📰 Nelson, Taylor, Vincent, and Others Named in John Doe Request
📰 Nelson, Taylor, Vincent, and Others Named in John Doe Request
A citizen-journalist’s sworn filing alleges Franklin and Milwaukee County officials conspired to weaponize restraining orders, false police reports, and law-enforcement systems to silence protected speech.
Dr. Richard A. Busalacchi, Publisher of Franklin Community News
⚡ Fast Facts: The John Doe Filing
Who Filed: Dr. Richard A. Busalacchi, Publisher, Franklin Community News
Case Number: 2025JD000011 — Forwarded to the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office on October 9, 2025
What It Is: A sworn John Doe petition alleging coordinated misconduct by Franklin and Milwaukee County officials to retaliate against a journalist for protected speech — including false restraining orders, fabricated police reports, and misuse of law-enforcement systems.
Key Officials Named:
Mayor John Nelson — Franklin Mayor
Supervisor Steve Taylor — Milwaukee County Supervisor (Franklin/Oak Creek)
Supervisor Kathleen Vincent — Milwaukee County Supervisor (Greendale, Greenfield)
Alderwoman Michelle Eichmann — Franklin Alderwoman
Developer Mike Zimmerman — ROC Ventures CEO
Central Allegations:
2023 — False restraining order engineered to silence reporting
April 2024 — Entrapment operation via Waterford Facebook group
October 2024 — Fabricated “Disorderly Conduct” citation
2023 – 25 — Employment interference at MATC
December 2024 — Unlawful access to law-enforcement data and monitoring of calls while incarcerated
Ongoing defamation campaign branding Busalacchi a “stalker”
Status: Forwarded for prosecutorial review and jurisdictional transfer to ensure independent oversight.
⚖️ Editor’s Note
The following summarizes allegations contained in sworn John Doe Case No. 2025JD000011 and supporting filings now under review by the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office.
All named individuals are presumed innocent unless and until proven otherwise. Each has the opportunity to respond publicly or through counsel.
⚖️ What Is a John Doe?
In Wisconsin, a John Doe proceeding allows a citizen to present evidence directly to a judge when there is reason to believe a crime has been committed, even before charges are filed.
Case No. 2025JD000011 was forwarded to the Milwaukee County DA on October 9, 2025; a motion is pending to move jurisdiction for independent review.
📄 Read the filing at This Just In From Franklin
As a citizen journalist, I pursued information that should have been open to everyone — records showing how public officials conducted public business. For that, I was targeted, surveilled, and jailed. If this can be done to a journalist, what protects ordinary citizens?
🚨 When They Couldn’t Stop the Reporting, They Tried to Silence It
🧾 Comprehensive Allegations and Potential Violations
1️⃣ Misuse of Office to Obtain a False Restraining Order (May 2023)
Emails and affidavits describe discussions about how it would “stop the reporting” and “take away his platform.”
The injunction was later used to criminalize public-records requests and social media posts about public affairs. No stalking or harassment charges ever issued.
Potential Violations: Wis. §§ 946.12 (Misconduct in Public Office), 946.65 (Abuse of Process); 18 U.S.C. §§ 241–242 (Conspiracy Under Color of Law).
2️⃣ April 2024 Entrapment Operation
The coordinated action was meant to monitor discussion and to stage a trap. When a corrected post briefly mentioned a name for under five minutes, screenshots were immediately shared with Nelson and forwarded to police. A false report followed, claiming a restraining-order violation. Evidence shows the incident was planned in advance to entrap me.
Potential Violations: Wis. §§ 946.41, 946.12; 18 U.S.C. §§ 241–242.
3️⃣ False Police Report and Fabricated Disorderly-Conduct Citation (October 2024)
On October 13, 2024, Mayor John Nelson, Supervisor Steve Taylor, and Alderwoman Michelle Eichmann filed a false and misleading complaint with the Franklin Police Department after Franklin Community News published a blog post critical of local officials.
The complaint was politically motivated and contained no direct threats—only vague fears about protected speech.
