⚖️ Franklin Mayor John Nelson Under Investigation by Milwaukee County DA for Misuse of Public Funds
⚖️ Franklin Mayor John Nelson Under Investigation by Milwaukee County DA for Misuse of Public Funds
🚨 District Attorney and West Allis Police probing allegations of taxpayer-funded political activity tied to anti–Jendusa-Nicolai campaign
By Dr. Richard Busalacchi, Publisher — Franklin Community News
⚡ Fast Facts
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Under investigation: Mayor John Nelson & City Administrator Kelly Hersch
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Investigators: Milwaukee County DA Public Integrity Unit & West Allis Police
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Status (open records): West Allis PD confirms it “has accepted and is moving forward” with the case
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Core allegation: City-funded PR (Mary Christine) used for political activity tied to the April 2025 Waterford Board Chair election
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Money trail: ≈ $2,083/month billed Dec 2024–May 2025 under a $25,000 PR contract
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Key evidence: Waterford group posts by Mary Christine; campaign-controlled Facebook page; DA email flagging “allegation B”
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Statutes: Wis. Stat. § 946.12(3), § 11.1203, § 19.59
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Context: Nelson called prior probe a “witch hunt”; Jendusa-Nicolai cites transcripts/complaints
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Unresolved: No charging decision yet; investigation ongoing
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Sources: Open-records correspondence, invoices/contract, complaint exhibits/screenshots
🏛️ Milwaukee County DA and West Allis Police Investigating Franklin Officials
📂 The probe centers on allegations that Nelson and Hersch used Franklin taxpayer funds for political purposes, including influencing an outside election involving former Waterford Town Board Chair Teri Jendusa-Nicolai, a longtime critic of Nelson.
According to records released under Wisconsin’s Open Records Law, West Allis Police confirmed the department “has accepted and is moving forward with the investigation,” following a referral from the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office after Milwaukee County Corporation Counsel declined jurisdiction.
In a memorandum accompanying the referral, Assistant District Attorney Matthew Westphal described the complaint as raising “a bigger concern for criminality” and potential violations involving “the misuse of public funds and services for political purposes.” He directed the matter to the DA’s Public Integrity Unit for further investigation.
⚖️ Legal Context: Westphal’s Referral and Statutory Scope
In his May 30, 2025 memorandum, Assistant District Attorney Matthew Westphal explicitly identified the matter as a “potential criminal campaign-finance violation,” not merely an ethics concern. He referred the case to the Milwaukee County DA’s Public Integrity Unit and the West Allis Police Department for independent investigation.
“If a city staffer is being used for campaign work, that’s a pretty clear violation of campaign-finance law."
— ADA Matthew Westphal, May 30, 2025
Westphal indicated the need for subpoenas for Nelson’s campaign accounts, Facebook administration logs, and City of Franklin employment records to determine whether taxpayer-funded personnel or PR contractors were used for campaign activity.
What the cited laws mean (and possible penalties):
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Wis. Stat. § 946.12(3) — Misconduct in Public Office
Class I felony — up to 3 years 6 months imprisonment and/or a $10,000 fine.
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Wis. Stat. § 11.1203 — Use of Public Funds for Political Purposes
Intentional violations may be charged as a Class I felony; non-intentional violations can incur civil forfeitures (e.g., up to $500 per occurrence).
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Wis. Stat. § 19.59 — Code of Ethics for Local Officials
Civil enforcement, fines, and possible removal from office under § 19.59(8)(c).
Summary: The memorandum signals a criminal campaign-finance and public-integrity review, not a mere ethics inquiry.
⚖️ Allegations and Complaints Against Mayor John Nelson
Before the current DA investigation, Mayor John Nelson had already been the subject of multiple ethics and John Doe complaints alleging a pattern of retaliation, misuse of office, and political coordination under color of law.
The combined filings — including the Franklin Ethics Complaint and the John Doe Petition under Wis. Stat. § 968.26 — outline a consistent sequence of events spanning municipal government, campaign activity, and judicial influence.
🧾 The Ethics Complaint
The verified Franklin Ethics Complaint, filed in mid-2024, accuses Nelson of misusing taxpayer resources, falsifying official records, and engaging in politically motivated retaliation.
