Iron County District Attorney Matt Tingstad is under scrutiny concerning questions about his residency and separate cases involving other public officials use of publically-owned credit cards.
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports that questions linger about Tingstad's residency. He was elected District Attorney in 2016 though he wasn't a Wisconsin resident and didn't have a license to practice law in Wisconsin. The report indicates the State Bar of Wisconsin lists Tingstad's address as the DA's office, but the Michigan bar, where he remains a member, lists his address as Bessemer. Elected officials are required to assume residency when they take office.
Tingstad refused to disclose his residency to the newspaper. A retired deputy, Darrell Petrusha, began pursuing Tingstad's residency. Later, he and former Hurley mayor Joseph Pinardi were prosecuted by Tingstad for the use of a city credit card years ago.
But questions arose about the prosecution. The Oneida County Sheriff's Office later investigated and concluded there was probable cause to charge Tingstad for actions he took concerning the case. A special prosecutor was appointed and a decision whether to prosecute Tingstad is expected soon. There's a John Doe case listed in Iron county.
The story says both Petrusha and Pinardi plead not guilty. Petrusha's case is set for trial in August. No trial date has been set in Pinardi's case.
