A noted Wisconsin
Republican leader could face up to 52 years in prison
if found guilty of enticing a minor with drugs and alcohol
last year. Donald Fleischman, chairman of the Brown
County Republican Party, is accused of fondling a
16-year-old runaway from a juvenile facility,
according to the Green Bay Press-Gazette. The
preliminary hearing is set for October 29.
The teen told
authorities that Fleischman took him to a hotel and then a
cabin in 2006. When he tried to sleep, he said, Fleischman
would fondle him. On one occasion, according to the
youth, he awoke to find Fleischman masturbating on the
edge of the bed.
Police went to
Fleischman's home on November 19, 2006, where they found
the boy hiding in a closet, wearing nothing but a T-shirt
and underwear.
The GOP leader
appeared in court on September 28 and is free on a
signature bond. He faces three misdemeanor charges and two
felony ones, including contributing to the delinquency
of a child. Fleischman's attorney, Jeff Jazgar, said
his client is innocent.
"Our plan is to
get some witnesses to testify and present enough
information to dismiss the case," he said in the article.
Fleischman has
stepped down from his post as the county's GOP chair.
(The Advocate)
