(File Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye)
On April 11, 2022, an anonymous letter was received by the Kenosha County Human Resources director and assistant director. The letter stated:
“The Sheriff himself has personally ordered multiple supervisors to record hours in Telestaff knowing the employees did not work those hours. I repeat—Sheriff Beth has ordered several supervisors of the KSD to enter hours into Telestaff that were not worked, thus stealing from the County. When jail staff and jail supervisors were recently given raises, ARSs and employee Jamie Post did not receive raises. The Sheriff asked the board for raises for them but the board denied those raises. The Sheriff then ordered jail Operations Supervisors to log overtime hours for the ARSs and Jamie Post into Telestaff even though they did not work them. The Sheriff said each person is to receive at least 10 hours of unearned, unworked overtime per week. The Sheriff further ordered that nothing about this is to be put in writing. But looking at Telestaff and speaking with ARSs and supervisors will show this happened and is ongoing. CD Levin and CPT Miller were all involved in this scheme and Beth, Levin, and Miller all gave direct orders to different people to enter these unearned hours. Beth, Levin and Miller also ordered supervisors not to put anything in writing.”
This letter prompted the County to retain a law firm to investigate. Unsurprisingly, the County hired vonBriesen, the same law firm that found that Sheriff Beth and Kenosha County Board Members accepting thousands of dollars in free stuff from County Thunder wasn’t wrong.
During Covid-19, The Kenosha County Board approved bonuses for County employees. They ranged from $750 to $2,400. Funds for these bonuses came from the federal government’s American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA). You can view a list of each any every county employee that received a bonus and how much they received here. Sheriff Beth was upset that he and his daughter, a part-time, temporary employee of Brighton Dale Golf Course, didn’t get the bonuses. He was also upset that the jail booking clerks didn’t get the bonuses either. He was so upset, in fact, that he spoke at the December 12, 2021, County Board Meeting to discuss his disappointment. He said he thought it must have been a mistake or an oversight. He then told the board, “I’m going to be looking at coming in and asking to get this corrected [by the County Board] for next year.” This was the only way to get the bonuses for himself, his daughter and the booking clerks – through action from the County Board. After being the Sheriff for 20 years, he knows how the budget process works. Here is the video of him speaking to the Board:
Beth decided that he would give the bonuses to his booking clerks without permission from the board or County Executive, who has some authority to authorize expenditures up to $100,000. Beth, a life-long Democrat, saw the County Board turn red in April of 2022. He told investigators that it was not a “good time” to ask the County Board or County Exec for the authorization for the funds becuase of the recent election. Beth asked his office manager to start paying the booking clerks extra overtime hours that weren’t actually worked to make up for the bonuses they didn’t get. The Beth used funds from a budget line item for something other than what it was appropriated for. Prosecutors call that “misappropriation of funds.”
VonBriesen found that Beth did wrong, but incredibly, advised the County against seeking punishment against the Sheriff becuase “Sheriff Beth will not be running for office again after this current term expires.” They also say that punishing the Sheriff could “impact morale.” You can read the law firm’s entire investigation here.
The lawyers’ report was sent to the Milwaukee DA who gave Beth a free pass and did not prosecute him. KCE asked John Chisholm (D) why he gave the break to Beth and his executive assistant said the Milwaukee DA had “no comment.” His report detailing why he didn’t charge Beth can be read here.
Kenosha County Executive Samantha Kerkman released a statement saying in part “Going forward, controls are now in place so this cannot happen in the future.”
31 Responses
You would get much more credibility if you had your facts right. Sheriff Beth has been running as a republican for the last 20 years but that doesn’t fit your agenda.
David Beth ran as a Democrat his very first time because he is a democrat. He lost. He then ran as a republican because he knew he must to become elected. Do you remember Sheriff Clarke from milwaukee? He was the most conservative Sheriff in the country and ran as a Democrat because that is what he had to do to become elected. If you had been paying attention you would see that the sheriff has endorsed at least a dozen Democrats in the last couple of years. He is a democrat.
The poster above knows damn well that he/she/it/they/furry (or whatever they call themselves) aligns politically with Dave Beth. This is the deception they try to manifest in an attempt rewrite history and win minds of the sheep not paying attention. Dave Beth, being a failure as a sheriff and a human being is now a “republican” according to the Godless because he is no longer of use to them with exception of tarnishing republicans in general.
You know this, but some of your readers may not.
Thank you, Kevin, for doing exemplary research and telling the truth in all your stories. Sherrif Beth is a blight on Kenosha County and has been for a long time. Sick and tired of so many pandering to him. He needs to be charged for misappropriating those funds!
