A staff member for Republican gubernatorial candidate Tom Tiffany’s campaign has been cited for first-offense operating while intoxicated (OWI) in Wisconsin, according to Eau Claire County court records reviewed by local news outlet The Recombobulation Area.
Eric Brooks, who also holds an elected seat on the Waukesha School Board, was arrested on October 16 and formally cited on October 19, court records show. He also received a citation for driving a vehicle without required lamps lighted, with both alleged violations stemming from the October 16 incident.
Tiffany, a Republican congressman representing Wisconsin’s 7th Congressional District, launched his gubernatorial campaign earlier this year. His campaign has focused on education, taxes, border security and public safety.
Neither Brooks nor Tiffany’s campaign immediately issued a public statement addressing the citations.
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Court records outline allegations
According to The Recombobulation Area, Brooks was booked following the Oct. 16 incident in Eau Claire County, western Wisconsin.
The records identify one count of Operating While Intoxicated: First Offense and another for operation without required lamps lighted.
According to Wisconsin OWI Laws, a first-offence OWI is typically punishable by fines, licence revocation and mandatory alcohol assessment. It is generally not treated as a criminal offense unless additional circumstances apply, such as injury, repeat offenses or a minor passenger in the vehicle.
As of publication, no additional court filings alleging more serious offenses had been reported.
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Brooks recently drew attention over campaign event
Brooks was recently in the spotlight during Tom Tiffany’s gubernatorial campaign after he barred reporters from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel from attending a campaign event in Milwaukee on September 24.
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel shared the video of the incident on social media which showed Brooks stopping the journalists from entering the event claiming that the publication is not “covering the race fairly.”
Brooks serves as an elected member of the Waukesha School Board, one of Wisconsin’s largest school districts. He has also been active in Republican political organizing in the state.
Local media reported that because of the OWI offense, Brooks is now being urged by a Waukesha parent organization to “immediately step down from the Waukesha School Board.”