'I was just outraged'; Green Bay settles lawsuit, agrees to pay $200,000

A lawsuit against the city of Green Bay that began more than a year ago, ended with a settlement. Now, the agreement that will cost the city a few hundred thousand dollars.

• The lawsuit was brought on by the Wisconsin State Senate after listening devices were discovered in City Hall.
• Senator André Jacque says that he was appalled and worried about sensitive conversations.
• The city denies any wrongdoing in the settlement.

(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story)

The lawsuit was brought on by State Senator André Jacque and the Wisconsin State Senate after listening devices were discovered in cameras at City Hall.

"I was just outraged,” Jacque said.”Just having walked those halls so many times and the sensitive nature of conversations."

After more than a year of discussion, a settlement has been reached with the city agreeing to pay the state senate $200,000. In turn, the senate will drop the lawsuit and not pursue a criminal investigation.

"Clearly this is something where the city, particularly the mayor's office, was a bad actor and it's created real problems for the citizens of Green Bay," Jacque said.

But the city, and mayor Eric Genrich, deny this claim as they admit no wrongdoing in the settlement. In a message to me from a lawyer representing the city, he says in part…

"The city maintains its actions were lawful and were undertaken with the safety and security of city staff and members of the public in mind."

He told me they agreed to the settlement to prevent further waste of taxpayer funds.

Senator Jacque told me this is a win and sets a significant benchmark.

"This is something that is going to have to come through the public eye in terms of any sorts of snooping on citizens,” he said. “I think the fact that that was really tried to be hidden from the public is appalling."

The city's attorney told me that this matter should have been finished when the city removed the devices more than a year ago. Jacque disagrees. In a previous statement he even called the situation comparable to what was expected in "old Soviet Union''.