Eau Claire County district attorney to resign
Jul. 9—EAU CLAIRE — Eau Claire County District Attorney Gary King announced Friday that he will resign Aug. 14.
King announced his resignation through his attorney, Hal Harlowe of Madison, after submitting a letter to Gov. Tony Evers. He came under scrutiny after concerns were raised about his conduct toward subordinates and his behavior in court.
"I feel it is in the best interest of everyone that I step away and do so in a manner that will allow for as seamless a transition as possible," King said in his letter to Evers.
Co-workers have accused King of sexually harassing a county employee, who filed a complaint against King in February. King's courtroom behavior has also been under scrutiny.
Sheriff Ron Cramer submitted a report in February after he saw King behaving oddly, and a recent hearing was postponed after a judge ordered King to have a breath test for alcohol and received the results.
King said he decided to resign for three reasons.
"First, the best interest of the office is my top priority and supersedes all else," he said.
"Second, it would not be possible to return to a productive work environment given some of the statements that have been made during this process as well as the manner in which I have been treated by various individuals," King said.
Finally, he said, that after 10 years of service he could no longer put forth the same time and effort as he previously did.
"Working approximately 90 hours a week for the past 10 years was neither healthy nor sustainable," he said. "To that end, I have sought professional assistance to address my health."
Evers in June exercised his option under state law to appoint William Ramsey as a commissioner whose duty was to conduct the investigation and hearing concerning the King allegations. Ramsey was assigned to schedule a public hearing on the accusations. Following the hearing, Ramsey would have reported his findings to the governor, who then would have made a determination as to whether there was just cause to remove King from office.
The hearing and investigation will end given King's resignation. King was re-elected to a four-year term in November. Evers will now appoint a successor.
The governor's office could not be reached for comment Friday on the timeline for appointing the county's new district attorney.
Two former prosecutors in King's office filed complaints with the governor concerning King. King, in his letter to the governor, took issue with the complaints.
"It is noteworthy that none of these concerns about my work performance were ever expressed to me by these individuals — not during their time in office, not upon their departure from office, nor in the several months since their respective departures," he said.
In 2020, King said, his office achieved a case clearance rate of 98%.
"This achievement was reached despite dealing with a pandemic wherein multiple employees worked remotely and with months of court appearances either canceled or rescheduled," he said.
King expressed confidence in the attorney and support staffs in his office, saying the office "is well positioned to continue to do excellent work and seek justice on a daily basis."
During his course of representation of King in this matter, Harlowe said he spoke to people in the district attorney's office and defense attorneys who were familiar with King's work.
"I have learned that his performance as district attorney, his work ethic and his dedication to public service is unimpeachable," Harlowe said. "He has always prioritized protecting the office and the public while working to improve the criminal justice system."
Eau Claire County Administrator Kathryn Schauf, who had sought to limit King's interactions with county employees, said in a statement Friday the county agreed with his decision to step down:
"The position of District Attorney carries with it a large responsibility to seek justice for the people of Eau Claire County. As such, and based on the allegations that have been made about Attorney King, we would agree that Attorney King's decision to step down from his position as District Attorney is the right decision, and the right thing to do to end the ongoing disruption to the work of the employees of the District Attorney's Office and the justice system in Eau Claire County."
