(Top Row) Jeff Gentz (D), Monica Yuhas (D), and John Franco (D)
(Bottom Row) Sharon Pomaville (D), Ron Frederick (D), and Jeff Wamboldt (D)
(Photos by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye)
After an hour-long secret meeting behind closed doors, a Kenosha County Board Committee killed a resolution that would have given death benefits to a grieving and financially strained widow. Out of the six-member group, not one supervisor made a motion to pass the resolution sponsored by Board Member Zach Rodriguez. It therefore cannot be sent to the full board. Since there will be a new board in 60 days, the measure is dead.
Veteran Sheriff’s Department Corporal Christopher Basina worked for the department for 23 years. During an outbreak at the Kenosha County Detention Center, Basina contracted Covid-19, says his family’s attorney.
Basina was assigned to swab inmates noses to test them for the virus. Basina passed away on October 8, 2021. His Doctor, Roman Pyasta concluded that Basina contracted Covid-19 at work. The county hired an infectious disease expert to check Dr. Pyasta’s work. This expert asked the county for information to help him make his determination as to where Basina contracted the virus. According to Kevin Martin, the attorney for Basina’s widow Cheryl, the county refused to give the expert the information he requested, leaving him unable to give an opinion. The County then denied Mrs. Basina all benefits, which included health insurance, a monetary pay-out and funeral costs.
Attorney Martin told KCE that the Kenosha County Sheriff, David Beth (D) and Kenosha County Executive, Jim Kreuser (D) both have the authority under Wisconsin law to declare Basina’s death as occurring in the line of duty but both have refused to so for unknown reasons. Sheriff David Beth recently attended a County Board meeting, demanding that his daughter, who is a part-time seasonal employee receive a bonus, but didn’t want death benefits for one of his fellow officer’s wife.
Mrs. Basina told us “Sheriff David Beth also stated to me and my children at Christopher’s funeral that if there was anything that we needed that he would take care of us, ‘anything’. Several weeks later I spoke to Sheriff Beth on the phone asking if Christopher would be classified as dying in the line of duty he stated that he was not able to make that decision.”
After the meeting was opened back up to the public, the committee’s chairman, Jeff Gentz tried quickly to adjourn the meeting, but later let Basina’s daughter speak. “What more information are you looking for?” asked Becca Basina. “Our (lawyer) needs to talk to your (lawyer),” said Lawyer Joey Cardamone.
(Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye)
Mrs. Basina took issue with Cardamone’s comment. “What kind of attorney do they have that doesn’t even know what’s going on with the case? (The notice of claim) was filed in February,” she told KCE Thursday night. A ‘notice of claim’ is a legal document that usually proceeds a lawsuit.
(Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye)
Also in attendance were two of Basina’s children. Both shed tears as they waited to hear if their mother would get the help she needed to avoid bankruptcy.
With the stress, grief and financial hardships, Cheryl appeared unwavering in her mission to get help. She consoled her children and remained visibly strong and unshaken, even with Board Member Rodriguez’s initiative being defeated.
Mrs. Basina told KCE that the “(The County is) hoping I’ll get tired and give up.” She made it clear, one way or another, she will press forward. A retired Sheriff’s department officer that worked for Basina for almost two decades was in attendance showing his support told KCE. “There is no winning here.”
KCE spoke to many members of the Sheriff’s department who had wonderful things to say about him. It is expected that the Basina family will file s a lawsuit in the coming months.
County Executive Jim Kreuser and Sheriff David Beth will still not speak publicly about why they are adamant about saying “no” to the Basina family.
16 Responses
Completely disgusted and disappointed with this democrat run city. Where does all the money go? Can’t fix a street in town since I’ve been here 13 years, can’t support an officer who was doing his job. Question though, has there been death benefits paid out to any other officers window or family that would set a precedence either way?
There is a state law that lists the parameters and there is a federal law signed by then-president Trump that guaranteed these benefits for any first line responder that passes away from covid. The lawyers I have spoken to are confident it will be an easy case to win once it gets to a judge
The gulag running Washinton left wing fascists dole out in line of duty death benefits to DC officer who comitted the sin of suicide 9 days after January 6th non event but Kenosha can’t stand with a fallen officer?
Our “leadership” are spineless.
Vote the bums out!
Was he vaccinated? No one talks about that and it is relevant. A vaccination could have saved his life by minimizing the severity of the virus. Did the county have a policy requiring employees to be vaccinated? If not, his family should be able to sue the county for failure to protect its employees from a significant and known risk.
The covid-19 experimental gene therapy was not a “vaccine” under the medical definition for the last 200 years until the plandemic.
Little to no evidence that the Covid-19 experimental gene therapy saves lives in any manner.
All due respect, but you are wrong on many things in your statement. It is a fact that the vaccine minimized the number of deaths of those who took it over those who did not. It is possible that this very good man believed the disinformation that you and others are pushing and it cost him his life. However, we don’t know his vaccination status. I wish we did.
