KENOSHA, Wis. — It was a packed meeting Tuesday night as the Kenosha County Board of Supervisors reviewed three controversial appointments to serve on the county's volunteer boards.
"We are really urging Samantha Kerkman to really revisit this and do the right thing," said Tanya McLean, the executive director of the Leaders of Kenosha.
County Executive Samantha Kerkman nominated Xavier Solis, a Kenosha County lawyer who represented the foundation that raised money for Kyle Rittenhouse's bail, and Alber Gonzalez, a retired Kenosha police officer who shot and killed a man in 2004, to serve on the county's racial and ethnic equity commission.
Kerkamn also appointed Kevin Mathewson to the county's local emergency planning committee. Mathewson, a former city alderman, proclaimed himself to be a 'militia commander,' and called for people to arm themselves during the unrest that followed the shooting of Jacob Blake.
"That's the person that Samantha Kerkman is putting her trust in? Someone that deliberately called people here to create havoc and harm," said McLean.
In a statement regarding her decision to nominate Mathewson, Kerkman said, "Mr. Mathewson has established himself as a player in local media who regularly disseminates information to an audience of followers."
“While its name sounds broad, the Local Emergency Planning Commission has a very specific statutory role. And that is to serve as an advisory committee with legal authority on the enforcement of chemical reporting and the cleanup of chemical spills or releases, and to develop and regularly review an emergency response plan for these incidents.
“Members of the media are included in the committee makeup, as they play a vital role in informing the public in the event of potentially dangerous chemical spill situations. Mr. Mathewson has established himself as a player in local media who regularly disseminates information to an audience of followers. I believe he will serve well on this committee just as other media representatives have over the years, and I look forward to also inviting representatives of other media outlets to serve as members.”
— Samantha Kerkman, Kenosha County Executive
Mathewson, who's the chief editor and investigative journalist for his website the Kenosha County Eye, would fill the media role of the emergency planning committee.
In a statement regarding the backlash he's receiving from his nomination, Mathewson wrote, "It's no secret that I'm a controversial figure in Kenosha County, but to say I'm an extremist or a racist is ridiculous on its face." He went on to write, "It seemed only logical to advocate for the second amendment and to encourage self-defense during such a dark time."
"You're right. It is about an emergency situation and how we plan for those emergency situations. But we've seen that Kevin's way to plan for an emergency situation is to call for armed militia to respond to our community," said District 10 Alderman Anthony Kennedy.
Before a decision is made, the nominations will need to be referred to a committee for recommendation. If it's moved forward, the appointments will go back to the county board for a final vote.
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