MILWAUKEE, Wis. – Today, Fond du Lac County District Attorney and law enforcement’s choice for Attorney General, Eric Toney, demanded that Josh Kaul release redacted DOJ organizational charts so that the people of Wisconsin can see just how much he’s defunded the police at DOJ after nearly four years in office.
Eric Toney released the following statement:
“Attorney General Josh Kaul provided fuzzy math to the media yesterday, but even the numbers Kaul provided show that as Wisconsin is in a midst of historic violence and murder rates in Milwaukee are at record highs for the third straight year, public safety is not his priority. According to his numbers, DOJ is down 13 DCI agents since 2020.”
Questions that need to be asked:
- How does the current DCI organizational chart to compare the latest chart under former Attorney General Brad Schimel?
- These charts will show the true number of DCI Agent positions, Special Agent in Charge positions, Director positions, and Administrator positions that have been filled or remain vacant. Why won’t Josh Kaul release redacted versions of these charts to show Wisconsinites the truth?
- What could be a higher priority for our Attorney General than to get DCI Agents and Prosecutor positions filled at our DOJ?
- Why is Josh Kaul not hiring more agents? Why does he have unfilled positions?
- Is Kaul refusing to hire agents to protect the people of Wisconsin? Or does he run his administration so poorly that nobody wants to pursue these once highly sought after positions?
Toney emphasized that Kaul still has never refuted what DCI Director Tina Virgil reported back in March that only 88 out of 113 DCI Agent positions were filled.
“It’s time for Kaul to explain the discrepancy. Is he saying that Director Virgil lied to our Wisconsin Sheriffs? I demand that Josh Kaul releases redacted DOJ organizational charts under former AG Schimel and the most recent chart updated with all vacant positions to show the true numbers.”
Milwaukee Police Association President Andrew Wagner said that any reduction of agents at DCI cuts down on services that can be provided to local law enforcement.
Toney added:
“We need an Attorney General who will actually make public safety the number one priority here in Wisconsin. As Attorney General, I will begin the process to fill vacant DOJ DCI and Criminal Litigation Prosecutor positions on day one. I will ensure these crucial public safety positions remain filled to make sure that our local law enforcement and prosecutors have the resources they need to keep our communities safe.”
The following law enforcement officials joined Toney for this afternoon’s press conference:
- Waukesha County Sheriff Eric Severson
- President of the Milwaukee Police Association Andrew Wagner
This afternoon’s full press conference can be viewed here.
District Attorney Eric Toney has bipartisan endorsements from over 100 Sheriffs, District Attorneys, and Police Chiefs, and has been unanimously endorsed by the Wisconsin Fraternal Order of Police State Lodge, the Milwaukee Police Association, the Racine Police Association, the West Allis Professional Police Association, the Waukesha County Chiefs of Police Association, the Racine Deputy Sheriffs’ Association, the Kenosha Professional Police Association and the Milwaukee Police Supervisors Organization.
