Ald. Focusing on Police Administrative Inquiry & Criminal Complaint
Milwaukee – A Milwaukee alderman is accused of removing a challenger’s political campaign yard sign.
District 3 Alderman Nik Kovac doesn’t deny that he removed an opponents yard sign from a Riverwest lawn.
It happened this past weekend. Kovac says he noticed challenger Shannan Hayden’s campaign sign in a yard he thought endorsed him, so he removed the sign to replace it with a yard sign with his name.
Kovac was caught removing the sign by the challengers spouse, who said he caught the alderman in the act–turns out the spouse is a Milwaukee police officer.
“I would never think that anybody would be that petty to take somebody’s sign. That’s petty. That’s cheap,” aldermanic candidate Shannan Hayden said during an interview with CBS 58.
The charge against Kovac comes right on the heels of the primary election which is a week away.
“Nik Kovac took my yard sign out of the residents property, put his yard sign in and proceeded to put my yard sign into his vehicle,” Hayden said.
Kovac however told CBS 58 that, “He said he supported me, not her. He was very clear. Then, her husband, in uniform, confronted both of us. I thought his behavior was highly inappropriate, and I immediately called the police department to report it,” Kovac said.
Hayden was asked if she thought it should be investigated by the police department?”
Hayden said, “Absolutely, he was committing a crime. He knows, especially being an alderman for eight years, that that was illegal to do.”
Not to be left in the shadows, a third candidate for Kovac’s seat filed a formal complaint with the DA’s office.
Ira Robins, also an Aldermanic candidate filed a complaint with the District Attorney against Alderman Nik Kovac and is seeking a special prosecutor citing theft and misconduct in public office by Nic Kovak.
“This is some Bush league behavior from an incumbent. By taking Candidate Hayden’s sign and putting it in his vehicle, for no valid reason, Kovac violated the Criminal Statutes of the State of Wisconsin. Milwaukee deserves better than election by Theft and Misconduct”, said Robins in a statement.
Robins has over fifty-three years of investigative experience, which includes fourteen years as a Wisconsin police officer, seventeen as a private investigator and more than twenty years as an investigative consultant.
Milwaukee Police released the following to CBS58: “MPD is aware of this situation and is conducting an administrative inquiry.”
Police said they’re in the process of assembling reports and will then decide whether to launch a criminal investigation.