Gerald Nichol
Gerald Nichol was the chair of the Wisconsin Government Accountability Board (GAB), a governmental agency of Wisconsin administering elections and ethics laws in Wisconsin. He was selected to serve as vice chair for 2013, and as chair for 2015. His first term on the board expired on May 1, 2012, and he was re-nominated that year for another term that was set to expire in 2018.[1] Nichol left office when the GAB was dissolved and replaced by the Wisconsin Elections Commission and the Wisconsin Ethics Commission on June 30, 2016.[2][3]
Nichol passed away on March 17, 2019.[4]
Professional career
Nichol earned his law degree from the University of Wisconsin Law School and served as a circuit court judge in Dane County from 1988 to 2004. Prior to his judgeship, Nichol practiced law for 25 years with an emphasis on trial advocacy and labor relations and was active on the James E. Doyle American Inns of Court. He was elected to the position of district attorney as a Republican.[5]
In 2003, Nichol won Wisconsin Judge of the Year from the Wisconsin State Bar Association.[6]
Government Accountability Board
Nichol was appointed to the board by Governor Jim Doyle (D) in 2007 and was confirmed to the board on a vote by the Wisconsin State Senate.[7] His first term on the board expired on May 1, 2012, but he was re-nominated that year by Governor Scott Walker for another term. He was selected as vice-chairman of the board for 2013 and as chair for 2015.[1]
John Doe investigations
Two John Doe investigations, beginning in 2010 and ending in 2015, were launched by Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm (D) into the activities of staff and associates of Gov. Scott Walker (R).[8] In October 2015, state Rep. Dean Knudson (R) introduced a reform plan that "would split the GAB into two separate commissions, one regulating ethics laws and the other covering elections. It would be similar to the system the GAB replaced in 2007." In response to the reform plan, Nichol responded by arguing that the conservative justices on the Wisconsin Supreme Court should have recused themselves in the case. According to an article by Wisconsin Public Radio, "[ma]ny conservatives have cited the GAB’s involvement in the John Doe as the primary reason the agency should be eliminated. Assembly Speaker Robin Vos said it was a factor."[9]
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Gerald Nichol. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Government Accountability Board, "Judge Gerald C. Nichol," accessed October 8, 2015
- ↑ Wisconsin Elections Commission, "Government Accountability Board," accessed May 18, 2020
- ↑ Ballotpedia staff, "Email communication with Reid Magney, Wisconsin Elections Commission, Reid.Magney@wisconsin.gov," on May 18, 2020
- ↑ Madison.com, "Nichol, Gerald C. "Buzzy"," March 30, 2019
- ↑ Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Nonpartisan Government Accountability Board faces partisan charges," June 7, 2011
- ↑ "WISBar" Gerard Nichol named Judge of the Year, February 25, 2003
- ↑ "Wisconsin Legislative Spotlight" Gerard Nichol Confirmed to Government Accountability Board, July 30, 2007
- ↑ United States District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin Milwaukee Division, "Eric O’Keefe, and Wisconsin Club for Growth, Inc.," accessed February 23, 2015
- ↑ Wisconsin Public Radio, "GAB Chair Blasts Conservatives On Wisconsin Supreme Court," October 7, 2015
