A veteran board chair facing child porn charges resigned from his post Monday amid repeated calls for his resignation from Democratic Gov. Tony Evers’ administration and Republican gubernatorial candidate Kevin Nicholson.
Prosecutors in Milwaukee charged Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs Board Chair Curtis Schmitt Jr. on Jan. 23 with three felony counts of possession of child pornography. Schmitt, whom Evers appointed in 2019 and the Senate unanimously approved, has pleaded not guilty.
According to a criminal complaint, investigators discovered two photos and a video of child pornography had been uploaded to a Dropbox account associated with Schmitt’s email in December. Schmitt told police that he was addicted to adult pornography and sometimes received and downloaded child pornography.
In a letter to Evers on Monday, Schmitt said, “It has been an honor to serve on the Board of Veterans Affairs for the past three years. Please let this letter serve as my official resignation,” according to a copy Evers spokesperson Britt Cudaback provided to the Wisconsin State Journal.
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The day after Schmitt was charged in January, an attorney for Evers asked him to “do that which is in the best interest of the Board of Veterans Affairs by immediately resigning your unpaid, part-time, citizen-appointment position.”
He didn’t respond, Cudaback said.
On Monday morning, Nicholson sent Evers a letter to jump-start the removal process after Schmitt ignored calls to resign. Nicholson laid blame on Evers for not removing Schmitt sooner.
Because the Senate confirmed Schmitt, Evers could not simply rescind his appointment. Instead, a taxpayer — Nicholson in this instance — had to file a complaint to trigger a process through which Evers can remove Schmitt for “inefficiency, neglect of duty, official misconduct or malfeasance in office.”
In his letter sent Monday, Nicholson said Evers “dishonored the reputation of the Wisconsin Board of Veterans Affairs and displayed an incomprehensible lack of leadership” by refusing to be more proactive in removing Schmitt.
After Schmitt’s resignation, Nicholson said, “Schmitt Jr. should have been removed from the Wisconsin Board of Veterans Affairs months ago. I’m glad that he’s finally resigned, but it should have never come to this.”
A judge last month bound Schmitt over for trial. He’s due back in court Tuesday for a scheduling conference.
The veterans board works with the WDVA secretary to shape benefit programs for Wisconsin veterans by adopting administrative rules. It also approves resolutions and recommendations from state veterans organizations. The nine members serve four-year terms with no pay.
Nicholson is facing Republican gubernatorial candidates former Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch and Rep. Timothy Ramthun, R-Campbellsport, in a contest to oust Evers.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