The key allegations include:
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Misuse of City Resources: Nelson allegedly directed city staff and a paid public-relations contractor to engage in campaign-adjacent messaging, a potential violation of Wis. Stat. § 11.1203, which prohibits the use of public funds for political purposes.
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False or Misleading Records: The complaint cites discrepancies between City of Franklin invoices, campaign finance filings, and social-media activity that appeared to promote candidates favored by Nelson.
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Retaliation Against a Citizen: The filings allege that Nelson participated in orchestrating a false harassment narrative against a local resident critical of his administration — conduct alleged to constitute retaliation for protected First Amendment speech.
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Pressure on City Employees: Testimony and internal emails reportedly show Nelson pressuring staff to bend enforcement and compliance rules for developers and political allies, including preferential treatment for certain commercial projects.
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Ethics Violations: These acts, if substantiated, would violate Wis. Stat. § 19.59 (Code of Ethics for Local Officials) and § 946.12 (Misconduct in Public Office).
The ethics filings were referred to the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Public Integrity Unit, which subsequently involved the West Allis Police Department for an independent investigation — now the core probe described in this article.
🕵️ The John Doe Petition
A separate John Doe Petition, filed under Wis. Stat. § 968.26, expands the allegations and requests appointment of a special prosecutor to investigate potential criminal conduct.
It asserts that Nelson’s conduct was part of a broader pattern involving several public officials and staff operating in coordination to silence critics and influence proceedings.
The petition outlines the following key allegations:
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Retaliatory Conspiracy (May 2023 → Present): Nelson and others allegedly conspired to create and sustain false narratives about a local citizen, leading to police action and subsequent legal consequences.
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Entrapment and False Reporting (April 2024): Coordinated efforts were made to provoke or misrepresent social-media activity by a critic of City Hall, later cited in official complaints.
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Employment Interference: Nelson and associates allegedly contacted employers and county administrators to restrict the citizen’s access to social media and employment opportunities — behavior described as retaliatory and politically motivated.
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Improper Judicial Influence (Nov – Dec 2024): Allegations include ex parte communications between Nelson, other local officials, and prosecutors regarding pending sentencing in a related case.
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Misuse of Law-Enforcement Systems: Nelson is accused of obtaining and circulating booking information from a secure law-enforcement database — a potential violation of privacy statutes and § 946.12.
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Attempted Bribery (July 2024): According to witness statements, Nelson allegedly offered to have the Franklin Police Department “look into” complaints about a citizen if that person would withdraw an open-records request for his own personnel file — conduct described as a quid pro quo and potential obstruction.
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Leak of Confidential Ethics Material (Aug 2024): Confidential complaint materials were allegedly transmitted from Corporation Counsel to the District Attorney’s Office, then cited in court to deny bail modification — effectively weaponizing an ethics filing to achieve punitive ends.
The petition cites potential violations of:
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Wis. Stat. § 946.12 — Misconduct in Public Office
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Wis. Stat. § 946.10 — Bribery of Public Officers
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Wis. Stat. § 939.31 — Criminal Conspiracy
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Wis. Stat. § 946.65 — Influencing Court Officers
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Wis. Stat. § 11.1203 — Use of Public Funds for Political Purposes
🔄 A Pattern of Power and Retaliation
Viewed together, the complaints describe a familiar pattern across Nelson’s career:
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Using public office to retaliate against critics.
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Blurring the line between official duties and campaign activity.
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Employing city resources and personnel for political gain.
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Coordinating with allies in law enforcement and government to shape outcomes.
The allegations against Mayor John Nelson don’t exist in a vacuum — they form a pattern that stretches back through his law-enforcement career. Before entering politics, Nelson served as a Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Deputy, where internal records show he left the department while under investigation for conduct and disciplinary issues. Years later, as a Waterford Police Lieutenant, he again departed amid a formal workplace investigation into harassment and retaliatory behavior toward subordinates. Each chapter ended the same way — resignation before resolution. Now, as Franklin’s Mayor, Nelson faces scrutiny from the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Public Integrity Unit and West Allis Police over alleged misuse of taxpayer-funded public-relations resources. The through-line is hard to ignore: a recurring cycle of control, retaliation, and blurred boundaries between public duty and personal power. What began as disciplinary inquiries in uniform has evolved into a web of political influence reaching from City Hall to the County Courthouse.
