Chippewa County Board supervisors took no action Tuesday night to remove Sheriff Travis Hakes from office. Hakes is accused of misconduct in office, and he defended himself at a hearing.
Supervisor Rob Teuteberg said the county needs to look into that rebuttal. “Now in light of this latest information presented tonight from Sheriff Hakes to direct them to continue the investigation.”
A months long investigation accused Hakes of sexual harassment, working his gun store and real estate business from the sheriff’s office, and failing to attend meetings.
Chippewa Falls alderman Heather Martell said series of alleged text messages between Hakes and a female staffer were alarming. “What happened here may not have been nudity, it may not have been the aggressive sexual harassment that we’re used to. But it leads up to that.”
Hakes said the allegations are a witch hunt. “You do not have to look very far in this report to find many of the statements were provided by individuals who actively campaigned against me.”
An outside law firm has been handling that investigation.