Marty Brooks Makes Scorched-Earth Case Against Convention Center Board

Marty Brooks (left) and attorney Stephen Kravit. Photo by Jeramey Jannene.

Ousted Wisconsin Center District CEO Marty Brooks isn’t leaving quietly, and he doesn’t want to leave without the nearly million-dollar check he says he is owed. Brooks is prepared to fight the matter out in court.

After a meeting Wednesday, board members said they’re ready and not backing down.

Brooks, according to a June statement by one board member, was terminated for cause for allegedly misusing district credit cards for more than $50,000 in expenses, including political contributions.

The termination appeared to end a contentious six-month period where Brooks was also accused of pinching the butt of another board member and of using a consultant to justify a predetermined conclusion to tear down the Miller High Life Theatre and replace it with a hotel for the Baird Center.

But after the termination, Brooks invoked his contractual right to make his case publicly and was given 45 minutes to do so Wednesday morning.

He delivered a scorched-earth speech that personally attacked individual board members and attempted to defend his record.

“Good morning my friends and former friends,” said Brooks in his opening remarks to the board.

Brooks said when he was hired in 2018 he “inherited a mess” and turned the organization around while leading the development of the award-winning, $456 million Baird Center. “Until recently, every time my performance was reviewed by this board the reviews were glowing.”

He accused longtime board chair Jim Kanter, now the acting chief of staff, of showing little interest in district operations, then executing his termination and giving himself the job without any relevant experience. Kanter, in the room, shook his head.

“The board fired the wrong person,” he said of Kanter.

Brooks also accused “hotel owners and operators and some politicians” of advocating for their personal interests over the district’s interest, which he said violated their fiduciary duty. Board members Mark Flaherty of Jackson Street Holdings and Greg Marcus of Marcus Corp., who own several downtown hotels, publicly opposed the new hotel plan because they said the market couldn’t support it.

“What a surprise, the hoteliers on the board objected to a recommendation that Milwaukee needs another convention center hotel,” he said. “What a surprise, city officials oppose the thought of any potential development until they know they are going to get their piece.”

“Some board members are using their board positions to obtain favors for their other interests, such as featuring their products at district venues or steering meetings to their private restaurant premises,” said Brooks. He appeared to be criticizing Kanter, the chief commercial officer of Central Standard Craft Distillery and Omar Shaikh, the owner of Carnevor steakhouse and 3rd Street Market Hall.

Brooks also accused José G. Pérez, a board member and council president, of fabricating the alleged political fundraiser pinch. “The alleged pinch did not occur. I did not do it,” he said. He accused Pérez of trying to create a “golden ticket” incident to allow the board to terminate him for cause, though the board didn’t invoke the measure in its final decision. Brooks said Pérez abused city resources in having the event investigated.

The former CEO also said events, including scheduled meetings, indicate to him that the plan to oust him was underway before the alleged October pinch.

By name, Brooks’ most frequently targeted board member was downtown Ald. Robert Bauman, whom he accused of leaking to the press “at every step.” He accused Bauman of leading a “kangaroo court” when the alderman nominated the district’s arena and theater for historic protection and then hearing the matter before two different committees he chairs. He said Bauman was also wrong to reveal some of the claims against him after the June 8 meeting.

“Did you censure Ald. Bauman or did you just tell him great job for savaging me?” asked Brooks.

In total, Brooks said the process to fire him was “bad faith at every step.”

Attorney Stephen Kravit, of counsel to Brooks, called it a “travesty” and said it was “absurd” that Brooks was given only 45 minutes to speak.

But what Brooks wants from the board is not an apology, nor his job back, but to be paid.

He said he is owed more than $900,000 by the terms of his contract. The board is free to fire him, he said, but in terminating him for convenience it must pay him.

Under the terms of his three-year contract, which pays him up to $445,000 annually plus several bonuses, Brooks would have been owed the remainder of his base salary and other payments through January 2028.

“Make no mistake, I was terminated for convenience,” said Brooks. He alleged the board decided to fire him.

As evidence, Brooks cited a meeting with Joseph Pickart of Husch Blackwell, the district’s outside counsel, in which he was told the board would be terminating him for convenience.

Settlement talks were initiated, according to Brooks, Kravit and multiple board sources, that included offers as high as $380,000. This week, said Kravit, Brooks was offered $200,000.

Even without a settlement, Brooks said more than $650,000 in outside legal fees with Husch Blackwell, crisis public relations support from Kane Communications and other fees have been incurred. And he said the total only reflects the period when he still had access to a district computer.

“This is a joke,” said Kravit after the hearing.

In addition to the testimony, Kravit and Brooks delivered a claim to the board. The board, said Kravit, has 120 days to respond before a formal lawsuit can be filed.

Brooks defends spending

Interspersed with his criticism of the board, Brooks defended the alleged spending that led to his termination.

“My reputation was irrevocably harmed because of this false report,” he said. “I committed no misconduct.”

He said the political contributions to area politicians were made to further the case of the Wisconsin Center District. “I got no personal benefit from these donations and did not know they were forbidden,” he said.

The district earns revenue from a combination of sales, hotel and rental car taxes as well as earned income. Brooks is not legally allowed to make contributions of district funds to political campaigns. Those receiving the funds included the campaigns of County Executive David Crowley, Perez and Mayor Cavalier Johnson. None of the individuals have been accused of having a way to determine the source of the funds.

Brooks said he wrote the district a check for $5,000 to resolve the matter.

The politicians have returned the contributions, said Kanter, and Brooks’ check is being held in escrow until the matter is resolved.

Brooks also is accused of spending lavishly to gift custom LEGO sets of the Baird Center to contractors that built the $456 million convention center expansion. He said the $12,000 expense, which included one for Jim Kanter, was of no benefit to him.

“The district first chose to accuse and only later to investigate,” said Brooks.

Kanter, after the meeting, said he thought the set was a gift from a contractor and is prepared to give it back if requested.

Brooks also addressed the Louboutin shoes that he purchased for himself and another employee at a cost of more than $1,000 each.

After the meeting, Kravit said the shoes were used for filming a district video in an attempt to increase business and compared the purchase to buying a suit.

“The district uncovered no embezzlement, no theft, no kickback scheme, no falsified invoices, no secret accounts, no reimbursement fraud, no self-dealing arrangement and no diversion of district funds,” said Brooks.

He said the board only uncovered “mistaken use of district cards for small political donations and two overpriced pairs of shoes.”

Board members respond

After Brooks’ presentation and a closed session discussion, board member and Wauwatosa Mayor Dennis McBride moved to terminate Brooks for cause, ending the notice period the board initiated with its June 8 termination vote.

The measure was adopted unanimously by the 12 board members present, with Perez abstaining. Five board members, including Bauman, were absent. Grady Crosby, the acting chair, was one of several board members to participate virtually.

How did the hotel owners feel about being named?

“Marty’s legal and factual claims have no merit. And we’ll prove it in court,” said Marcus.

Kanter said it was clear Brooks broke campaign finance law and said the board amped up its investigation after employees came forward with complaints, including about the shoes.

“Marty gave a very impassioned plea, a very emotional plea from his end,” said Kanter. “It doesn’t change the fact that Marty still broke the law, violated the employee handbook that we have, violated the bylaws of the center. district using taxpayer dollars. And that’s what we continue to stay focused around within our board and within the governance and finance committees that we have.”

Kanter said he has no interest in being the district’s permanent leader and said district employees deserve credit for continuing to deliver events without interruption.