Former Milwaukee city attorney charged with misconduct in public office

Milwaukee’s former city attorney has been charged with misconduct in public office — a felony — and resisting or obstructing an officer.

Tearman Spencer, who was defeated by Evan Goyke in an election last spring, faces over four years in jail if convicted and fines of up to $20,000.

A criminal complaint filed Wednesday by the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office said Spencer directed his staff to help him “avoid, fees and repairs, required by Department of Neighborhood Services Inspections that totaled thousands of dollars and to avoid inspections regarding his personal property.” 

The complaint added he “exercised a discretionary power in a manner inconsistent with the duties of his office with intent to obtain a dishonest advantage for himself or another.”

This isn’t the first time Spencer has found himself in hot water. In 2023, a state equal rights officer found there was “probable cause” to believe he violated labor laws after a former assistant city attorney reported he had touched her inappropriately.

Shortly after Spencer began his term, hoards of attorneys and staff members also left the office, some alleging ethical violations.

Wednesday’s complaint focuses on a property that Spencer used to store cars he owned.

Spencer told an inspector with the Department of Neighborhood Services that he used a locked portion of a building on the city’s north side to store his vehicles.

The inspector was there to perform a fire inspection, but said Spencer’s “presence made her uncomfortable and she did not complete the inspection.” Another inspector who came back later handed out code violations for the property because of illegal use, according to the complaint.

The property owner of the building said he received an email from Spencer’s personal email account with a memo from the city attorney’s office that said a “building used for storing cars does not need an occupancy permit.”

The complaint said Spencer “exercised a discretionary power of directing city resources in an effort to prevent DNS (Department of Neighborhood Services), who would be the defendant’s client, from conducting inspections and assessment on the property.”

The complaint said that’s because Spencer directed his staff to draft a memo regarding occupancy permits and cars after he was faced with the fines. The complaint said that memo was not sent to the Department of Neighborhood Services, but rather sent to a “private citizen with whom he (Spencer) has private financial dealings in an attempt based on the surrounding circumstances to avoid the inspections and fees in the thousands.”

During an interview with investigators, Spencer admitted he directed his office to “do this because his personal property was at issue,” the complaint said.

Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson called the charges “disturbing and disappointing.”

“The people of Milwaukee have expectations their elected officials scrupulously follow the law, and today’s charges assert that Mr. Spencer did not,” a statement from Johnson said.

“I have consistently called for accountability for those who violate the public’s trust,” the statement added. “The voters of this city removed City Attorney Spencer from office in April.  That was one form of accountability.  He will now face accountability in a court of law.”

Milwaukee Alder Jonathan Brostoff also released a statement about the charges.

“Those voted into office have an expectation to uphold the law from the people who elected them, and it appears Mr. Spencer may have violated that public trust,” the statement said.

“All those who violate the law, elected official or otherwise, should be held accountable for their actions,” it added.

Online court records don’t show a court appearance for Spencer yet.

William Sulton, a Milwaukee based attorney, said he’s representing Spencer. In an email, he said said Spencer “denies” that he committed a crime.

“We do not believe that the alleged facts meet the legal sufficiency requirements for pleadings in our state,” Sulton said in the email. “We will seek prompt dismissal of the charges.”