Allegations Franklin Mayor Conspired to Silence Resident 1st Amendment Rights and Employment Interference (Updated)
UPDATED 8:44pm - March 27, 2024
Formal allegations have been made against Franklin Mayor, John Nelson that he worked in a conspiracy with Steve Taylor, County Supervisor/ROC Foundation Executive Director, and Mike Zimmerman, CEO of ROC Ventures to silence the 1st Amendment Rights along with conspiracy to interfere with the employment of a Franklin Resident. According to emails from Franklin City Attorney Jesse Wesolowski, the complaint was referred to the city insurer, The League of Wisconsin Municipalities Mutual Insurance Company. Attorney Wesolowski confirmed via email that the city insurer has assigned Attorney Remzy D. Bitar from the Municipal Law & Litigation Group to conduct a formal investigation.
The allegations were made via a formal complaint from Dr. Richard Busalacchi, Franklin Resident and the publisher of Franklin Community News (FCN) www.FCNewsWI.com. The allegations were made in a formal letter to the Mayor of Franklin, the Franklin Common Council, the Franklin City Attorney, and the Franklin Director of Administration on March 18, 2024.
Busalacchi has tried unsuccessfully multiple times to file formal charges of harassment and stalking against these individuals with the Franklin Police Department and Greendale Police Department and request an investigation. It was indicated by Franklin PD that they would not investigate, orders from the Chief and Greendale would not investigate as it was not in their jurisdiction.
Busalacchi is specifically alleging that the City of Franklin Mayor John Nelson, who is also a full-time Lieutenant for the City of Waterford Police Department, committed the following:
Participated in a conspiracy with Steve Taylor and Mike Zimmerman to silence his 1st Amendment Rights.
Participated in a conspiracy with Steve Taylor and Mike Zimmerman to interfere with his employment.
Provided false information to a Franklin Police Officer to weaponize the police department against Busalacchi.
Participated in a conspiracy with Taylor, Zimmerman, Supervisor Kathleen Vincent/School Board member for the Village of Greendale, and a local employee to harass Busalacchi under the WI Statute 947.013
Worked in a conspiracy to stalk Busalacchi with Taylor, Zimerman, Vincent, under the WI Statute 940.32
Busalacchi, who retired on February 15, 2024, from Milwaukee Area Technical College after 33 years of service, provided the following as his complaint:
"In March of 2023, I started a community blog, Franklin Community News (FCN) https://www.fcnewswi.com/ FCN relied mainly on open records and publicly sourced information to expose corruption of the Franklin city administration, elected officials, and local businesses. The April 2023 election ushered in a new Mayor who was an ally of Steve Taylor County Supervisor, Executive Director of ROC Foundation, and Mike Zimmerman owner/CEO of Rock Ventures.
Between April 5, 2023, and March 2024, I wrote 24 blogs under Franklin Community News, specifically alleging corruption of the City of Franklin, Taylor, Nelson, and Zimmerman. Two blogs were written specifically for This Just In From Franklin on Taylor and Zimmerman's misuse of the ROC Foundation and filing an IRS complaint. All of the blogs are based on open records as the source of the allegations. I have also attended 6 Franklin Common Council meetings speaking out against corruption in Franklin. https://www.fcnewswi.com/
“I am already done with you. What a waste of time meeting with you”
“I will talk with Mike and John because you are nothing but trouble”
“I am done with you. WE will handle you accordingly”
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Y9h1i-0UfoqQB1giCU_JsxjwXyvGViuiBwq1GJtDdzA/edit?usp=sharing
“I received this today from an employee of the Milwaukee Area Technical College (M.A.T.C) from an M.A.T.C email, apparently while on the clock as an M.A.T.C employee, this is concerning .”
Almost two months later on February 22, 2023, Nelson sent the same email to my former employer, the President of MATC Dr. Vicki Martin, to intentionally interfere with my employment. This email was sent at 9:06 pm after the incident below at the Common Council meeting the same day after the meeting. I formally retired on February 15, 2024. Why did Nelson wait two months to send the email to the college president if he was that concerned? Yes, it was a mistake that the email was sent from my MATC account as it was sent from my phone and I did not select my personal email as the account. A search of all records will show that it was the only email ever sent to franklin.gov from the matc.edu email. Additionally, the college is closed the week between Christmas and New Year, December 28th was a paid holiday. Why did Nelson send it to Taylor and Zimmerman? To follow through on the threat made in April of 2023 on behalf of Taylor, Zimmerman, and Nelson.