His “vaccination” status is private medical records and none of your business, and is not part of the law requiring benefits for deceased first responders. Stop your righteousness. The fact you got a vaccine doesn’t make you a better person.
You are correct that it is a private matter. However, he is applying for a public benefit. Thus, it is certainly relevant and of public concern. It is a fact that a first responder who is a victim of a fatal car crash on duty will receive reduced benefits if s/he was not wearing a seat belt. A seat belt is considered a basic protective measure. If the county did not require protective employees to be vaccinated, this family should go after them for forcing him to work without basic protection. It is no different than a police department not having a rule that requires its officers to wear seat belts. I hate to beat up on a good guy who died, but you would think he would have taken steps to protect himself and got the vaccine on his own because he was working in such a dangerous environment, even if the county refused to protect him and his co-workers.
Hmm I didn’t know that wearing a seatbelt was part of your medical records… What a terrible analogy, but nice try.
Jeff Gentz (D), Monica Yuhas (D), John Franco (D)
Sharon Pomaville (D), Ron Frederick (D), and Jeff Wamboldt (D)
are all 6 too stupid to know they’re stupid. so glad i live in the sunshine state where secret meetings are against the law. that is why we are called the sunshine state- all government is in the open for public record- sunshine is the best disinfectant/sanitizer to kill germ infested corruption like this crew. all meetings must be advertised in advance and open to public audience. this widow will win- i hope she gets attorney fees and back pay and extra coins for damages- bless her heart. she needs to lawyer up and mash the gas on this corrupt bunch of democrats. how did kenosha allow so many creeps into the county/city government? yall need to clean things up. and too- just look at them- they are all ugly- inside and outside. not one hard tail has a necktie on- the females(or shims) are not aware of a commodity available called make-up(i can only assume by pictures)- it is called make-up because you gotta make up for deficiencies in the looks God gave you. but- then again- i am not convinced anything short of a magic wand would help them.
You sound like a dipshit in half of your posts.
Not only should parents be pulling the bonds of corrupt school board members but these people are also bonded and if I were her, I’d pull all their bonds and sue them personally as well. For their corrupt decisions.
This is why the morale is so low with-in County Employment. The people running the HR and leadership for the county are showing they are against their employees. They do not treat the employees with any respect for the jobs that they do for the county. Who in their right mind would want to work and be treated this way by an employer. This is a disgrace the way they are treating this family. Christopher was a devoted employee who’s family doesn’t deserve this treatment. Surprising that a Sheriff is not supporting his staff by not ruling this an in the line of duty death, but I guess he is just showing in his last year of his term, just how truly much he cares about the employees who work for him. The County appears to be doing whatever it takes to not have to pay death benefits to the family. Shame on them.
What training and PPE did the city provide this officer that died after doing nasal swaps? My wife is a nurse and did nasal swabs and they had a lots of procedures that they had to follow including. They had the proper PPE which included hair bonnets, gloves, booties, N95 masks, and coverings for their uniform. Anybody who she came into contact with had to have a mask on or they were turned away. I heard there were times when there were no gloves even available for the officers to wear to do nasal swabs nonetheless any of the other PPE. we all know the inmates did not have to wear mask. Just terrible that Sheriff wants to demand special treatment for his daughter but won’t take care of one of his officers after he did wrong by him and not providing him I see if employer meant to do his job. safety number 1!!!
Meanwhile, down at the Country Thunder Farm, a drunken Sheriff operates a vehicle and puts public safety at risk, with little or no consequence. It’s an outrage that some, who take their job seriously perish as a result of their employment, while others whose actions express total disregard for safety and contempt for the law, continue to live life without harm or justice.
I had just told a board member today that I personally felt that there are only two members on the board worth a damn. Beth is a liar IMO, self serving or serving all the relatives he has working in county government jobs. Sympathy for the widow and my advice would be to lawyer up. Your husband was a 1st responder, your family is entitled. Off the subject a bit, anyone know who has more relatives employed in city or county government? Is it Beth or Kenosha’s Mayor? Also, thank you county board for not allowing Beth or the clerk to get a raise. As someone mentioned, go to the other counties that pay the Sheriff more. Beth is more interested in getting his daughter a bonus for seasonal work, or get himself a raise for possibly extra beer money at this years Country Thunder, wait I believe last years beer was free. Self serving jerks. Most of them seemingly. As far as the person who mentioned pulling the bonds for Unified. Been a huge fan of that idea for years. Biggest scam any liberal city faces tax wise these days. Want your kids to get a good education? Home school them. Not everyone is able to, then place them in good private schools. Shut down this free for all they call KUSD with it’s clown leadership that are grossly overpaid. Good luck to the Officers family, get a good lawyer.