / Chapter 19 / Section 19.59
Codes of ethics for local government officials, employees and candidates.
Status: in_force

(1)

(a) No local public official may use his or her public position or office to obtain financial gain or anything of substantial value for the private benefit of himself or herself or his or her immediate family, or for an organization with which he or she is associated. A violation of this paragraph includes the acceptance of free or discounted admissions to a professional baseball or football game by a member of the district board of a local professional baseball park district created under subch. III of ch. 229 or a local professional football stadium district created under subch. IV of ch. 229 . This paragraph does not prohibit a local public official from using the title or prestige of his or her office to obtain campaign contributions that are permitted and reported as required by ch. 11 . This paragraph does not prohibit a local public official from obtaining anything of value from the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation or the department of tourism, as provided under s. 19.56 (3) (f) .

(b) No person may offer or give to a local public official, directly or indirectly, and no local public official may solicit or accept from any person, directly or indirectly, anything of value if it could reasonably be expected to influence the local public official’s vote, official actions or judgment, or could reasonably be considered as a reward for any official action or inaction on the part of the local public official. This paragraph does not prohibit a local public official from engaging in outside employment.

(br) No local public official or candidate for local public office may, directly or by means of an agent, give, or offer or promise to give, or withhold, or offer or promise to withhold, his or her vote or influence, or promise to take or refrain from taking official action with respect to any proposed or pending matter in consideration of, or upon condition that, any other person make or refrain from making a political contribution, or provide or refrain from providing any service or other thing of value, to or for the benefit of a candidate, a political party, any committee registered under ch. 11 , or any person making a communication that contains a reference to a clearly identified local public official holding an elective office or to a candidate for local public office.

(c) Except as otherwise provided in par. (d) , no local public official may:

1. Take any official action substantially affecting a matter in which the official, a member of his or her immediate family, or an organization with which the official is associated has a substantial financial interest.

2. Use his or her office or position in a way that produces or assists in the production of a substantial benefit, direct or indirect, for the official, one or more members of the official’s immediate family either separately or together, or an organization with which the official is associated.

(d) Paragraph (c) does not prohibit a local public official from taking any action concerning the lawful payment of salaries or employee benefits or reimbursement of actual and necessary expenses, or prohibit a local public official from taking official action with respect to any proposal to modify a county or municipal ordinance.

(f) Paragraphs (a) to (c) do not apply to the members of a local committee appointed under s. 289.33 (7) (a) to negotiate with the owner or operator of, or applicant for a license to operate, a solid waste disposal or hazardous waste facility under s. 289.33 , with respect to any matter contained or proposed to be contained in a written agreement between a municipality and the owner, operator or applicant or in an arbitration award or proposed award that is applicable to those parties.

(g)

1. In this paragraph:

a. “District” means a local professional baseball park district created under subch. III of ch. 229 or a local professional football stadium district created under subch. IV of ch. 229 .

b. “District board member” means a member of the district board of a district.

2. No district board member may accept or retain any transportation, lodging, meals, food or beverage, or reimbursement therefor, except in accordance with this paragraph.

3. A district board member may receive and retain reimbursement or payment of actual and reasonable expenses for a published work or for the presentation of a talk or participation in a meeting related to processes, proposals and issues affecting a district if the payment or reimbursement is paid or arranged by the organizer of the event or the publisher of the work.

4. A district board member may receive and retain anything of value if the activity or occasion for which it is given is unrelated to the member’s use of the time, facilities, services or supplies of the district not generally available to all residents of the district and the member can show by clear and convincing evidence that the payment or reimbursement was unrelated to and did not arise from the recipient’s holding or having held a public office and was paid for a purpose unrelated to the purposes specified in subd. 3.

5. A district board member may receive and retain from the district or on behalf of the district transportation, lodging, meals, food or beverage, or reimbursement therefor or payment or reimbursement of actual and reasonable costs that the member can show by clear and convincing evidence were incurred or received on behalf of the district and primarily for the benefit of the district and not primarily for the private benefit of the member or any other person.

6. No district board member may intentionally use or disclose information gained in the course of or by reason of his or her official position or activities in any way that could result in the receipt of anything of value for himself or herself, for his or her immediate family, or for any other person, if the information has not been communicated to the public or is not public information.

7. No district board member may use or attempt to use the position held by the member to influence or gain unlawful benefits, advantages or privileges personally or for others.