On February 22, 2024, before public comment at the Franklin Common Council meeting, I was pulled into the hallway by Franklin Officer Thompson and was cautioned to be careful with my remarks during public comment to not disrupt as it has been reported that I have caused disruptions and disturbances at past common council meetings. Before the meeting, one minute before, I was pulled out into the hallway. Moments before this the Mayor was speaking to the officer. I have never disrupted Franklin Common Council Meetings. This was continued political payback on behalf of Nelson, Taylor, and Zimmerman. It was direct retaliation, intimidation, suppression of speech (during public comment), and infringement of my 1st Amendment rights. I have requested footage of this meeting that exists before the 6:30 start that will confirm my facts. John Nelson intentionally provided information to the officer that was false, untrue, and misleading to provoke him to talk to me and unknowingly harass me. Complaint filed with Police Chief - Franklin Common Council Incident - February 21, 2024.
Again, on March 5 at the Common Council meeting (3:55 mark), John (Nelson) interrupted me during public comments called me a liar, and threatened to kick me out of the meeting. All during public comment and I never raised my voice or made any threats to him or the council.
As a result of a blog I posted on Franklin Community News about the directive sent out by the Director of City Administrator Hersch, I received additional threats this past Friday, March 16, 2024, delivered from an intermediary of John Nelson and Kelly Hersh, Grant Johnson.
UPDATE - added 9pm March 27, 2024
Following are the text messages received from Grant Johnson on March 16, 2024:
I formally request a response to my complaint from the City Attorney or the Police Chief regarding how the City will investigate my claims. This IS NOT an ethics issue according to the county ordinances and state statutes.
I look forward to a reply."
Busalacchi has also indicated that he will be providing additional information to the investigator. Additional information was obtained via open records, in addition to published news articles, published radio coverage, personal emails, text messages, publicly accessible documents, and social media. The additional information will further not only show proof of a conspiracy between Nelson, Taylor, and Zimmerman but will also provide proof that Kathleen Vincent, County Supervisor for Greendale/School Board Member for the Village of Greendale and an employee of a local Chamber of Commerce was also part of the conspiracy.
UPDATE - Added 9pm, March 27, 2024
Shortly after this article was published at approximately 3:30 today, March 27, 2024, I started receiving harassing emails from Grant Johnson who is mentioned in this article. Johnson has made it clear in his email messages that he is a Taylor and Nelson supporter which is his prerogative but has now joined in on the harassment. He also made it clear to me that he met with Taylor and an employee of a local Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday, March 28, 2024. Johnson was sent an email that his consistent barrage of emails to me is harassing and he was put on notice as such. Most of the emails were intended to be threatening subtle digs at me in support of Taylor. Johnson appears to now have a pony in the race and he may have had one if not three all along...Taylor, Nelson, and Hersh.
You might remember Johnson as the fighter for Franklin residents concerned with Sound at Ballpark Commons. Wanted nothing to do with Steve Taylor and is a huge supporter of John Nelson and Kelly Hersh. Well, now it seems true colors come out and Johnson is now Team Taylor, and probably always has been Team Taylor and on board and part of the conspiracy and may have always been from the beginning kind of a triple-double agent.
Before last April's election, if you attended Franklin Common Council meetings you might remember Johnson, along with Steve Taylor, and Orville Seymer, screaming and yelling their heads off to the then-Mayor Steve Olson during the Public Comment portion of the Common Council Meetings. Not once were any of those individuals threatened by the then Mayor to be tossed out of the chamber or were approached by a Franklin Police officer to watch their demeanor or called out for disrupting Common Council meetings. A year ago that behavior was acceptable and then Alderperson John Nelson NEVER called any of them out for their inappropriate behavior. That of course was because Taylor, Seymer, and Johnson all supported Nelson.
Johnson won't be a Franklin resident for much longer, he's building a nice house in Muskego and is working to sell his Franklin home. We wish him all the best.
EDITORIAL
Elections have consequences. As a result of conveying to the community the corruption and dirty politics of Franklin, the individuals have decided to go personally after me and my family over many months to silence me and make me go away instead of speaking out on the truth that Franklin residents have a right and deserve to know.
When you cast your vote on April 2, 2024, PLEASE remember to vote for individuals not only on what they say, but their actions, and who they choose to associate with. You are STRONGLY encouraged to vote for Patti Logsdon for Milwaukee County Supervisor and John Brennen for Municipal Judge. They ARE NOT part of the Circle of Corruption where Franklin is bought and paid for by Nelson, Taylor, and Zimmerman.
FOR THE GREATER GOOD
OF
FRANKLIN AND OUR COMMUNITIES
PLEASE MAKE YOUR VOTE COUNT ON APRIL 2.
Let's end the corruption and dirty strong-arm politics!
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