🧩 Origin of the Investigation
“Given that the allegations involve conduct by municipal officials and potential misuse of city contracts, this office does not possess direct investigative jurisdiction under Chapter 19; such matters should be referred to the District Attorney or appropriate law-enforcement agency.”
✉️ On July 17, 2025, the complaint was re-submitted to the DA with a request for Public Integrity Unit action or referral under Wis. Stat. § 978.045.
📧 On May 22–23, 2025, internal correspondence shows ADA Westphal advised that “allegation B” — using a city staffer for campaign work — was his “bigger concern for criminality.”
“If a city staffer is being used for campaign work, that’s a pretty clear violation of campaign-finance law.."
— Intradyn email, May 30, 2025
🕵️♂️ To ensure impartiality, Franklin PD requested West Allis Police assistance. By May 30, 2025, Intradyn-captured emails confirm West Allis PD accepted and moved forward with the referral.
🗂️ Public-Records Trail
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April 2025 — Ethics complaint filed with Milwaukee County Corporation Counsel
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May 2025 — Counsel declines jurisdiction; case re-filed with DA
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May 30, 2025 — ADA Westphal refers to West Allis Police for criminal investigation
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June 2025 — West Allis PD confirms acceptance and launches inquiry
🚨 Nelson’s History of Discipline and Investigations
Before he became mayor, John Nelson’s law enforcement career carried its own trail of controversy.
Records and testimony referenced in the Waterford internal investigation and open-source media archives outline two major chapters of scrutiny — first as a Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Deputy, and later as a Waterford Police Lieutenant.
Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Department — Early Departure Under Scrutiny
Public reporting by TMJ4 Investigates and Urban Milwaukee reveals that Franklin Mayor John Nelson faced a pattern of internal complaints during his tenure with the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) — including allegations of cheating on a law-enforcement exam, harassment of a female subordinate, and multiple internal-affairs reviews.
According to TMJ4 (May 2025), audio recordings from a 2006 investigation documented allegations that Nelson cheated on a promotional exam and later faced a sexual-harassment complaint from a corrections officer who said Nelson created a hostile work environment through persistent, unwanted contact. While Nelson denied wrongdoing, reporters found no record of commendations or a formal retirement in his personnel file — only a resignation pending review, ending his service under investigation.
Urban Milwaukee further reported that Nelson was the subject of at least nine internal-affairs investigations between 1998 and 2011, spanning his MCSO career. When journalists requested his records under the Wisconsin Open Records Law, Nelson filed a lawsuit to block their release, claiming reputational harm. The case, still referenced in local coverage, underscores a long-standing tension between Nelson’s public image and the transparency his office now demands of others.
These early controversies formed the foundation for a recurring theme: allegations of control, retaliation, and blurred boundaries between public duty and personal politics. The same behavioral patterns described by former colleagues in Milwaukee would later resurface in Waterford and Franklin — each time, under sharper public scrutiny.
Waterford Police Department — Resignation Under Investigation
As Lieutenant in Waterford, Nelson faced multiple internal complaints from officers and community members between 2018 and 2021.
Those complaints, later detailed in the Waterford Investigation Transcript, centered on:
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Alleged inappropriate behavior toward female staff,
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Misuse of work time and police resources for personal or political purposes, and
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Tension with then–Waterford Board Chair Terri Jendusa-Nicolai, who ultimately placed him on leave pending review.
Nelson resigned shortly afterward — again, before the internal investigation concluded.
At the time, Nelson publicly denounced the inquiry as “a witch hunt” and claimed he was being targeted for political reasons. However, the transcripts and investigative notes contradict that framing:
“This wasn’t about one or two complaints, John,” an investigator told him. “There were multiple — from staff and community members. We also reviewed communications sent during work hours that appear campaign-related.”
“It was 100 percent a witch hunt or a fishing expedition to try to slander a number of officers, not just me… There was never a fair process — it was about control and optics for the board.”
Those remarks from the Waterford chapter echo the same phrases that later surfaced in 2024–2025 social-media posts written under Franklin’s Mary Christine PR contract — posts defending Mayor John Nelson and attacking former Waterford Board Chair Teri Jendusa-Nicolai. The overlap matters because it suggests messaging born in a personal feud was amplified using public resources.