According to police records and the August 2025 Motion to Dismiss, Mayor Nelson explicitly told the responding officer:
“If I were in your shoes, I’d write up state DC (Disorderly Conduct) and Bail Jumping.”
The next day, October 14, Eichmann submitted an anonymous complaint while acting in her official capacity, later confirmed by investigators. Officers initially found no evidence of a crime, telling the Defendant “there was nothing there.”
However, on October 15, Mayor Nelson personally summoned the investigating officer to City Hall, pressuring him to reopen the case and file state charges for Disorderly Conduct and Bail Jumping — despite the absence of probable cause.
At that same meeting, Nelson falsely claimed that the Defendant “needed to feel scared” and “have his actions corrected,” and Eichmann reinforced those statements, falsely alleging a “history of stalking.”
When the court declined to remand the Defendant during an unrelated bond hearing on October 24, the Franklin Police—acting within hours—issued a municipal citation for Disorderly Conduct under Franklin Ordinance §183-49 at 3:34 p.m.
The Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office formally declined state charges the next day, with ADA John Letsch entering a “no process” finding.
Despite the DA’s decision, the City of Franklin continued pursuing the municipal citation as a fallback mechanism to punish protected speech.
After multiple requests for records and evidence, it was confirmed that the citation originated at the direction of Mayor Nelson, with coordination from Steve Taylor and Michelle Eichmann.
Following conflict-of-interest concerns, the matter was transferred out of Franklin Municipal Court and reassigned to South Milwaukee Municipal Court, where it remains pending a motion hearing scheduled for late November 2025.
The Motion to Dismiss argues the citation represents a retaliatory misuse of the municipal code, a violation of the First Amendment, and an abuse of prosecutorial discretion under color of law.
Potential Violations:
• Wis. Stat. §946.12 — Misconduct in Public Office
• Wis. Stat. §946.65 — Abuse of Process
• Wis. Stat. §814.025(3)(b) — Frivolous or Bad-Faith Prosecution
• 18 U.S.C. §§241–242 — Conspiracy and Deprivation of Rights
4️⃣ Employment Interference at Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC) (2023–2025)
Between 2023 and 2024, Respondents Steve Taylor, John Nelson, and Mike Zimmerman orchestrated a coordinated campaign to interfere with my employment at Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC), where I had served for more than thirty years. Their intent was to create a false narrative of misconduct, pressure college leadership, and destroy my professional credibility to silence Franklin Community News.
Nelson’s Direct Contact with MATC Leadership
Evidence from the Waterford transcript and attached exhibits shows that Mayor John Nelson personally contacted MATC President Dr. Vicki Martin, boasting afterward that she was “giddy” to remove me and that MATC “worked quick” after his intervention. This interference coincided with fabricated community emails and online disinformation intended to legitimize political retaliation.
Taylor’s Spoofed Email Campaign and False Firing Narrative
Milwaukee County Supervisor Steve Taylor, using the alias concernedcitizensofmke@proton.me, sent over 150 spoofed emails to twenty-six MATC administrators and trustees between 2023 and 2024 . These emails recycled false harassment allegations and referenced restraining-order details known only to the conspirators, proving insider authorship.
Taylor and his allies then pressured MATC leadership and spread a false narrative that I had been “fired” rather than retired — despite a March 7, 2024 severance agreement confirming my status as a retiree. In a recorded conversation, a participant admitted, “We told them he was fired. That way it sticks. Nobody cares if he says it was retirement — the firing is what matters.”
Zimmerman’s and Vincent’s Supporting Roles
Result and Continuing Impact
This effort succeeded in coercing MATC to distance itself publicly, converting an ordinary retirement into defamatory claims later weaponized in victim-impact statements and court filings.
The campaign demonstrates the respondents’ coordinated use of political influence, disinformation, and institutional pressure to retaliate against a journalist for constitutionally protected speech.
Legal Violations:
Wis. § 946.12 (Misconduct in Office); Wis. § 946.65 (Abuse of Process); 18 U.S.C. § 242 (Deprivation of Rights Under Color of Law); Wis. Const. Art. I §§ 3–4 (Retaliation for Free Speech).
