Milwaukee's once-clean reputation is muddied

MILWAUKEE -- Wisconsin's once-clean political image, damaged by recent scandals in state, county and city government, could be further sullied this week as a trial begins for a Milwaukee alderman accused of extortion and fraud.

Paul Henningsen's trial follows guilty pleas from two former colleagues, who resigned their seats after being indicted on federal corruption charges.

"I think it's shaken up people in terms of Milwaukee not being the kind of city where this happens," said Alderman Fred Gordon, an 11-year council member who is not implicated. "Everything has been turned upside down. That's never happened in this state before."

Henningsen is scheduled to go on trial Monday on five federal charges of extortion and mail fraud.

Prosecutors say Henningsen, 56, pressured three developers to donate his campaign, one day before the committee he chairs voted on their housing project. He's also accuse of embezzling campaign money and falsifying spending reports.

The 20-year veteran politician has pleaded innocent. If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison.

His attorney did not respond to a telephone message seeking comment, and Henningsen's City Hall receptionist hung up on a reporter's call.

A City Hall investigation started last summer amid reports that Alderwoman Rosa Cameron illegally used federal money from a nonprofit group she started before she ran for office. She resigned after pleading guilty to misappropriating $28,900 in federal funds and is serving eight months in prison.

In May, Alderman Jeff Pawlinski, 36, resigned his council seat and agreed to plead guilty to defrauding campaign contributors after accusations he deposited about $40,000 into a personal account, then spent it. Prosecutors said they will recommend eight months in prison.

U.S. Attorney Steven Biskupic said none of the aldermen knew what the others were doing.

The scandals are among several at various levels of government in Wisconsin.

Five state legislators have been charged with felonies for alleged illegal campaigning at the state Capitol. Seven Milwaukee County supervisors were recalled from office and the executive resigned after a feud over pensions. And last year, Milwaukee Mayor John Norquist settled a lawsuit with a former aide who accused him of sexual harassment.

Milwaukee's former image as being above the sort of corruption that afflicts some other big cities is outdated, said Janet Boles, a professor of urban politics at Milwaukee's Marquette University.

"If Milwaukee has been missing from the scandal headlines for many years, suffice it to say we're now normal and average," she said.

Boles said Wisconsin's relatively lax campaign finance laws, which rely on honest reporting, are too tempting for some politicians.

Lawmakers passed a series of campaign reforms last year, but they were thrown out by a federal court. A new bill that would close one loophole in the law by banning pay-for-play, or the trading of campaign contributions for votes, is awaiting Gov. Jim Doyle's signature.

Milwaukee resident Shirley Loughlin wasn't surprised by the corruption allegations, saying she doesn't expect much from politicians, anyway.

"We need somebody that doesn't owe their soul to the company store before they get in there," said Loughlin, 61.