Open-records evidence and complaint exhibits show that during the run-up to the April 2025 Waterford election, Nelson’s city-funded PR consultant engaged in partisan commentary on a campaign-controlled Facebook page and Waterford Community Facebook Pages while being paid by the City of Franklin. The language mirrored Nelson’s long-standing feud with Jendusa-Nicolai dating back to his tenure as a Waterford police lieutenant — a conflict that, according to transcripts and witness statements, blurred the line between professional discipline and political vendetta.
The Waterford Roots
The repetition isn’t coincidence. The same rhetoric—“witch hunt,” “smear campaign,” “control and optics”—became a central theme of the Franklin-funded posts that investigators now link to city invoices. What began as an old Waterford dispute thus evolved into a new episode of municipal PR being deployed for political payback.
The Modern Echo
“Actually … I’m a paid consultant with a contract —it’s all public record.”
That acknowledgment, paired with Franklin’s payment records, is now central to the West Allis Police / Milwaukee County DA Public Integrity Unit investigation into potential violations of Wis. Stat. § 946.12(3) and § 11.1203 (misuse of public funds for political purposes).
Why It Matters
The pattern seen across Waterford and Franklin isn’t just about rivalry—it’s about how personal animus can distort public governance. As Jendusa-Nicolai later told local media:
“The transcripts speak for themselves. It was never about revenge; it was about accountability and professional standards.”
Yet those same transcripts now appear in the exhibits supporting claims that Franklin officials, including Mayor Nelson, recycled an old grievance into a taxpayer-funded narrative war. What began as a personnel dispute ended as a political machine—its rhetoric, its public contracts, and even its talking points aligned around one man’s unfinished feud.
🗣️ Jendusa-Nicolai’s Response
“The transcripts speak for themselves. You have numerous officers who were interviewed, and they said what they said.”
In interviews with CBS 58 News and WISN 12, former Waterford Town Chair Teri Jendusa-Nicolai rejected Nelson’s claim that the 2007-era internal inquiry was politically driven. She emphasized that the review was initiated after multiple workplace complaints, not by personal animus.
“It was a difficult year for the department, but the truth always prevails.”
Speaking later to WTMJ News, Jendusa-Nicolai reiterated that the investigation was about professional accountability, not retaliation:
“It was about professionalism and accountability — not politics. No one was targeted. The process was followed.”
Her remarks stand in sharp contrast to Nelson’s narrative of persecution and now form part of the factual backdrop for the Milwaukee County DA and West Allis Police investigation.
The very phrases she used—“professionalism,” “accountability,” and “truth always prevails”—are echoed ironically in Nelson’s and his consultant’s later messaging campaigns, where those same words were repurposed as hashtags defending him and attacking her.
Together, these interviews and the official Waterford transcripts reinforce a consistent theme: that what Nelson cast as a “witch hunt” was, in Jendusa-Nicolai’s view, a legitimate inquiry whose documentation now provides the benchmark against which Franklin’s conduct is being measured.
💼 Pattern of Resource Misuse: Waterford ➔ Franklin
“This wasn’t about one or two complaints, John. There were multiple… and about you using work time and systems for campaign-related activity.”
That quote, from the Waterford transcript included in the Busalacchi Complaint Appendix, captures the heart of the historical problem: a pattern of blurred lines between public duties and political ambition.
Those same concerns now echo in Franklin, where investigators are reviewing allegations that city-funded deliverables — including PR, copywriting, and social-media management — appeared in campaign-adjacent channels.
🏛️ Franklin’s PR Apparatus and the Missing “City Page”
Contrary to public perception, the City of Franklin does not operate or manage an official “City of Franklin” Facebook page.
Instead, Mary Christine — the same PR consultant paid under a $25,000 annual city contract — manages “Mayor John Nelson – City of Franklin,” a Facebook page that is actually controlled by the campaign committee “Friends of John R. Nelson.”
Public invoices, emails, and social-media posts reveal overlapping timelines:
Franklin’s PR contractor billed for “community messaging” and “managed mayor’s Facebook page” while campaign content appeared under the Friends of John R. Nelson banner.