5️⃣ Misuse of Law-Enforcement Systems & Privacy Violations (December 2024)
In December 2024, Franklin Mayor John Nelson, leveraging his background as a former Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Deputy and Waterford Police Lieutenant, unlawfully accessed confidential law-enforcement systems to obtain my House of Correction booking records. Staff later confirmed that the image “did not match their public system,” proving it originated from a restricted, law-enforcement-only database .
Nelson then took a cellphone photograph of the secure terminal, capturing my personal data and booking image directly from the restricted interface. That image — never a public record — was transmitted to Milwaukee County Supervisor Kathleen Vincent, who in turn circulated it among county officials and community contacts, using it to reinforce false narratives surrounding my incarceration.
On December 11, 2024, at a South Suburban Chamber of Commerce event, Nelson displayed the booking image on his phone, mocking my confinement and bragging that I had been jailed over Christmas and denied a sentencing stay. Witnesses later provided sworn affidavits confirming the remarks were retaliatory and intended to humiliate .
Additional corroboration comes from Marcus Christie, who provided evidence that at the 2024 St. Martin’s Fair, Alderwoman Michelle Eichmann told Marcus and his wife Angela, “Steve Taylor timed it with Chisholm so Rich would be locked up over Christmas.” Their contemporaneous discussion, memorialized in a text message, provides independent evidence that sentencing and confinement were deliberately coordinated between Taylor and District Attorney Chisholm to ensure holiday incarceration .
The circulation chain extended from Nelson → Vincent → Taylor, merging unauthorized access with a retaliatory political agenda. This episode served no lawful purpose; it weaponized confidential criminal-justice data to discredit a journalist and punish constitutionally protected speech.
Potential Violations:
Nelson’s and Vincent’s conduct constitutes potential violations of Wisconsin Statutes §§ 943.70 (Unauthorized Access to Computer Data) and 946.12 (Misconduct in Public Office), as well as 18 U.S.C. § 242 (Deprivation of Rights Under Color of Law) — collectively reflecting misuse of a law-enforcement computer system, breach of public-trust duties, and retaliation against constitutionally protected speech.
6️⃣ Surveillance and Monitoring While Incarcerated (Dec 2024 – Jan 2025)
According to evidence included in the Supplemental John Doe Petition, a Franklin detective accessed recordings of my family conversations and relayed their contents directly the ADA Witte and ultimately to Mayor John Nelson.
The detective in turn, had those details to Assistant District Attorney (ADA) Witte, creating a direct line of coordination between local officials and the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office .
The filings confirm that this surveillance was conducted without a subpoena, warrant, or judicial authorization, in clear violation of state and federal law.
The purpose of the monitoring, as described in sworn statements, was to gather information on Franklin Community News, identify supporters communicating with me, and ensure the publication could not continue to operate while I was incarcerated.
The Supplemental Petition further notes that emails between the Franklin Detective and ADA Witte referenced updates “from Reintegration,” corroborating the unlawful transfer of information from Franklin PD to the District Attorney’s Office.
This establishes a pattern of ex parte communication and unlawful surveillance intended to influence sentencing outcomes and suppress First Amendment activity.
Potential Violations:
This conduct constitutes potential violations of Wis. Stat. §§ 968.27–968.34 (Unlawful Interception of Communications) and 946.12 (Misconduct in Public Office), as well as 18 U.S.C. § 242 (Civil Rights Violations) — encompassing illegal interception, abuse of authority, and retaliation for constitutionally protected speech.
7️⃣ Continuing Defamation and Community Misinformation (2024–2025)
After my release, the same officials—Nelson, Taylor, Vincent, and Eichmann—continued their campaign of retaliation through deliberate public misinformation. They told residents and civic groups that I was “a stalker,” that I “harassed a single mother with two children,” and that I “went to jail for it.”
In truth, no stalking charge was ever filed, and these officials knew that the restraining order they helped engineer was a political instrument, not a safety measure.
Their statements were calculated, repeated, and coordinated across public meetings, email chains, and neighborhood social-media groups. Evidence in the John Doe record shows that each official had prior communication acknowledging the order’s political motive, yet they weaponized the narrative to destroy my reputation and chill future reporting by Franklin Community News.
