Marty Brooks, who oversaw Baird Center’s expansion, is now speaking out about the circumstances behind his recent firing at the public agency which operates the downtown Milwaukee convention center.
Here are some things to know about Brooks’ public appeal of his firing, the subject of a July 22 board meeting of the Wisconsin Center District. That agency also operates UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena and Miller High Life Theatre.
The board voted June 8 to terminate Brooks’ contract as district CEO and president – which took effect on July 8 after Brooks was placed on administrative leave.
It voted to uphold that decision after hearing his appeal. That sets the stage for a possible lawsuit by Brooks.
Clash over campaign donations, other expenses
The board says Brooks used district credit cards to make political contributions and other inappropriate charges, including two pairs of luxury shoes, expensive restaurant meals, and a Milwaukee Athletic Club membership.
Brooks said the campaign contributions, totaling around $5,000 were a sincere but misguided attempt to support local officials, such as County Executive David Crowley, Mayor Cavalier Johnson, and Common Council President Jose Perez.
The other charges were legitimate expenses to build business relationships and other activities to benefit the district, he said.
Of the two pairs of luxury shoes from French designer brand Christian Louboutin: Brooks bought one pair for himself and one for Sarah Maio, then the district’s vice president of marketing who was recovering from breast cancer surgery. Brooks and Maio wore the shoes, which cost a total of $2,000, for a presentation about Baird Center’s expansion, according to his written response to the district.
Hotel report stirs opposition
A January report by consulting firm Hunden Partners, which Brooks hired, said Milwaukee is losing conventions to competing cities because it doesn’t have enough hotel rooms tied to Baird Center.
Critics said the Hunden report is flawed, and that a new hotel would hurt other hotels competing in a weak market.
Brooks said some board members, including hotel operators Greg Marcus and Mark Flaherty, were unhappy about the report – which the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel first reported on in September.
A district board committee studied the report and recommended it consider developing the hotel as a long-term strategic option. But the board at its May 15 meeting declined to vote on whether to formally adopt that recommendation.
Butt pinch claim was a tactic, Brooks says
Brooks said some board members originally hoped to fire him by using a claim last fall by Perez that Brooks pinched his butt – which Brooks denied doing.
“What better way is there to discredit me than make such a serious and damning accusation?” Brooks said.
That firing attempt faltered, Brooks said, after Milwaukee Police investigated the claim and chose not to pursue a criminal charge. The district’s internal investigation ended in March.
“Despite this – two investigations and no charges filed – my reputation was irrevocably harmed because of this false allegation of sexual assault,” Brooks said.
Firing decision made before expense issue arose
Brooks said he was told March 26 the district would be firing him. That was two days after the board met in closed session to discuss the butt pinch investigation.
The message was delivered by district attorney Joe Pickart and authorized by Jim Kanter, district board chair, Brooks said. Brooks was to be fired without cause – triggering a contract provision to provide him cash and benefits totaling around $903,000 (including a $445,000 base salary for his final contract year in 2027 and bonuses totaling nearly $200,000), according to his written response.
After Brooks declined to accept a lower severance package, he said, the district began auditing credit card statements to create reasons to fire Brooks for cause and avoid paying him. That firing notice came on May 27.
“Mr. Brooks acknowledged using District funds to make political campaign contributions. Those contributions were made with public funds and are prohibited by law,” according to a district statement issued after the July 22 board meeting.
Conflict of interest claim
Brooks also said Kanter, the board’s longtime chair, had a conflict of interest involving his role as chief commercial officer for Central Standard Craft Distillery.
Kanter contracted with the Milwaukee Admirals to ensure Central Standard drinks were sold in the UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena, home ice for the Admirals, Brooks said.
Kanter told reporters Central Standard has a marketing partnership with the Admirals. “That doesn’t mean you bring products in” to the arena, he said.
In June, Kanter was named district chief of staff. He’s filling Brooks’ position on an interim basis.
Tom Daykin can be emailed at tdaykin@jrn.com and followed on Instagram, Bluesky, X and Facebook.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Former Baird Center boss fights back after firing. Here’s his defense.
Reporting by Tom Daykin, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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By Tom Daykin, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel | USA TODAY Network
