Curtis Schmitt Jr., the chairman of the Wisconsin Board of Veterans Affairs, announced Monday he is stepping down from the position as he faces child pornography charges.
Schmitt was charged with three counts of child pornography possession two months ago, to which he has pleaded not guilty, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported.
The resignation comes after months of Schmitt ignoring calls for him to step down, further aggravating those who wanted him removed from the position. Earlier Monday, Kevin Nicholson, a Republican candidate for governor of Wisconsin, even sent a letter to Governor Tony Evers trying to speed up the process of his ousting, the Journal Sentinel added.
“Curtis Schmitt Jr. should have been removed from the Wisconsin Board of Veterans Affairs months ago,” Nicholson said in a statement. “I’m glad that he’s finally resigned, but it should have never come to this. Our state needs better leaders.”
Investigators found two photos and one video of child pornography in a Dropbox account tied to Schmitt’s email late last year, the Associated Press reported. Schmitt said he was addicted to adult pornography and that he had received and downloaded child pornography in the past. His trial has not yet been scheduled.
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The governor’s office told the AP that officials sent Schmitt a letter asking him to resign the day after he was charged, but they did not receive an answer to the letter or to other attempts at contacting him. The Journal Sentinel added that Evers’ aides said the governor could not remove him without going through an official process, which includes a taxpayer launching a formal complaint against him.
This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.
Update 03/28/22, 5:20 p.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information and background.
Curtis Schmitt Jr., the chairman of the Wisconsin Board of Veterans Affairs, announced Monday he is stepping down from the position as he faces child pornography charges.Schmitt was charged with three counts of child pornography possession two months ago, to which he has pleaded not guilty, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported.The resignation comes after months of Schmitt ignoring calls for him to step down, further aggravating those who wanted him removed from the position. Earlier Monday, Kevin Nicholson, a Republican candidate for governor of Wisconsin, even sent a letter to Governor Tony Evers trying to speed up the process of his ousting, the Journal Sentinel added.”Curtis Schmitt Jr. should have been removed from the Wisconsin Board of Veterans Affairs months ago,” Nicholson said in a statement. “I’m glad that he’s finally resigned, but it should have never come to this. Our state needs better leaders.”Investigators found two photos and one video of child pornography in a Dropbox account tied to Schmitt’s email late last year, the Associated Press reported. Schmitt said he was addicted to adult pornography and that he had received and downloaded child pornography in the past. His trial has not yet been scheduled. Curtis Schmitt Jr., chairman of Wisconsin’s veterans board, announced he would step down following child pornography charges. Above, a person in a U.S. Army uniform in front of the Wisconsin flag. Stock Image/Getty Images The governor’s office told the AP that officials sent Schmitt a letter asking him to resign the day after he was charged, but they did not receive an answer to the letter or to other attempts at contacting him. The Journal Sentinel added that Evers’ aides said the governor could not remove him without going through an official process, which includes a taxpayer launching a formal complaint against him.This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.Update 03/28/22, 5:20 p.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information and background.