8. No district board member, member of a district board member’s immediate family, nor any organization with which the district board member or a member of the district board member’s immediate family owns or controls at least 10 percent of the outstanding equity, voting rights, or outstanding indebtedness may enter into any contract or lease involving a payment or payments of more than $3,000 within a 12-month period, in whole or in part derived from district funds unless the district board member has first made written disclosure of the nature and extent of such relationship or interest to the commission and to the district. Any contract or lease entered into in violation of this subdivision may be voided by the district in an action commenced within 3 years of the date on which the commission, or the district, knew or should have known that a violation of this subdivision had occurred. This subdivision does not affect the application of s. 946.13 .

9. No former district board member, for 12 months following the date on which he or she ceases to be a district board member, may, for compensation, on behalf of any person other than a governmental entity, make any formal or informal appearance before, or negotiate with, any officer or employee of the district with which he or she was associated as a district board member within 12 months prior to the date on which he or she ceased to be a district board member.

10. No former district board member, for 12 months following the date on which he or she ceases to be a district board member, may, for compensation, on behalf of any person other than a governmental entity, make any formal or informal appearance before, or negotiate with, any officer or employee of a district with which he or she was associated as a district board member in connection with any judicial or quasi-judicial proceeding, application, contract, claim, or charge which might give rise to a judicial or quasi-judicial proceeding which was under the former member’s responsibility as a district board member within 12 months prior to the date on which he or she ceased to be a member.

11. No former district board member may, for compensation, act on behalf of any party other than the district with which he or she was associated as a district board member in connection with any judicial or quasi-judicial proceeding, application, contract, claim, or charge which might give rise to a judicial or quasi-judicial proceeding in which the former member participated personally and substantially as a district board member.

(1b) If a local public official receives an item that the official is not permitted to accept or retain under this subchapter or subch. III of ch. 13 , the official shall do one of the following:

(a) Give the item to the official’s agency to use or sell, except that the agency may not sell the item to any government employee or official.

(b) Give the item to another local agency or to a public institution, such as a local school, library, or museum, that can use the item.

(c) Give the item to a charitable organization, as defined in s. 11.0101 (4) , not including a charitable organization with which the official or his or her immediate family is associated.

(d) Return the item to the donor.

(e) If the donor is neither a lobbyist, as defined in s. 13.62 (11) , nor a principal, as defined in s. 13.62 (12) , purchase the item at its full retail value and keep the item.

(1m) In addition to the requirements of sub. (1) , any county, city, village or town may enact an ordinance establishing a code of ethics for public officials and employees of the county or municipality and candidates for county or municipal elective offices.

(2) An ordinance enacted under this section shall specify the positions to which it applies. The ordinance may apply to members of the immediate family of individuals who hold positions or who are candidates for positions to which the ordinance applies.

(3) An ordinance enacted under this section may contain any of the following provisions:

(a) A requirement for local public officials, other employees of the county or municipality and candidates for local public office to identify any of the economic interests specified in s. 19.44 .

(b) A provision directing the county or municipal clerk or board of election commissioners to omit the name of any candidate from an election ballot who fails to disclose his or her economic interests in accordance with the requirements of the ordinance.

(c) A provision directing the county or municipal treasurer to withhold the payment of salaries or expenses from any local public official or other employee of the county or municipality who fails to disclose his or her economic interests in accordance with the requirements of the ordinance.

(d) A provision vesting administration and civil enforcement of the ordinance with an ethics board appointed in a manner specified in the ordinance. A board created under this paragraph may issue subpoenas, administer oaths and investigate any violation of the ordinance on its own motion or upon complaint by any person. The ordinance may empower the board to issue opinions upon request. Records of the board’s opinions, opinion requests and investigations of violations of the ordinance may be closed in whole or in part to public inspection if the ordinance so provides.

(e) Provisions prescribing ethical standards of conduct and prohibiting conflicts of interest on the part of local public officials and other employees of the county or municipality or on the part of former local public officials or former employees of the county or municipality.

(f) A provision prescribing a forfeiture for violation of the ordinance in an amount not exceeding $1,000 for each offense. A minimum forfeiture not exceeding $100 for each offense may also be prescribed.

(4) This section may not be construed to limit the authority of a county, city, village or town to regulate the conduct of its officials and employees to the extent that it has authority to regulate that conduct under the constitution or other laws.

