Former Milwaukee city attorney Tearman Spencer is charged with one count of misconduct in office, a felony, and one count of obstructing an officer, a misdemeanor.
According to a criminal complaint, Spencer "exercised discretionary power in a manner inconsistent with the duties of his office with intent to obtain a dishonest advantage for himself or another."
A criminal complaint describes ongoing issues with a property on North Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive where Spencer stored several cars.
The charging document shows that Spencer "directed" the resources of his office so that he and others could avoid inspections of by the Department of Neighborhood Services.
This allowed Spencer to avoid fines and fees that totaled thousands of dollars.
Watch: Former City Attorney Tearman Spencer has been criminally charged:
The criminal complaint indicates Spencer misled investigators when questioned about the situation.
In one instance detailed in the criminal complaint, Spencer appeared at an inspection of the property.
The inspector said Spencer's presence "made her uncomfortable" and that she "was not approached in the friendliest manner." She was not able to complete the inspection.
A second, more senior inspector then attempted to look over the property — which he told the first inspector he used to store cars.
The second inspector noted several code violations, including illegal use and occupancy, heavy motor vehicle storage, and nuisance vehicles. The property owner told the inspector he had been out of the country and unable to deal with the violations,
and that the city attorney had told him he didn't need occupancy permits.
The criminal complaint also details a memo drafted by the City Attorney's office that addressed the issues with Spencer's property.
Prosecutors say Spencer's obligation was to the City of Milwaukee and the memo constituted an act inconsistent with his official duties.
Read the full criminal complaint below.
Spencer Tearman Criminal Complaint by TMJ4 News on Scribd
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