RACINE — Racine County Sheriff's Office Captain Cary Madrigal released her disciplinary records Sunday night after a judge ruled they must be made public.
This comes after a Racine County resident filed an open records request for Madrigal's disciplinary history.
Madrigal, who is running to be Racine County's next sheriff, said when she filed the petition asking the court to reconsider the release of her records, she was not looking to get them "hidden, or buried, or sealed."
"I have nothing to hide. The absolute reason was, I just want to make sure that what is being released is appropriate and accurate," she said.
Madrigal said she wants voters to have full access to her record.
"I want voters to read through it page by page. I want them to see exactly who I am. What has made me the person that I am today. And I want them to be informed," Madrigal said.
The records contain several disciplinary events. The most recent is a 10-day suspension in 2025 for her actions related to former Deputy Preston Kite, who pleaded guilty to child sexual exploitation and child pornography charges in 2024.
According to the records, Kite sent an unsolicited nude photo of himself to at least one RCSO employee in 2021. While there were rumors of this, the records indicate Madrigal did not receive confirmation of the rumor until 2023, when the employee who received the unsolicited image was disciplined for an unrelated matter and then confirmed receiving the image.
The employee did not file a complaint within the department, and Madrigal was not in her current role at that time.
She stated she viewed the employee's comment as a deterrent.
"I regret not acknowledging it. I regret not asking more questions," Madrigal said.
"And it should be known that if I had any indication as to how Preston Kite was involved in, I would've been the first one to put the handcuffs on him," Madrigal said.
When asked what releasing the records says to the community and potential voters, Madrigal was direct.
"Here it is. I'm not hiding anything," Madrigal said.
Madrigal said the records reflect someone who has acknowledged their mistakes.
"I'm a true believer that you can only call them a mistake if you don't do it again. Then you've really learned from them," Madrigal said.
Adrianne Melby, the Racine County resident who made the initial open records request, said transparency is essential for anyone seeking public office.
"As somebody who's seeking public office, as a public servant, the records should be made public," Melby said.
Amy Spinelli, a Madrigal supporter who read through the disciplinary records, said she came away with a positive impression.
"It felt to me that there was accountability at every single step. And that's what I can ask for in a friend or a candidate. That's what I'm looking for," Spinelli said.
Madrigal will appear on the August 11 primary ballot.
Former City of Racine Alder Henry Perez has also announced his candidacy for sheriff. His campaign was contacted Monday for an interview, but said he was not available.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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