An online petition created by a former supporter of Green Bay Mayor Jim Schmitt is calling for his resignation because of campaign finance charges Schmitt is facing.
In an agreement with prosecutors, Schmitt has agreed to plead guilty to three misdemeanor charges related to allegedly accepting illegal campaign donations and falsifying information on his campaign finance reports.
Former Green Bay alderman, Shae Sortwell, has created the website JimResign.com. Sortwell says Schmitt “screwed up badly” so it’s best he move on.
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The website also says Schmitt is “another career politician that can’t follow the rule of law.”
Schmitt is promising “greater care and diligence” with his campaign finance reports, but hasn’t made any indication he’ll step down. On Wednesday, Schmitt apologized to the Green Bay community in a written statement. The mayor and his attorney, Patrick Knight, have said they hope to have the criminal case resolved within the next month.
On Wednesday, Knight said Schmitt plans to continue serving as mayor, a position he has held since 2003.
Each misdemeanor carries a maximum nine months in jail and a $10,000 fine upon conviction. The charges were filed Wednesday after an investigation into Schmitt’s campaign account, Friends of Jim Schmitt, lasted a year and a half.
The online petition is also connected to the Facebook page Jim Schmitt Resign Now created Wednesday.
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