Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson’s choice for a key police oversight seat is facing fresh scrutiny after a long-forgotten moment at the airport came back to life.
Jordan Morales, nominated to the city’s Fire and Police Commission, once left a handgun in a work bathroom at General Mitchell International Airport while he was employed as an air-traffic controller. That slip, now resurfacing as his nomination moves forward, is raising new questions about how closely the city vets the people tasked with keeping tabs on police hiring, promotions and disciplinary appeals.
Morales, who now works in construction and chairs Milwaukee’s Historic Preservation Commission, has told city officials the airport episode was a mistake.
Reporting says that in April 2022, a gun was discovered inside a stall at the air-traffic control tower and traced back to Morales. He was placed on administrative leave during the investigation, then later left his post as an air-traffic controller, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Johnson tapped Morales in mid-July to fill a vacancy on the Fire and Police Commission. Coverage has highlighted Morales’s background as a traffic-safety advocate along with his work on the Historic Preservation Commission, and the airport revelation has added an extra charge to what might otherwise have been a low-key confirmation process, per Urban Milwaukee.
What Happened at Mitchell?
According to reports that reviewed a Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office document, a supervisor in the control tower found a holstered handgun resting on a stall railing in the bathroom and called in deputies. An ATF agent later determined the firearm belonged to Morales, who acknowledged that it was his.
Morales told investigators he had meant to take the gun back to his vehicle but forgot and went to work instead, local reporting says. He had a concealed-carry permit at the time, was placed on leave while the incident was reviewed, and ultimately did not face criminal charges, according to the Heartland Post.
Legal Stakes and Enforcement
Federal rules bar firearms from the sterile areas of airports, and the Transportation Security Administration says even permit holders are prohibited from bringing guns past security checkpoints. TSA guidance outlines potential civil penalties and notes that such cases can be referred to law enforcement.
In this instance, local reporting says the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office declined to seek criminal charges and that Morales was allowed to depart his air-traffic job. Those details were reported by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, while the TSA lays out federal rules and penalties in its public guidance.
What’s Next for the Nomination
The Milwaukee Common Council’s Public Safety and Health Committee is slated to take up Morales’s appointment at a July 23 meeting, according to the city’s online calendar at Milwaukee Legistar.
The Fire and Police Commission has seen its policy-making authority trimmed in recent years, which has left its role in personnel decisions as one of the few remaining pressure points for civilian oversight, a shift detailed by the Wisconsin Examiner.
Morales has characterized the 2022 gun incident as an error and has said he wants police to focus on traffic enforcement, illegal dumping and other quality-of-life issues. The July 23 committee hearing will give alderpeople a public opportunity to question him about that agenda and about the circumstances surrounding the airport gun episode, according to WISN.
