Green Bay mayor charged with violating election law

GREEN BAY— Green Bay's mayor is facing criminal charges of violating state election law.

Brown County court records show Mayor Jim Schmitt is facing three misdemeanors, including attempted election fraud.

Schmitt issued a statement Wednesday in which he acknowledges mistakes in how his campaign finances were handled. Milwaukee County Assistant District Attorney Bruce Landgraf has been reviewing the mayor's campaign account transactions. The DA's office says the charges are the result of a plea agreement in which the mayor intends to plead guilty to the three counts.

Schmitt is accused of accepting contributions over acceptable limits and wrongfully attributing some to relatives. The mayor is also accused of failing to accurately record and verify financial campaign data.

Court proceedings have not yet been scheduled.