Wausau's ethics board is investigating the Doug Diny complaint

The Wausonian explains the case, what happened Wednesday and the mayor's reaction to it.

The city council chambers weren’t filled Wednesday afternoon, but there was a decent crowd to watch the proceedings — including residents holding “I Stand with Diny” signs in the front row.

They were gathered for the first Ethics Board meeting since a group of residents in January filed a complaint against Wausau Mayor Doug Diny stemming from an incident in which Diny removed a ballot box from the steps of city hall and put it in his office on a Sunday in September.

At the time, Diny said he moved the box because it was unsecured on the steps of city hall. The city clerk says the box was empty and locked, and was awaiting installation by city staff Monday morning.

The Wausonian first reported the story about Diny removing the Wausau ballot box that eventually made national news. The city clerk sent a complaint to the Marathon County District Attorney’s office, and ultimately it led to a state investigation, including a DOJ raid on Diny’s home and city hall office.

The Ethics Board operates somewhat differently than a typical committee, taking on a quasi-judicial character. The board is considering is an ethics complaint, separate from the criminal investigation. Here is a full breakdown of how it works and how the mayor responded to it.