(5)

(a) Any individual, either personally or on behalf of an organization or governmental body, may request of a county or municipal ethics board, or, in the absence of a county or municipal ethics board, a county corporation counsel or attorney for a local governmental unit, an advisory opinion regarding the propriety of any matter to which the person is or may become a party. Any appointing officer, with the consent of a prospective appointee, may request of a county or municipal ethics board, or, in the absence of a county or municipal ethics board, a county corporation counsel or attorney for a local governmental unit an advisory opinion regarding the propriety of any matter to which the prospective appointee is or may become a party. The county or municipal ethics board or the county corporation counsel or attorney shall review a request for an advisory opinion and may advise the person making the request. Advisory opinions and requests therefor shall be in writing. It is prima facie evidence of intent to comply with this section or any ordinance enacted under this section when a person refers a matter to a county or municipal ethics board or a county corporation counsel or attorney for a local governmental unit and abides by the advisory opinion, if the material facts are as stated in the opinion request. A county or municipal ethics board may authorize a county corporation counsel or attorney to act in its stead in instances where delay is of substantial inconvenience or detriment to the requesting party. Except as provided in par. (b) , neither a county corporation counsel or attorney for a local governmental unit nor a member or agent of a county or municipal ethics board may make public the identity of an individual requesting an advisory opinion or of individuals or organizations mentioned in the opinion.

(b) A county or municipal ethics board, county corporation counsel or attorney for a local governmental unit replying to a request for an advisory opinion may make the opinion public with the consent of the individual requesting the advisory opinion or the organization or governmental body on whose behalf it is requested and may make public a summary of an advisory opinion issued under this subsection after making sufficient alterations in the summary to prevent disclosing the identities of individuals involved in the opinion. A person who makes or purports to make public the substance of or any portion of an advisory opinion requested by or on behalf of the person waives the confidentiality of the request for an advisory opinion and of any records obtained or prepared by the county or municipal ethics board, the county corporation counsel or the attorney for the local governmental unit in connection with the request for an advisory opinion.

(6) Any county corporation counsel, attorney for a local governmental unit or statewide association of local governmental units may request the commission to issue an opinion concerning the interpretation of this section. The commission shall review such a request and may advise the person making the request.

(7)

(a) Any person who violates sub. (1) may be required to forfeit not more than $1,000 for each violation, and, if the court determines that the accused has violated sub. (1) (br) , the court may, in addition, order the accused to forfeit an amount equal to the amount or value of any political contribution, service, or other thing of value that was wrongfully obtained.

(b) Any person who violates sub. (1) may be required to forfeit not more than $1,000 for each violation, and, if the court determines that a local public official has violated sub. (1) (br) and no political contribution, service or other thing of value was obtained, the court may, in addition, order the accused to forfeit an amount equal to the maximum contribution authorized under s. 11.1101 (1) for the office held or sought by the official, whichever amount is greater.

(8)

(a) Subsection (1) shall be enforced in the name and on behalf of the state by action of the district attorney of any county wherein a violation may occur, upon the verified complaint of any person.

(b) In addition and supplementary to the remedy provided in sub. (7) , the district attorney may commence an action, separately or in conjunction with an action brought to obtain the remedy provided in sub. (7) , to obtain such other legal or equitable relief, including but not limited to mandamus, injunction or declaratory judgment, as may be appropriate under the circumstances.

(c) If the district attorney fails to commence an action to enforce sub. (1) (a) , (b) , or (c) to (g) within 20 days after receiving a verified complaint or if the district attorney refuses to commence such an action, the person making the complaint may petition the attorney general to act upon the complaint. The attorney general may then bring an action under par. (a) or (b) , or both.

(cm) No complaint alleging a violation of sub. (1) (br) may be filed during the period beginning 120 days before a general or spring election, or during the period commencing on the date of the order of a special election under s. 8.50 , and ending on the date of that election, against a candidate who files a declaration of candidacy to have his or her name appear on the ballot at that election.

(cn) If the district attorney for the county in which a violation of sub. (1) (br) is alleged to occur receives a verified complaint alleging a violation of sub. (1) (br) , the district attorney shall, within 30 days after receipt of the complaint, either commence an investigation of the allegations contained in the complaint or dismiss the complaint. If the district attorney dismisses the complaint, with or without investigation, the district attorney shall notify the complainant in writing. Upon receiving notification of the dismissal, the complainant may then file the complaint with the attorney general or the district attorney for a county that is adjacent to the county in which the violation is alleged to occur. The attorney general or district attorney may then investigate the allegations contained in the complaint and commence a prosecution.

(d) If the district attorney prevails in such an action, the court shall award any forfeiture recovered together with reasonable costs to the county wherein the violation occurs. If the attorney general prevails in such an action, the court shall award any forfeiture recovered together with reasonable costs to the state.

History: 1979 c. 120 ; 1981 c. 149 ; 1981 c. 335 s. 26 ; 1983 a. 166 s. 16 ; 1991 a. 39 , 269 ; 1995 a. 56 , 227 ; 1999 a. 167 ; 2001 a. 109 ; 2003 a. 39 ; 2007 a. 1 ; 2015 a. 117 ; 2015 a. 118 ss. 204 , 266 (10) ; 2017 a. 112 ; 2021 a. 267 .