John Nelson - A Career of Resignations, Investigations, and Taxpayer Funded Benefit Claims

Public records, court filings obtained by Franklin Community News, and prior investigative reporting reveal a recurring pattern in the public career of Franklin Mayor John Nelson: departures from public employment amid unresolved investigations, followed by litigation seeking long-term, taxpayer-funded benefits — even as Nelson now seeks reelection while under active criminal investigation.

Leaving Milwaukee County Under Unresolved Scrutiny

John Nelson previously served as a deputy with the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office. During his tenure, internal investigations were opened into alleged workplace misconduct, including allegations of sexual harassment and other improper behavior.

Those investigations were never publicly resolved. Nelson resigned (quit) before their conclusion and later pursued legal action to block the release of his personnel and internal affairs records, preventing public disclosure of the allegations or investigative findings.

Years later, Nelson sued Milwaukee County, asserting he was entitled to vested retiree health insurance benefits. A circuit court rejected that claim, finding Nelson did not meet the contractual requirements necessary to vest those benefits. Nelson is now appealing that ruling in the Wisconsin Court of Appeals.

The appellate filings focus narrowly on benefit eligibility and do not address the circumstances of Nelson’s resignation or the unresolved investigations that preceded it.

Waterford: Administrative Leave, Retirement, Then a Lawsuit

After leaving (quitting) Milwaukee County, Nelson joined the Town of Waterford Police Department, ultimately serving as a police lieutenant.

In May 2024, Waterford placed Nelson and other officers on administrative leave while an internal investigation was opened into multiple complaints regarding workplace conduct. Reported allegations included claims of a hostile work environment, sexual harassment and inappropriate comments, retaliation against subordinates, and misuse of departmental or municipal resources for personal or political purposes.

Before the investigation was completed or publicly resolved, Nelson retired (quit) on October 11, 2024.

On December 4, 2025, Nelson filed a civil lawsuit against the Town of Waterford, alleging the Town unlawfully removed him from its group health insurance plan and placed him on COBRA. Nelson claims the applicable collective bargaining agreement entitles him to remain on the Town’s health insurance plan throughout retirement.

The Waterford summons and complaint were obtained by Franklin Community News through an open records request to Racine County Circuit Court. The filing focuses exclusively on contractual and constitutional claims related to retiree health insurance and does not disclose the existence, status, or outcome of the internal investigation that was ongoing at the time of Nelson’s retirement.

If successful, the lawsuit would obligate Waterford taxpayers to subsidize Nelson’s retiree health insurance for years, potentially decades.

Nelson has denied wrongdoing and characterized the Waterford allegations as baseless.

Alleged Quid Pro Quo Involving Open Records and Police Access

In July 2024, Franklin Community News documented an in-person meeting in which Mayor John Nelson allegedly proposed a quid pro quo involving an open-records request.

According to FCN’s reporting, during a lunch meeting on July 5, 2024, Nelson suggested that if FCN withdrew an open-records request seeking his Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office personnel file, the City would arrange a meeting with the Franklin Police Chief and facilitate police involvement in investigating complaints raised by FCN publisher Richard Busalacchi.

Following that meeting, FCN did withdraw the open-records request.

Subsequent open-records disclosures later revealed that the detective assigned to investigate matters on behalf of Busalacchi was simultaneously working against him, raising serious questions about whether law-enforcement resources were being used neutrally or as part of a retaliatory or conflicted process.

FCN reported the incident publicly because it implicated:

• The use of mayoral authority in connection with an open-records request

• The redirection of police resources following journalistic activity

• The integrity and independence of a police investigation

Nelson has denied wrongdoing. No criminal charges have been filed related to the incident.

Active Criminal Investigation While Seeking Reelection

Nelson now serves as Mayor of Franklin and is actively seeking reelection. At the same time, he is the subject of an active criminal investigation.

The West Allis Police Department, working in coordination with the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office, is investigating Nelson for possible misconduct in public office. The investigation became public through a judicially authorized search warrant, which references alleged misuse of city funds or resources, including payments to a marketing or social-media contractor tied to Nelson’s political activity.

No criminal charges have been filed. Nelson has denied wrongdoing. The investigation remains ongoing.

Why It Matters

Across multiple public employers and roles, a consistent sequence emerges:

1. Employment in taxpayer-funded public service

2. Emergence of investigations

3. Resignation or retirement before investigations conclude

4. Litigation or claims seeking long-term taxpayer-funded benefits

That pattern — combined with allegations involving the use of public office to influence records access and policing — raises serious questions of accountability that voters are entitled to consider as Nelson seeks another term.

EDITORIAL

Opinion: When Power, Policing, and Silence Intersect, Voters Should Pay Attention

Investigations are not convictions. Allegations are not proof.

But when public power, police authority, and political self-interest intersect, voters have an obligation to look closely — and to stop giving the benefit of the doubt to patterns that keep repeating.

Franklin Mayor John Nelson wants reelection while under active criminal investigation. He is suing former public employers for taxpayer-funded health insurance after leaving both positions amid unresolved investigations. And according to Franklin Community News’ firsthand reporting, he allegedly used his position as mayor to influence an open-records request and the direction of a police investigation.

That combination should alarm anyone who cares about transparent government.

When Power Shapes the Process

In July 2024, Nelson allegedly suggested that the withdrawal of an open-records request for his sheriff’s department personnel file could be exchanged for police access and assistance.

What followed is just as troubling: records later showed that the detective assigned to investigate concerns raised by FCN publisher Richard Busalacchi was working against him, not independently on his behalf.

That sequence matters.

Even if no crime is charged, it reflects a breakdown of trust — where journalists, citizens, and critics are left questioning whether police resources are being used impartially or as tools of political influence.

A Pattern, Not an Isolated Incident

This alleged episode does not stand alone.

Nelson left Milwaukee County before investigations concluded and fought to seal records. He left Waterford during an internal investigation and then sued for lifetime benefits. Now, as mayor, he faces a criminal investigation while maintaining close political alliances with Supervisors Kathleen Vincent and Steve Taylor, Alderwoman Michelle Eichmann, and endorsing Maqsood Kahn for County Supervisor and Danelle Kinney for Alderperson.

These relationships matter because power protects power — especially in small political ecosystems where the same officials appear repeatedly when accountability is questioned.

This Is About Standards, Not Verdicts

No court has found Nelson guilty of a crime. That is not what voters are being asked to decide.

They are being asked whether they are comfortable with:

• Investigations that end when officials resign,

• Records that disappear behind legal barriers,

• Police processes that appear conflicted,

• And taxpayer obligations that follow officials out the door.

Public office is not a bargaining position.

Police authority is not a favor.

Open records are not leverage.

When those lines blur, democracy weakens.

The Choice Before Voters

This election is not about one allegation or one lawsuit. It is about whether Franklin wants leadership that welcomes scrutiny — or leadership that repeatedly outlasts it.

Accountability does not enforce itself.

Voters do.

This piece reflects the author’s personal opinion and experiences. All statements are presented as commentary protected under the First Amendment. Readers are encouraged to review public records, filings, and documented evidence referenced throughout this article.

Dr. Richard Busalacchi is the Publisher of Franklin Community News, where he focuses on government transparency, community accountability, and local public policy. He believes a community’s strength depends on open dialogue, honest leadership, and the courage to speak the truth—even when it makes powerful people uncomfortable.

🕯️ 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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