The Federal Investigation That Isn’t

Officials at Milwaukee City Hall were preparing for a federal investigation related to city housing practices, but suddenly, and without much explanation, the whole thing appears to be off.

A special Common Council meeting was called for Tuesday, July 26. During the meeting council members were expected to introduce a $250,000 proposal to hire an outside attorney to defend the city. But the meeting was canceled, and any related legislation was never introduced.

Alderman Russell W. Stamper, II asked Common Council President Jose G. Perez during Thursday’s regularly scheduled meeting if the money was approved. “I don’t want to say what it’s about,” said the alderman.

“Do you know what I’m talking about?” he asked. Yes, said Perez, but he confirmed no one introduced the legislation.

No one at City Hall will speak on the record about the matter, but the Judiciary & Legislation Committee spent several hours in closed session Monday “for the purpose of conferring with the City Attorney who will render oral or written advice with respect to litigation in which the city is or is likely to become involved.”

Such secrecy could be warranted if the city was being compelled by the Department of Justice under seal to produce records, as one source suggested to Urban Milwaukee several weeks ago. The record requests were said to go back several years and were very broad.

But what the investigation was ever about may never become public. According to several sources, the DOJ is calling off its request.

In the event that the DOJ was pursuing an investigation on behalf of an individual or entity, they could still end up suing the city and, in the process, reveal what the DOJ might have been pursuing. But until then, the public will need to do what many at City Hall appear to be doing: waiting to see if anything changes.