Why are you mad? You should just report the truth and not your opinion. You’re not a news reporter! You’re a fraud trying to misguide the people of Kenosha County! David Zoerner is a Dem too! Zoerner is not real just like you! I can’t wait to vote for a real Republican and not a fake one!
Kevin, are you a part of Rittenhouse team? and not a true Journalist? You’re far far right and don’t care about our communities! You rather shoot first and asks questions later! You’re a menace to society and the safety of kenosha county! Go and move to Illinois “disgraced former Alderman!”
https://www.kenoshacounty.org/1994/Election-Results-for-1162018
Nothing here. Move on Kevin.
This will happen when a school resource officer gets promoted to Sheriff.
I agree!!! Education other than a High School diploma should lead. Only one in this race with a college degree is Simmons!
Pretty typical behavior among supervision at KSD. The good ole boy system is alive and well especially with CD Levin and Miller steering the ship for the Sheriff. We may be getting a new Sheriff in a few months but not sure how much things will be allowed to change once that new Sheriff takes office….
Thank you KCE.
While the Milwaukee DA gives this has been a “pass”. We The People give him a fail and will continue to spread the word about Dave Beth’s failures at every opportunity.
He failed to keep his oath to uphold the constitution and the law. (Including having one of his young cuck deputies violate this posters constitutional rights.)
He failed to protect Kenosha, instead he let it burn to the ground and be looted. Blood is literally on his hands as a result.
The only thing Dave Beth has ever protected and served, is himself. What he should be serving is time in jail for his role in letting the city burn.
This is the problem. If a person no Matter who it is isn’t punished in someway, people will continue to be corrupt. The employees and sheriff Beth should have to pay back all the extra money that was stolen. Or sever jail time.
HOW did Tim Michels get the Republican nod for WI Governor? This guy appears to be wacko. He appears so goofy, that he makes our “Worst Governor Ever(s)” look re-electable. What happened here?
Just a question, a suggestion for future reporting. Please do not publish.
Seriously. Does he even have a platform other than trumps cock in his mouth?
This is why we need a Sheriff who is not a part of the boys club in the department. We don’t need another insider looking out for his buddies. James Simmons is the most responsible choice for Sheriff.
Now, THAT’s funny! James Simmons does not support our constitution, and is the WORST choice for sheriff!
I don’t know that Mr. Simmons does not support the Constitution. But I also don’t know much about his plans or qualifications.
I looked on Simmons’ Facebook page and never saw anything about him not supporting the constitution! I though we suppose to support law enforcement Candidates who are real cops? So you don’t back the Blue?
Beth didn’t hesitate to punish those who did not support him politically.
I hope what went around comes around for Beth’s henchmen when Zoerner takes the helm.
Well, that’s a less-than-brilliant solution. Maybe better to end that type of behavior and start treating people as professionals.
If Zoerner takes the helm, he’s another good ole boy who will take care of friends once again. Kenosha county needs a real Sheriff who show no favoritism and will promote people based on their experiences. And not who they know! Simmons is the Best Candidate!
I said before nothing will happen to Beth because he knows about the Rittenhouse false flag
Spill the beans Dennis.
You make the claim but never offer anything to back it up. Shouldn’t be a problem for you to speak as you claim you’re out of the country.
TBH: I don’t doubt what you are saying. Rittenhouse may have spoiled the plot.
There’s a good ole boy club of corrupt DAs in our area. They follow a double standard and a soft on crime agenda. Whether its fake Republican in Walworth County Zeke Wiedenfeld or fellow fake Republican Tricia Hanson in Racine, they’re just as bad as DA Democrats Chisholm and Graveley. Don’t expect true justice to administered by these despicable civil servants. When law & order fail, will we see vigilante justice fill its void?
I am so tired of elected officials breaking laws and policy nothing happens to them. If in business he would be terminated.
Off topic…….WRJN—STUART J. WATTLES —Heard something about Kenosha County appointing and investigator(?) to assess fire response during the 2020 riots?
Wait Kerkman says she will fix it. Yeah right, this is just something else you will fuck up….
So if pay statements were falsified it would seem at the very least those involved would receive a letter of reprimand along with being required to return funds to the County. Very simple to make it easy on offending employees—withhold the funds from future paychecks—or turn it over to a collection agency.
The County would not hesitate to do the same to those who owed money for taxes, fines, permits and such.
Giving this more thought. Tougher to “misappropriate” money when there are little or no fiscal controls defining its proper use. Hopefully they did plug that.
Thanks for sharing KCE. We need more articles like this.