Tony Wied

U.S. Rep. Tony Wied is scheduled to headline a fundraiser for state Rep. Shae Sortwell.

In 2013, police sought a felony child abuse charge against Sortwell after he was accused of leaving bruises on his child.

Sortwell was never charged, with the district attorney's office citing the inability to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

Sortwell, who is running for reelection, told officers at the time that the Bible commanded corporal punishment.

MADISON - U.S. Rep. Tony Wied will headline a birthday fundraiser later this month for state Rep. Shae Sortwell, whom police previously sought a felony child abuse charge against after he was accused of leaving bruises on his child and told officers the Bible commanded him to do so.

Sortwell, who was ultimately never charged and represents parts of northeast Wisconsin, is seeking reelection and will hold his 41st birthday fundraiser near Green Bay. Sortwell faces Democrat Alicia Saunders for the 2nd District seat.

Wied, who represents the state's 8th Congressional District, did not reply to multiple requests for comment on if he supports Sortwell despite the allegations.

The Brown County District Attorney's Office never charged Sortwell, and only explained its decision eight years later in response to a Green Bay Press-Gazette investigation, saying it was unable to prove Sortwell's guilt beyond a reasonable doubt and that it took into consideration the defense of "the parent using reasonable force to discipline the child."

The Press-Gazette's investigation found, however, that around that time, the Brown County District Attorney's Office was filing child abuse charges against other defendants in similar cases, and those cases led to convictions.

The investigation took place in January 2013, before Sortwell was elected to the Assembly but after he had begun working in state and national politics. Law enforcement was informed of alleged child abuse after a relative found five 4-inch bruises on the child, then took the child to a hospital in Two Rivers.

Sortwell allegedly told officers the Bible was "very specific" about corporal punishment and that he and his wife disciplined the child with an object, according to police records. He further said if they did not use corporal punishment, they were not loving their child because "they were not teaching what needs to be taught," according to the police report.

Sortwell allegedly estimated the last time he had struck the child was three days before the child ended up in the hospital with still-visible marks, saying he or his wife usually struck the child twice if they were "being defiant," then they would hug the child or sometimes give them a treat.

When interviewed by officers, Sortwell said the idea of corporal punishment is to cause "some pain, but damage is not intended," according to police reports. Wisconsin law allows parents to use corporal punishment when it is "reasonable discipline" of a child by a "person responsible for the child's welfare."

The responding officer, however, called the marks left on the child, "not reasonable," and told Sortwell after a back-and-forth conversation that he would have arrested him, had he been working the day the incident was reported, according to police reports.

After the four-day investigation involving police officers, social workers, a child forensic officer, a child advocacy staff member and a nurse practitioner, police recommended a felony child abuse charge against him and a felony charge of failure to act to prevent bodily harm against his wife, but both were never charged.

The Green Bay Police Department followed up with the district attorney's office in 2021 when the Press-Gazette began making inquiries and in response to their open records request. The Police Department redacted pages of information with the child's name, age, gender, object used to strike the child and notes from law enforcement and medical professionals.

Police additionally granted Sortwell notice that the Press-Gazette was looking into the case, and gave him 13 days to craft a statement, 10 days more than what is in statute, which delayed the release of records.

Sortwell's statement blamed a "disgruntled family member," for the accusation, saying "the police appropriately did their jobs and looked into the concern and then forwarded their findings onto the Brown County Attorney's Office who rightfully decided to drop the matter."

District Attorney David Lasee said politics were not involved in Deputy District Attorney Dana Johnson's decision to not press charges.

Clara Strecker is the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel state Capitol bureau intern. She can be reached at [email protected].