This conduct reflects a pattern of abuse of office and coordinated defamation, intended to punish protected speech and deter other citizens from holding public officials accountable.
Potential Violations: The described actions may constitute Wis. Stat. § 946.12 (Misconduct in Public Office), § 946.65 (Abuse of Process), and 18 U.S.C. § 242 (Deprivation of Rights Under Color of Law)—encompassing misuse of official influence, malicious coordination, and retaliation for First Amendment activity.
📚 Prior Legal & Employment Issues
John Nelson (Mayor of Franklin; former Waterford Police Lieutenant / MCSO Deputy)
Waterford Police Probe (2024 – 25): A third-party investigation commissioned by the Town of Waterford Police Department documented allegations of inaccurate time records, sexual harassment, and misuse of resources (WISN). Nelson retired while on administrative leave (WTMJ)
Earlier MCSO Complaints (1998 – 2011): Disciplinary records show Nelson faced multiple internal-affairs cases, including sexual harassment and exam cheating (Urban Milwaukee).
Pattern: Across three decades in law enforcement and public office, Nelson has faced repeated accusations of harassment and retaliation followed by resignation or retirement.
Potential Violations: Wis. §§ 946.12, 946.65, 946.41; 18 U.S.C. §§ 241–242.
Steve Taylor (Milwaukee County Supervisor; former Franklin Alderman)
2000 Harassment-Order & Obstruction Cases: The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (archive.jsonline.com) reported Taylor pled guilty under a deferred prosecution for violating a harassment order and was later convicted of obstructing an officer for encouraging an acquaintance to lie to investigators.
Ethics and Conflict Complaints (2019 – 2023): Linked to ROC Ventures projects and alleged “pay-to-play” arrangements while serving simultaneously as Supervisor and Alderman.
Pattern: A consistent record of retaliation against critics and use of public office for personal and political gain — conduct mirroring the current John Doe allegations.
🔍 Why They Came After Me
My reporting challenged the power structure of Franklin and Milwaukee County. Through Franklin Community News, I documented how public officials blurred the line between government duty and private interest. I reported on ROC Ventures deals, the misuse of staff resources, and the systemic retaliation against residents who spoke up.
I revealed how Mayor John Nelson and Alderperson Michelle Eichmann provided political cover for development arrangements that benefited their allies. The John Doe filings describe this as the “organizing principle of the racketeering enterprise.” Every false report, every attempt to monitor calls, and every fabricated charge flowed from those exposés.
Their message was simple: silence the messenger and the story dies with him. But the story didn’t die — because the truth belongs to the public.
🌎 For the Greater Good
If this can be done to a citizen journalist, what protects ordinary citizens?
Residents of Franklin, Oak Creek, Greendale, and Greenfield deserve a government that operates in daylight—honestly, openly, and without fear or favor. No official should use the powers of public office to punish speech or silence dissent. When those entrusted with authority decide that certain voices are too inconvenient to be heard, freedom itself begins to erode.
We live in an era when many in power treat truth as negotiable and speech as a threat. But the First Amendment was never written to protect the comfortable—it was written to protect the courageous. Every citizen, whether a journalist, a parent, a student, or a business owner, has a right to speak without fear of political retribution.
Free societies depend on the uncomfortable questions—the kind that challenge officials and expose corruption. As many liberty advocates remind us, freedom is not self-sustaining; it must be defended by those willing to stand when it’s hardest. That defense starts locally—at the city council, the county board, and in our neighborhoods—where accountability has too often been replaced by intimidation.
When leaders forget that they serve the people, not the other way around, citizens must stand together for transparency, fairness, and integrity. The battle for open government is not about one journalist or one publication; it’s about whether truth still matters in public life.
“The greater good isn’t a slogan — it’s a responsibility. The truth is the foundation on which democracy stands.”
💬 If you value hard-hitting, fact-based investigative reporting about our hometown of Franklin — follow Franklin Community News on Facebook.
— for the greater good.
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