Bill Kramer
An embattled state lawmaker has been sentenced to five months in jail on charges that he pushed and groped a woman outside of a Republican fundraiser.
State Representative Bill Kramer (R-Waukesha) pleaded no contest last month to two counts of fourth degree sexual assault, reducing the charges against him. Prosecutors had recommended up to nine months in jail, but a Waukesha County judge on Tuesday gave him five months behind bars and three years of probation. He will not have to register as a sex offender, but the judge did order sex offender and alcohol assessments.
Kramer, the former Republican Majority Leader in the state Assembly, was charged in March after he was accused of groping and pushing the woman outside of a GOP event in 2011. The victim in the case came forward following allegations that the lawmaker had harassed two other women during a GOP event in Washington D.C. earlier this year. Those accusations prompted Republicans to strip Kramer of his leadership position and he chose not to seek reelection this fall.
Kramer did address the court briefly, apologizing for his behavior and admitting that his problems with alcohol led to the incident. He said he’s been in recovery since then and has not had a drink since February. The judge said he believes Kramer can move forward, if he overcomes his problems with alcohol.