Reply #4: New reports of Kratz "indiscretion" and Hassett goes on offense

[dragonlady]

Kratz gave inside information about a crime to a woman during their first date, and then invited her to go with him to a victim's autopsy.

More allegations against Kratz surfaced Monday, when Doyle's office released a letter from a second woman who says Kratz discussed confidential details of an active investigation with her and even invited her to watch a crime victim's autopsy.

Doyle said an aide has spoken with the woman making the latest allegations, but his office has not had a chance to verify her allegations.

"It's mind-boggling," Doyle said of the accusations. "To have an autopsy be used for the premise of a social engagement is just beyond anything anyone can imagine, I think. . . .  That's the part that concerns me the most because it's really the use of official duties, in his official status as district attorney, for purposes completely unrelated to his job as district attorney."

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_WISCONSIN_PROSECUTOR_SEXTING_WIOL-?SITE=WIMIL&SECTION=STATE&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

He sent harassing sexts to a law student who had asked his help in getting a pardon for an old drug conviction.

Maria Ruskiewicz told The Associated Press on Tuesday that she met Calumet County District Attorney Ken Kratz in his office in 2008 to discuss a decade-old drug conviction. Afterward, she says Kratz sent her text messages that soon turned harassing, including one that asked how she would please him in bed.

An Oklahoma City University of Law administrator confirmed that Ruskiewicz was so upset by the messages that they met in 2008 to discuss how to respond. A Wisconsin prosecutor also says Ruskiewicz told him last year about Kratz's conduct.

http://www.jsonline.com/news/wisconsin/103457119.html

And our candidate for attorney general makes an important point about all this. From his press release:

Scott Hassett, candidate for Wisconsin Attorney General, today released the following statement regarding calls for an independent investigation into JB Van Hollen?s handling of the Ken Kratz 'sexting' case.

'District Attorney Kratz?s conduct is appalling and it makes your blood boil. It is an outrage when a victim of a crime is victimized again by those to whom she turned for legal help. Even more troubling are reports that JB Van Hollen knew about this case for nearly a year and did nothing about it. And as a result of Van Hollen?s inaction, at least one other woman was apparently victimized by Kratz since the original incident.'

'The people of Wisconsin deserve to know why their Attorney General sat on his hands and took no action against a Republican ally, despite pleas for help from the 25 year old victim. Only an independent investigation will reveal the full extent of JB Van Hollen?s misconduct in the Kratz case.'

This could be big.