MILWAUKEE (WI)
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Should it matter that close family members of a federal judge hearing the Archdiocese of Milwaukee bankruptcy case are buried in archdiocesan cemeteries?
How about when this same judge ruled that the $50 million that the archdiocese holds in trust for its cemeteries was off limits in the bankruptcy case?
It might matter. And that’s why U.S. District Judge Rudolph T. Randa should have disclosed his connection to the archdiocese. It’s the judge’s responsibility to disclose potential conflicts, and on the face of it, this looks like a potential conflict.
In motions filed earlier this week, creditors stated:
“During the week of July 29, 2013, the committee discovered that at least nine of Judge Randa’s relatives (including his mother, his father and his wife’s parents) are buried in cemeteries owned and operated by the debtor, the very cemeteries that are to be maintained with the funds moved from the debtor’s accounts to the Cemetery Trust before filing for bankruptcy. This fact alone creates the appearance of partiality in favor of the Cemetery Trust in this action and establishes strong grounds for recusal.”
By purchasing burial rights, Randa entered into a contract with the archdiocese, which they claim is additional evidence of a conflict.
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