Franklin Police & Fire Commission Co-Chair Resigns After Complaint Targets Mayor Nelson’s Alleged Influence

By Dr. Richard A. Busalacchi
Franklin Community News

A formal complaint alleging political influence, selective enforcement, and investigative misconduct inside the Franklin Police Department has now triggered something rare—and significant: the resignation of the Co-Chair of the Police & Fire Commission.

But the resignation did not come over what the complaint alleged.

It came over how the system handled it.

The complaint, filed January 31, 2026, outlines what it describes as a pattern of conduct involving political involvement in policing decisions and loss of investigative independence  . A supplemental filing adds internal communications obtained through public records requests showing direct contact between elected officials and police leadership during periods when enforcement activity escalated .

Those allegations alone raise concerns.

What followed inside the oversight body raised even more.

A Pattern, Not a Single Incident

The complaint does not rely on a single continuous sequence. Instead, it presents multiple episodes involving police engagement, investigative activity, and enforcement decisions.

According to the complaint:

• In some instances, police or prosecutors declined to pursue charges after review

• In other instances, enforcement action proceeded through separate mechanisms, including municipal processes

• Across these episodes, escalation is alleged to have occurred after involvement by elected officials, rather than through independent law enforcement judgment 

Taken together, the complaint argues these events show:

a pattern of selective enforcement and politically influenced policing.

It further alleges that:

• Residents critical of city leadership were investigated or cited

• Comparable conduct by elected officials was not treated the same way

That disparity is presented as evidence that enforcement was not applied uniformly, but instead influenced by political context  .

Internal Communications and Political Coordination

A supplemental filing strengthens those claims with internal records obtained through public records requests.

According to that filing:

• Emails show communication between Mayor John Nelson and Police Chief Craig Liermann

• Additional exchanges involved other elected officials and police leadership

• These communications occurred “contemporaneously with, or immediately preceding, enforcement actions” 

The filing also describes a targeted internal records request initiated by Nelson seeking:

• Communications involving specific named critics

• Emails tied to a local news outlet

Rather than a broad inquiry, the request focused on identified individuals and was processed through city administrative channels  .

The complainant argues these records show:

coordination between political leadership and police during key enforcement periods.

The Administrative Center: Kelly Hersh

At the center of the administrative process is City Administrator Kelly Hersh, whose office plays a key role in the flow of information across city government.

Records place Hersh:

• In email communications with Mayor Nelson and other officials 

• Within the administrative chain through which records requests were processed

• Involved in distributing complaint materials and coordinating Commission scheduling

Hersh also has documented political ties to Nelson, including prior involvement in his campaign and her appointment after he took office.

As Director of Administration—the city’s chief administrative officer—her position places her at the center of:

• communication between departments

• records handling

• and the administrative processing of complaints

The complaint does not allege specific misconduct by Hersh. However, it raises the question of whether:

administrative processes operating under politically connected leadership remained independent during the events described.

Breakdown Inside the Oversight Body

The concerns did not stop with policing or administration. They extended directly into the Police & Fire Commission itself.

On February 28, Commission President Franco Mineo informed the complainant that he was recusing himself due to a conflict of interest and that Vice President (later Co-Chair) Thomas Klusman would serve as the Commission’s point of contact.

Nearly one month later, on March 23, when the complainant followed up, Klusman responded that he:

• had no knowledge of the complaint

• was not serving in that role

The following day, March 24, Klusman confirmed he had resigned from the Commission entirely.

Mineo later stated he was “looking into the issue,” without explaining how the reassignment occurred without the knowledge of the official identified as responsible.

For nearly a month, the complaint remained in limbo—assigned to a commissioner who, by his own account, had never been informed of its existence.

Resignation at the Top

Klusman’s resignation reveals that the breakdown was not limited to communication—it extended to the integrity of the complaint process itself.

In his resignation letter, Klusman identifies multiple failures:

• The complaint was not properly distributed to all commissioners, including himself

• It was not placed on an agenda for timely review

• There was a significant delay in addressing it

• Sensitive materials were shared beyond appropriate channels, including with individuals connected to the complaint

👉 KLUSMAN RESIGNATION LETTER 

Drawing on more than 25 years of law enforcement experience, including internal affairs work, Klusman described these issues as violations of basic investigative standards.

He did not resign over the allegations.

He resigned over the process.

Rather than participate in what he viewed as a compromised system, he stepped down.

As Co-Chair of the Commission, his resignation carries particular weight:

it reflects a loss of confidence in the system responsible for ensuring police accountability.

A System Under Strain

Taken together, the complaint, supplemental filing, internal communications, and resignation point to a system under strain:

• Political officials communicating with police leadership during enforcement periods

• Administrative systems handling records, communications, and complaint materials

• Investigative activity that did not result in charges, alongside continued enforcement actions

• Oversight mechanisms that failed to process a formal complaint in a coordinated or timely manner

The complaint also raises concerns about:

• monitoring of communications without resulting charges

• delays in records production

• and refusal to revisit investigative decisions

The Question Facing Franklin

Police & Fire Commissions are designed to ensure independence—to act as a safeguard between political authority and law enforcement power.

But in this case, the concern is not just what was alleged.

It is how the system responded.

Bottom Line

This is no longer just a complaint about policing.

It is a convergence of:

• alleged political influence

• administrative involvement at the highest levels of city government

• documented communication between officials and police leadership

• and a resignation from within the oversight body itself

Whether the allegations are ultimately substantiated remains to be determined.

But one fact is already clear:

When the leadership of the oversight body resigns over process concerns, the issue is no longer just the complaint—it is the integrity of the system reviewing it.

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.

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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.

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