Jim Schmitt
| James J. Schmitt | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Mayor of Green Bay, Wisconsin | |
|
Assumed office May 2003 | |
| Preceded by | Paul Jadin |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
June 7, 1958 Two Rivers, Wisconsin |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse(s) | Dona Degenhardt Schmitt |
| Children | Three children |
| Residence | Green Bay, Wisconsin |
| Alma mater | St. Norbert College (B.A.) |
| Profession | Business Owner |
James J. "Jim" Schmitt (born June 7, 1958) is an American politician and businessman from the state of Wisconsin. A Republican, Schmitt is the mayor of Green Bay, Wisconsin.
Career
Business
In the private sector, Schmitt was president of Famis Manufacturing Inc. and received the Green Bay Area Chamber of Commerce Small Business Entrepreneur of the Year award.[1]
Politics
Schmitt served two consecutive terms on the Brown County Board of Supervisors. On April 1, 2003 he was elected the 41st mayor of Green Bay, Wisconsin, succeeding Paul Jadin who had not sought re-election.[2]
In 2007, Schmitt was re-elected with 70% of the vote, and won again in April 2011.[1] He serves on the Advisory Board of both the U.S. Conference of Mayors and the League of Wisconsin Municipalities.[1]
On February 17, 2015, Schmitt received 51 percent of the vote in a three-way primary. He went on to defeat Tom DeWane 53% to 47%.[3] With this victory, Schmitt has extended his tenure to 16 years and has overtaken Sam Halloin as the longest-serving mayor in Green Bay history.[4][5]
Campaign finance investigation
In January 2015, Green Bay city council Aldermen Chris Wery, Guy Zima, and Andy Nicholson alleged that Schmitt accepted as much as $10,000 in illegal donations for his mayoral campaign.[6] Schmitt contended that the errors were intentional, and handed his records over to the Brown County District Attorney and the Wisconsin Government Accountability Board to be audited.[7] Because of a potential conflict of interest, the Brown County District Attorney turned the records over to the Milwaukee County District Attorney.[7]
In September 2016, Schmitt agreed to plead guilty as part of a plea agreement to three misdemeanor charges, including false statements to an election official, accepting campaign contributions not belonging to the reported contributor, and accepting campaign contributions in excess of state limits.[8]
It was found that 17 individuals donated more than the contribution limit, which is set at $1,040, and two corporate donations, which are illegal under state election laws.[9]
Personal life
The fourth of 11 children born to James and Mary (née Gleichner) Schmitt in Two Rivers, Wisconsin, he attended Roncalli High School, St. Norbert College, and Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government.[10]
In 2011 he was recognized by the Green Bay Press-Gazette editorial board as Person of the Year.[11] In early January 2015, the Gazette reported that Mayor Schmitt's campaign finance reports from the previous three years show donations of about $120,000, with about $10,000 exceeding the legal campaign contribution permitted in Green Bay of $1,040.57. These donations came from at least two corporations and several from individual donors. The Schmitt campaign later stated that some donations had been improperly entered.[12]
Family
James J. Schmitt married Dona Degenhardt on May 26, 1990. They have three daughters, and had one child who died in infancy.[1]
References
- 1 2 3 4 "About the Mayor", greenbaywi.gov; accessed January 30, 2015.
- ↑ "Alliance Cities Elect New Mayors". The Wisconsin Alliance of Cities. Retrieved May 13, 2010.
- ↑ "Schmitt wins Green Bay mayor race". Fox 11 News. Retrieved May 14, 2015.
- ↑ Primary results, wrn.com; accessed February 23, 2015.
- ↑ Schmitt and DeWane to face each other, greenbaypressgazette.com; accessed February 23, 2015.
- ↑ Clare Kaley (January 4, 2015). "Mayor Schmitt, Aldermen Request Audit of Campaign Finance Reports". WBAY-TV. Retrieved September 12, 2016.
- 1 2 Rhonda Roberts (January 12, 2015). "Green Bay City Clerk Turns Over Mayor's Records for Audit". WBAY-TV. Retrieved September 12, 2016.
- ↑ Adam Rodewald (September 12, 2016). "Attorney: Schmitt won't resign as Green Bay mayor". Green Bay Press-Gazette. Retrieved September 12, 2016.
- ↑ Ben Krumholz (September 7, 2016). "'I have made mistakes': Green Bay mayor charged in campaign probe". WLUK-TV. Retrieved September 12, 2016.
- ↑ "James J. Schmitt profile". City of Green Bay. Retrieved May 13, 2010.
- ↑ "Editorial: Green Bay Mayor Jim Schmitt named Person of the Year". Gannett. Retrieved January 30, 2015.
- ↑ "Mayor Schmitt's campaign shows $10K in illegal contributions", greenbaypressgazette.com; accessed January 30, 2015.
External links
| Political offices | ||
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| Preceded by Paul Jadin |
Mayor of Green Bay, Wisconsin 2003 - present |
Succeeded by Incumbent |
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