Posts defending Nelson and attacking critics surfaced in Waterford community forums, where the consultant acknowledged being “a contract PR person for the City of Franklin.”
The tone, hashtags, and defenses — “witch hunt,” “smear,” “truth will prevail” — mirror Nelson’s rhetoric from his 2021 disciplinary dispute in Waterford, suggesting that the same messaging playbook simply evolved with new funding and a wider audience.
This distinction matters: the Facebook page the City’s contractor manages is not a municipal communications platform — it’s a political one.
If proven, that means public funds were directly tied to campaign messaging, forming the backbone of the ongoing DA and West Allis Police investigation into possible violations of Wis. Stat. §946.12(3) and §11.1203.
That continuity is what Milwaukee County DA investigators are testing against Wis. Stat. § 946.12(3) and § 11.1203, the provisions covering misuse of public resources and campaign-finance violations.
As one ADA memo summarized it:
“If a city staffer or vendor is being used for campaign work, that’s a pretty clear violation of campaign-finance law.”
The documents and correspondence collected in the Busalacchi Complaint show a through-line from personal grievance to public expenditure — a transition from an old feud in Waterford to a new political operation financed through Franklin contracts.
In essence, the same narrative Nelson once used to defend himself in Waterford—claims of persecution and “witch hunts”—has become the publicly funded storyline of his own administration, carried forward on social media and sustained by city money.
🌐 City-Funded Political Activity Managed Through Nelson-Aligned Pages
💬 Mary Christine’s Role in the Waterford Allegations
In the weeks before the April 2025 election, Mary Christine PR posted in Waterford groups, defending Nelson and criticizing Jendusa-Nicolai. Themes included “witch-hunt politics,” “smears,” and “attacks on good officers,” often paired with #TruthWillPrevail and #Accountability.
🔎 Public metadata confirms the “Mayor John Nelson – City of Franklin” page is a campaign page managed by Friends of John R. Nelson. Invoices show overlapping billing for “community messaging” and “social-media copy development.”
Representative acknowledgments:
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“Actually … I’m a paid consultant with a contract — it’s all public record.”
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“I am not a paid staff member, I am a paid consultant… As a pro-first responder American, I will respond anytime I see law enforcement or firefighters not being treated with the dignity and respect they deserve.”
Observed indicators:
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Dozens of posts in Waterford groups (not Franklin channels)
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Messaging aligned with Nelson’s feud with Jendusa-Nicolai
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Posting clustered in March–April 2025 ahead of the election
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Invoice periods match those dates, billed to City of Franklin
🗓️ Timeline of Alleged Election Interference
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📄 Dec 2024 – Mar 2025 — City pays ≈ $2,083/mo for “community messaging.”
📸 Exhibit Images (descriptions)
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Screenshot A — Waterford Talks post by Mary Christine PR criticizing Jendusa-Nicolai in Dec 2024, prior to the election (Christine resides in Franklin, not Waterford).
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Screenshot B — City of Franklin invoices from Mary Christine PR showing billing for “Managed Mayor’s Facebook Page” and “Wrote and Posted Social Media Content.”
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Screenshot C — Facebook page disclosure showing “Friends of John R. Nelson is responsible for this Page.”
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Screenshot D — Email from ADA Westphal to Chief Mitchell (West Allis PD) and Chief Liermann (Franklin PD) recommending investigation into potential campaign-finance violations.
⚖️ Criminal Statutes Cited
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🔹 Wis. Stat. § 946.12(3) — Misconduct in Public Office (intentional misuse of public funds or property)
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🔹 Wis. Stat. § 11.1203 — Use of Public Funds for Political Purposes
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🔹 Wis. Stat. § 19.59 — Code of Ethics for Local Officials
🕯️ “For the Greater Good” — A Call for Clean, Transparent Government
The standard for leadership isn’t perfection — it’s transparency. If City resources were used to advance a political objective, Franklin residents deserve a clear accounting. If not, a thorough investigation can clear the air. Either way, the public’s trust is what’s on the line. The only durable outcome here is a culture that tells the truth about how money is spent, who benefits, and why.
“This wasn’t one or two complaints, John… There were multiple — from staff and community members. We also reviewed communications sent during work hours that appear campaign-related.”
