Salem Lakes Village Clerk Resigns Amidst Alleged Corruption Investigation

Copied!
Salem Lakes Village Clerk Shannon Hahn
(Photos By Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye)

The Salem Lakes Village Clerk, Shannon Hahn, has resigned from the Village of Salem Lakes Friday. Hahn, 44, of Bristol, turned in her written letter of resignation as Walworth County Detectives were questioning employees for the third day in a row, according to reports. This departure comes at a curious time. KCE has at least three unfulfilled public records requests into the village. We expect the records to be damning to the Village’s Administration. Hahn is responsible for fulfilling these requests. She told us last Monday, “I wanted to notify you that [the records requests] will take longer than usual. I am sorry for this inconvenience.” Hahn is also in charge of the upcoming elections. Her election supervisor, Michael Ullstrup, recently passed away, leaving the administering of the important upcoming election in limbo. There is a primary election on February 21, 2023 and the general election on April 4, 2023. Village officials are scrambling to delegate who will take over in the duo’s absence. We made contact with Hahn Sunday evening and she said “I have no desire to talk to you. Please do not contact me.”

Paid Advertisement
Salem Lakes Trustee Mike Culat
(Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye)

Michael Culat, a trustee for the Village of Salem Lakes and a local Realtor out of Antioch, IL, previously worked as a police officer for the City of Antioch, IL, being hired in 1985 and allegedly leaving under suspicious circumstances in 1991. According to a police report written by his then-Lieutenant, he seemingly left the department so suddenly, that he had to be hounded by the police department to get their police equipment back from Culat.

Paid Advertisement
Skid Steer
(Stock Photo)

KCE received multiple complaints about Culat’s behavior. First, we were told that there was a Village of Salem Lakes skid steer in his backyard for several months. He was alleged to be using the village-owned machine for his own personal use. We emailed him several times to ask him why the skid steer was in his rural backyard. He never responded. What do we do when government officials aren’t transparent? We asked him in public after a meeting while recording. He admitted to having the skid steer at his house but said he didn’t know who dropped it off or who picked it up. He said he never touched the skid steer and his fingerprints aren’t on it. He started to say that he didn’t see it, but then corrected himself, saying he did see it. He told us he didn’t use it, but wouldn’t say why it was there.

Paid Advertisement

KCE has learned that the Walworth County Sheriff’s Office is conducting an investigation to Culat’s seemingly unscrupulous behavior. Culat said last week that his “lawyer” would be answering our questions on February 7, 2023. We have not yet heard from this “lawyer.”

Paid Advertisement

Captain Shannan Illingworth of the Walworth County Sheriff’s Office did confirm that she assigned detectives to investigate the complaint about Culat.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Paid Advertisement

Author

Copied!
LATEST NEWS

Kenosha Police Command Staff Receive Prestigious Award

Kenosha Police Chief Patrick Patton made a promise the Police and Fire Commission when he took on the role of Chief in 2023 that he would develop a “senior staff that was one of the most educated and trained in the State to further the leadership skills and prepare for succession” within the department. As part of that promise, every member of the Kenosha Police Department’s Command Staff attended leadership courses through FBI-LEEDA (Law Enforcement Executive

Read More »

Indian Trail High School Art Teacher Written Up For Having Secret Bed In Locked Storage Closet, Lying To Principal

An art teacher was removed from his classroom last month and was placed on administrative leave. He kept his job and was allowed to return to teaching on January 6, 2025. KCE has just obtained his personnel file and learned why he was issued a write-up from KUSD. What was uncovered may shock you. According to Cabal’s personnel file: On the morning of December 12, 2024, the high school’s principal was informed by security staff that

Read More »
MORE TOP STORIES

Carthage Football Player Headed To Prison For Sexual Assault

A former Carthage student who admitted to forcibly raping another student In August of 2023, will spend the next couple of years in prison. Cortez L. Newman plead guilty to Third Degree Sexual Assault. He was originally charged with Second Degree Sexual Assault, but Newman took responsibility for the crime, admitted his actions, and took a plea. The victim spoke today in court and fought back tears, saying, in part, “What happened to me didn’t just

Read More »

Man Accused Of Sexual Assault Charged With Child Pornography Today, Police Investigating Possibly More Sexual Assaults

Brandon L. Wilson, 24, of Pleasant Prairie, was charged today with nine counts of possession of child pornography. These vile videos and photos, which allegedly depicted adults having intercourse with children, were discovered as part of an unrelated sexual assault allegation from November 13, 2024. In the sexual assault case, Wilson is alleged to have sexually assaulted a Carthage College student. The alleged victim alleged told police that she was walking on campus and a man

Read More »

Rep. Nedweski Reacts To Gov. Evers’s State Of The State Address

State Representative Amanda Nedweski (R-Pleasant Prairie) issued the following response to Governor Evers’s annual State of the State Address: “What we heard from Governor Evers tonight was more of the same. The Governor spent the majority of his address taking credit for the work of the Republican legislature and encouraging bipartisanship, despite coming off of a legislative session where he set the record for bills vetoed,” Nedweski stated. “Evers’s vision for Wisconsin is one of significant

Read More »

A Word From Dr. King, Superintendent, Salem School District

By Dr. Vicki King, Superintendent, Salem School District – A Special To KCE As the superintendent for the Salem School District, I believe that honesty and transparency serve as the foundation of trust between a school district and its community.  Recently, a headline about our upcoming referendum created some confusion and concern. I am committed to transparency, accountability, and the truth; and I want to make sure our community  knows that the error made by the

Read More »

Embattled Dope-Smoking Lawyer Has A Guardian Angel – The Kenosha County Sheriff: Opinion

