Prosecutors say a Fond du Lac man is in serious legal trouble after a string of late-night voicemails allegedly threatened to kill a high-ranking Wisconsin official and the official’s family. The messages, left on the publicly listed phone line for the governor’s office, started rolling in around 1:40 a.m. on June 28. Court filings identify the caller as 46-year-old Bradley Hartmann, who posted a $15,000 cash bond after his initial appearance. Judges also ordered him not to contact Gov. Tony Evers, stay away from Capitol Square in Madison, and skip any events the governor attends.
Charges and court orders
Fond du Lac County prosecutors charged Hartmann with three felony counts of making terrorist threats and four misdemeanor counts of unlawful use of a telephone, according to the district attorney’s office. Judge Christenson set his cash bond at $15,000 and scheduled a preliminary hearing for July 23, according to WMTV. Court records also spell out conditions barring Hartmann from contacting Gov. Evers or going near Capitol Square.
What investigators say
Investigators with the Wisconsin State Capitol Police and Fond du Lac police say the threats came in as a series of voicemails and were laced with expletives along with racist and homophobic slurs, according to FOX6 News Milwaukee. The criminal complaint says one message included the line, “Call the cops on me I dare you,” and detectives say Hartmann also phoned Dane County dispatch to brag about the voicemail he had left. When officers later contacted him at his apartment, he told investigators he “didn’t remember making the calls” and “must have blacked out,” the complaint states.
Penalties and next steps
Each terrorist-threat count carries a maximum of three-and-a-half years in prison, while each unlawful-use-of-the-telephone charge carries up to 90 days, according to court documents reviewed by WMTV. Hartmann is presumed innocent as the case moves through Fond du Lac County Court, with his next hearing set for July 23. Prosecutors say they plan to push the case forward amid broader concerns about threats to public officials.
Not an isolated case
Prosecutors noted that Hartmann was already on law enforcement’s radar after an alleged threat to the Department of Workforce Development over unemployment issues in 2020, though court records show no charges were filed at that time, according to FOX6 News Milwaukee. The arrest is one of several recent cases involving threats against Gov. Evers; Milwaukee man charged after threat covered a separate arrest in May. Fond du Lac authorities say State Capitol Police assisted local detectives with the investigation.
Officials respond
Fond du Lac County District Attorney Eric Toney said political violence “will never be tolerated” and pledged to protect public officials, according to WBAY. Investigators are continuing to review phone records and court filings as the case heads toward the July preliminary hearing.