✨ The standard for leadership is not perfection — it is transparency. Whether Franklin’s government can rise to meet that standard will determine if these investigations ultimately serve their true purpose: restoring public trust for the greater good.
🗳️ Elections Have Consequences (Editorial)
Photos show Mayor John Nelson, Alderwoman Michelle Eichmann, and Mary Christine seated together at a Maqsood Khan for County Supervisor fundraiser. Kahn is challenging longtime incumbent Patti Logsdon.
Another image capturing Nelson speaking at the event for Dr. Maqsood “Max” Khan, where both Eichmann and Mary Christine — the City’s contracted PR consultant — were also present.
Local observers note Milwaukee County Supervisor Steve Taylor actively boosting Khan’s campaign against incumbent Supervisor Patti Logsdon, a frequent critic of Supervisors Taylor and Kathleen Vincent's faction in County government.
Taylor used the opportunity of the Milwaukee County Public Budget hearing on October 27, at the Domes to have Kahn attend in an attempt to upstage Logsdon. Photo curtesy of Supervisor Steve Taylor.
The presence of a paid Franklin communications contractor at a campaign fundraiser endorsed by the same elected officials who approve her invoices raises an unavoidable ethical question:
Why is a taxpayer-funded PR consultant attending, and visibly supporting, a political campaign connected to her municipal employers?
It’s not merely bad optics — it’s the same pattern of blurred lines now under scrutiny by the Milwaukee County DA’s Public Integrity Unit. A consultant paid to manage official city messaging should not appear at campaign events alongside the officials who sign her checks. It’s a direct conflict of interest — and, if coordination or compensated political work occurred, potentially a violation of Wis. Stat. § 11.1203 (use of public funds for political purposes).
The Broader Triangle
Context: Dr. Khan is Treasurer of the Franklin School Board, which is currently suing the City of Franklin over restrictions tied to a $145 million high-school expansion referendum approved by voters in November 2024.
The lawsuit centers on whether the City overstepped by imposing conditions on construction plans that conflict with a 2014 conservation easement.
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The School Board’s position: The City exceeded its legal authority.
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The City’s position: The conditions protect neighbors and honor the easement.
But the overlap of roles is striking:
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Khan, the school official suing the City, now running for County Supervisor.
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Nelson and Eichmann, City Hall figures attending his fundraiser.
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Christine, the City’s paid PR consultant, seated alongside them.
This isn’t just about who shows up at a fundraiser — it’s about what that support represents.
When Mayor John Nelson, Alderwoman Michelle Eichmann, and the City’s paid PR consultant Mary Christine appear together at a political fundraiser for Dr. Maqsood “Max” Khan, it’s not civic engagement — it’s the continuation of a political machine.
⚠️ Why It Matters: When Support Becomes Complicity
Khan isn’t just a candidate; he’s Treasurer of the Franklin School Board, a body currently suing the City of Franklin under Nelson’s administration over a $145 million referendum dispute.
Yet the same figures under investigation for misusing city resources are now promoting and fundraising for Khan’s County Board run — alongside Supervisor Steve Taylor, who’s been accused in multiple ethics complaints of political retaliation and misuse of office.
Supporting Khan means supporting the same network accused of eroding accountability, blurring ethical lines, and weaponizing government for political control.
It signals that the cycle of corruption doesn’t stop at City Hall — it’s expanding outward, seeking new offices, new budgets, and new shields.
Franklin doesn’t need loyalty politics; it needs independent oversight.
If taxpayers are funding PR firms while those same contractors attend partisan events, the line between public service and political campaigning has been crossed.
When elected officials and paid public contractors act as one political machine, support becomes complicity — and silence becomes permission.
🕯️ The solution isn’t another insider in a new office. It’s sunlight, scrutiny, and the courage to vote differently.
Because until voters demand honest, transparent government, the corruption won’t stop — it will only change titles.
Elections have consequences — and Franklin’s next one may decide whether transparency makes a comeback.
💬 If you value hard-hitting, fact-based investigative reporting about our hometown of Franklin — follow Franklin Community News on Facebook.
Together, we can keep local government honest, transparent, and accountable
— for the greater good.
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