State Attorney General may release more records on Kelly demotion

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State Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen released more records Tuesday about his recent demotion of former Fire Marshal Carolyn Kelly.

She was accused of threatening Van Hollen and his top aides in various messages – especially after former Criminal Investigation chief Jim Warren retired instead of taking a transfer he considered a demotion.

According to the new records, Kelly told co-workers Van Hollen had lied to them. One agent said he heard Kelly complain loudly about the attorney general in a Madison restaurant, soon after Warren’s retirement.

Her lawyer denies it. Dan Bach said Kelly only spent five minutes at the restaurant with her newborn child.

Kelly, a 25-year Justice Department veteran, is appealing her demotion to the state Employment Relations Commission.

She was transferred to an internal job last month that pays her 40 percent less. Bach was a top official in the Justice Department when Peg Lautenschlager was the AG.

He said Van Hollen’s people apparently don’t like workers criticizing the way things are run even to their bosses.

Van Hollen said Kelly’s conduct proved she’s unfit to hold an important supervisory post. He said officers are expected to enforce rules, not break them.

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