Chisholm Confirms Health Department Probe
DA says months-long investigation of how lead abatement program was handled continues.
Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm confirmed on Tuesday that his office is investigating the Health Department’s lead abatement programs.
In a letter to Common Council President Ashanti Hamilton and Ald. Bob Donovan, Chisolm said: “My office, and the State of Wisconsin Division of Criminal Investigation, commenced a joint investigation several months ago, which continues at this time.
“Upon conclusion of the investigation, my office will report to the Milwaukee Common Council and the public our findings and any appropriate next steps.”
A letter Monday from Hamilton and Donovan to Chisholm stated that something went “dreadfully wrong” with the Milwaukee Health Department’s oversight of its lead abatement programs.
“While we continue to wait for an audit of the Health Department to begin in the coming weeks, we also thought prudent to contact you and ask if there were any circumstances that you believe could rise to the level of prosecutable offense,” they wrote.
City officials say the problems occurred late in the tenure of ousted Health Commissioner Bevan Baker. Although no other health official was named in the letter, it did state that other top administrative officials were also to blame.
In an email to NNS, Diamond Hanson, communications officer for the Health Department, said: “Our job here at the department is to reassure the public that we have made significant progress in rebuilding the program, and that we have a comprehensive program in place to respond to lead poisoned children.”
Mayor Tom Barrett has not responded to an NNS request for comment.
Also on Tuesday, representatives of Freshwater for Life Action Coalition and Get The Lead Out, two groups that have criticized the city’s handling of lead, issued a statement supporting an investigation into the Health Department.
“Too much harm has been done in recent years to simply count on the assurances of city leaders. We believe a rigorous investigation would be a critical step forward in repairing this harm,” it read.
This story was originally published by Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service, where you can find other stories reporting on eighteen city neighborhoods in Milwaukee.
More about the Lead Crisis
- Baldwin Delivers Over $83 Million to Replace Lead Pipes, Expand Access to Safe Drinking Water - U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin - May 2nd, 2024
- Congresswoman Gwen Moore Statement on Milwaukee Designation as Workforce Hub - U.S. Rep. Gwen Moore - Apr 26th, 2024
- Biden Announces Milwaukee As New “Workforce Hub” For Lead Pipe Removal - Jeramey Jannene - Apr 25th, 2024
- Senator Baldwin Delivers Nearly $2 Million to Keep Wausau Families Safe from Lead Contamination - U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin - Apr 12th, 2024
- IRS Rules that Homeowners Won’t Have to Pay Additional Taxes for Subsidized Replacement of Lead Pipes - Milwaukee Water Works - Feb 29th, 2024
- Milwaukee Makes It Far Easier To Replace Your Lead Service Line - Jeramey Jannene - Dec 18th, 2023
- Congresswoman Gwen Moore Praises Biden Administration Effort to Remove Lead Pipes in 10 Years - U.S. Rep. Gwen Moore - Nov 30th, 2023
- Biden-Harris Administration Announces Partnership with 10 Wisconsin Communities to Accelerate Lead Service Line Replacement as Part of Investing in America Agenda - U.S. Environmental Protection Agency - Nov 2nd, 2023
- Evers, DNR Announce $402 Million Funding to Improve Local Drinking Water - Henry Redman - Oct 24th, 2023
- How EPA’s Proposed Lead Dust Rules Would Impact Wisconsin - Farrah Anderson - Aug 30th, 2023
Read more about Lead Crisis here
Political Contributions Tracker
Displaying political contributions between people mentioned in this story. Learn more.
- September 8, 2018 - Tom Barrett received $200 from John Chisholm
- March 30, 2016 - Tom Barrett received $100 from Bevan K. Baker
- March 14, 2016 - Tom Barrett received $50 from John Chisholm
- August 29, 2015 - Tom Barrett received $25 from Bevan K. Baker