Investigation Uncovers Civil Rights Violations and Conflicts of Interest in Ashwaubenon Police and Village Leadership

Civil rights probe exposes misconduct, conflicts of interest, and retaliatory actions inside the Ashwaubenon Department of Public Safety.

ASHWAUBENON, WI, UNITED STATES, October 9, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- An extensive six-month inquiry conducted by Bright Line Investigations LLC has verified, through body-camera recordings, police reports, court filings, and official email correspondence, a sustained pattern of civil rights violations, retaliation, defamation, and procedural misconduct within the Village of Ashwaubenon, Wisconsin. The evidence is now part of multiple state and federal actions and has been referred to Wisconsin oversight agencies.

According to the records, the matter began on May 3, 2025, when Lt. Wade Wudtke of the Ashwaubenon Department of Public Safety stopped Chief Investigator Kyle Corrigan during a licensed investigative assignment without reasonable suspicion or probable cause. The Village’s internal inquiry later concluded that “no policy violations occurred,” despite clear evidence of constitutional and statutory violations. The matter remains under administrative and judicial review.

Verified Timeline of Events

May 3, 2025 – Citizen Call and Unlawful Detention
According to dispatch records, resident Aaron Huggett reported (Chief Inv. Corrigan), “in the neighborhood the last couple days, driving slowly...” No offense was alleged, and no law was violated. Before initiating the stop, Lt. Wade Wudtke left a voicemail with Bright Line Investigations stating he knew who the vehicle was registered to and intended to make contact with the investigator. In his own report, Wudtke wrote that he “feared [Corrigan] may be performing illegal activity” and that he “spoke to several of the residents and informed them of [Corrigan’s] activities.” He further directed residents to “only wave at him and not approach him, for their safety.” These actions, unsupported by any evidence of wrongdoing, show that Wudtke spread false implications of criminal conduct and effectively enlisted residents as de facto deputized detectives under color of authority. A single citation, BM125680-2, was issued for window tint that was later proven exempt.

May 14, 2025 – Notice of Claim Filed
Bright Line Investigations filed a statutory Notice of Claim under Wis. Stat. § 893.80, which the Village denied without insurer review or independent investigation.

July 10, 2025 – Mandamus Action Filed
Corrigan filed a Petition for Writ of Mandamus in Brown County Circuit Court (2025CV001030) after the Village refused to release Lt. Wudtke’s personnel file, including prior disciplinary and resignation records from the Shawano County Sheriff’s Office, in violation of Wisconsin’s Open Records Law.

August 5, 2025 – Plea and Tint Exemption Produced
A de novo plea of not guilty and a valid medical tint exemption were filed with the Ashwaubenon Municipal Court. Despite proof of compliance, Attorney Ashley Lehocky, serving simultaneously as municipal prosecutor and Village counsel, continued prosecution beyond her authorized scope and ethical limits.

August 13, 2025 – Default Judgment and Exoneration of Wudtke
While Corrigan’s plea and exemption were pending, the Municipal Court issued a default judgment containing no judicial name, signature, or official authentication. This violated Wis. Stat. § 800.09(1) and Wis. Sup. Ct. R. 75.02, which require a municipal judge to personally sign and enter all judgments for validity. On the same day, Chief Thomas Rolling signed an internal exoneration clearing Lt. Wudtke of wrongdoing. The timing coincided with Corrigan’s next surveillance deployment and is now under federal review.

September 12, 2025 – Lt. Hennessey Body-Camera Footage and Defamatory Conduct
Lt. Hennessey’s body-worn camera records him telling residents, “He has a lawsuit against the department,” and, “likes to cause problems,” referring to Corrigan’s pending litigation. During the same exchange, Hennessey asked, “Does anyone know who he’s investigating?” before making false and defamatory statements about Corrigan’s work, claiming he had “weapons in his vehicle,” without evidence of any violation. When a resident replied they had a concealed-carry permit, Hennessey responded, “Perfect,” a remark interpreted as encouraging escalation. He refused to provide an incident-report number and later made false statements to Corrigan about the nature of the call. Bright Line Investigations classifies these acts as defamation, concealment of records, and reckless endangerment under color of law.

September 30, 2025 – Abrupt Hearing Cancellation
Following Corrigan’s motion to reopen the default judgment, the Municipal Court cancelled the pretrial hearing by letter dated September 26 and postmarked September 30, immediately after Corrigan requested independent press access.

October 6, 2025 – Administrative Response and Conflicts of Interest
According to Chief Rolling, Lt. Hennessey received “counseling” in response to the September 12 incident, yet the department again concluded that no policy violations occurred. Public records confirm that Attorney Lehocky concurrently served as municipal prosecutor, civil-defense counsel, and legal advisor to the court, joined by Attorney Tyler Pluff of Town Counsel Law & Litigation. The Village’s simultaneous clearance of Hennessey and its reliance on conflicted counsel demonstrate a continuing pattern of institutional self-protection.

October 8, 2025 – Dossier Submitted to Oversight and Judicial Authorities
Between October 1 and October 8, 2025, Bright Line Investigations submitted its Judicial Misconduct and Liability Dossier to the Wisconsin Office of Lawyer Regulation, the Wisconsin Judicial Commission, and other oversight entities. The submissions included body-camera footage, police reports, court filings, and email correspondence evidencing due-process violations, conflicts of interest, and misconduct under color of law. The October 8 filing marked the conclusion of Bright Line’s evidentiary reporting phase and established a formal referral record for ongoing review.

Active Litigation

United States District Court (Eastern District of Wisconsin) – Corrigan v. Wudtke et al., Case No. 1:25-cv-01408-BBC
Portage County Circuit Court – Corrigan v. Village of Ashwaubenon et al., Case No. 2025CV000143
Brown County Circuit Court – Corrigan v. Ashwaubenon (Mandamus Action), Case No. 2025CV001030

Oversight and ethics investigations remain pending.

Statement from Chief Investigator Kyle Corrigan

“This case demonstrates how easily government can lose sight of its duty to the people. As held in Marbury v. Madison (1803), any law or act repugnant to the Constitution is null and void. When officials declare ‘no policy violations’ in the face of clear constitutional breaches, it exposes a culture more devoted to self-preservation than to justice.”

Kyle Corrigan
Bright Line Investigations LLC
+ +1 888-407-7380
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