Imagine being woken up just after dawn by the sound of a Sheriff’s S.W.A.T. team member on a loudspeaker calling for all occupants of your home to exit with your hands up. You do as ordered and you exit your home to see 39 law enforcement officers from multiple law enforcement agencies surrounding your home. One neighbor tells an officer, “It’s about time you take down this home.” The police find drugs in your bedroom, your

Read More »

Kenosha Fire Chief, Commission, Promotes Violent Criminal Who Was Once Suspended For Two Months To Lieutenant

A violent criminal was promoted yesterday to the rank of Kenosha Fire Lieutenant. Fire Chief Dan Tilton, however, isn’t willing to talk about it. According to a Kenosha Police report and court documents: On August 18, 2018, a Kenosha firefighter named James “JD” Adams brutally attacked another firefighter. He was playing a softball game with other members of the Kenosha Fire Department at Poerio Park in Kenosha. James and another firefighter, were reportedly having sex with

Read More »

County Health Department Supervisor Charged With Serious, Violent Gun Felonies – Placed On Leave

A division of public health supervisor was placed on leave, following her court appearance yesterday, being charged with two very serious felonies and three serious misdemeanors. Lindsay D. Sarauer, 42, of Burlington, was charged yesterday with two counts of Second Degree Recklessly Endangering Safety, two county of Pointing A Firearm At Another, and one count of Domestic Abuse – Use Of A Dangerous Weapon. She faces more than 20 years in the Wisconsin Department of Corrections

Read More »

West-Side Kenosha Family’s House A “Complete Loss” After Structure Fire From Sunday Afternoon And Monday Morning

At 12:32 p.m. on Sunday, 9-1-1 dispatchers sent the Kenosha Fire Department to the 9400 Block of 69th St in Whitecaps for a structure fire. Eventually KFD personnel decided that the fire was out and they left the home. Just before 4:30 a.m. yesterday morning, a 9-1-1 call was placed to the Kenosha Fire Department. That same home was on fire, again. The fire also damaged the house next to it and maybe one more. Within

Read More »

Sheriff’s Department Name Change Too Confusing: Opinion

The Kenosha County Sheriff’s Department (KSD) is now known as the Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office (KESO). KCE got a press release recently from Sgt. Coultrip that used the acronym KESO. We replied with an FYI, saying that there was a typo. He ignored us. Another press release followed. The same acronym – KESO. We then learned it wasn’t a typo. People on social media expressed how confusing this was. “It should be KSD or KCSO,” one

Read More »
Categories
Archives
Authors

20 Responses

  1. As a resident, I’m very sadden by this development. Shannon was a excellent representative of the village,
    and will be very hard to replace. Many will miss her.

    13
    13
  2. “I have no desire to talk to you. Please do not contact me.”

    That’s how you know Kevin is the best journalist in Kenosha.

    10
    10
  3. This is quite the can of worms. And they’d all still be in the can doing what they do if we did not have a tenacious, professional journalist in Kenosha county.

    4
    7
    1. She was mike Murdocks puppy. She was a tattle tale and knows of a lot of the corrupt things going on. Maybe they should start questioning the waste water plant employees as well. Like the ones that never punch a time clock but have time cards. Or the ones shopping and cooking during working hours. Yes people. This happens on a weekly basis and it’s our tax dollars paying their wages and they even had to hire more office people to cover their work that isn’t being accomplished.

      3
      1
    1. Not only the Board, by the day to day functions of the Town Administrator. Why has he never been able to be found? What does he do? What a waste of tax dollars.

      1. Funny. The village employees have mentioned he is never around anymore. Maybe check the Limerick in Antioch. Or on his couch. “Working from home”.

      2. Also fire inspector and the fire chief neither are competent. The fire inspector has only 3 years of fire service who has never been in a fire and he was made captain.

      3. Also fire inspector and the fire chief neither are competent. The fire inspector has only 3 years of fire service who has never been in on an initial fire attackm and he was made captain.

        1. Chief Slover had a Fire and Rescue Department, that Fiefighters and Rescue personnel were proud to be a part of. He put that Department on the map. Departments around the State knew of Salem Fire and Rescue. For the 20 years he gave to making it a Department that not only the ones who worked for him, were proud of, but so was the community it served, it took Chief Lejcar 1 year to destroy to where a majority of the employees have left, can barely get a second squad out for a call and he has made the Department an embarrassment to our town. What a disservice it was to put him in a position he is not qualified to do. Bring Chief Slover back.

  4. It seems the current Cheif has decided to bring prosperity through overreached, this never works. Most of the current board operates with their head in the sand. The current board has decided they care more about the feelings of the employees vs taxpayers. It’s clear this Village has ignored the rights of taxpayers and business owners, for what reason? Plain and simple they are too weak and lazy to do the job they have been entrusted to do. Voters need to educated themself. As a resident I see a great opportunity to make change, don’t waste this opportunity, it doesn’t surface very often. Change can be good for all taxpayers.

  5. Salem Lakes previously had a very qualified and professional clerk in Cindi Dulaney. The board, headed by Tesar, fired her for no reason. I wrote for the paddock Lake/Westosha Report for years and never heard any complaint with her. Cindi did, however, make many complaints about former town then village administrator Pat Casey. And the Salem town board, which became the advisory board during the integration with Silver Lake, ignored its own agreement. That agreement stated that the Silver Lake village board could make no agreements or decision that could raise taxes without informing and getting agreement from the Salem advisory board. Pat Casey went to the Silver Lake board and got them to sign a contract with a nice, fat raise. I found out about it from the Silver Lake board. Casey didn’t give it to Cindi Dulaney as he should have. It was a big, illegal secret. And when Tesar , along with Culat, Campion, Faber and Kmiec, learned about it, they did NOTHING.

Add a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

LATEST NEWS
Categories
Archives
Authors

Subscribe to updates

Get notified of new articles. We'll never share your email address.