Tool of the Week: Gordon ‘moral lecture’ Hintz

Empower Wisconsin | Dec. 23, 2019

MADISON — Getting a moral lecture from Assembly Democrat Leader Gordon Hintz is kind of like having Michael Vick give you advice on pet care.

Wrong man for the job.

But there Hintz was, calling for the resignation of freshman state Rep. Staush Gruszynski after the Green Bay Democrat was found to have sexually harassed a legislative employee at an “offsite location after work hours.”

“As public officials and leaders of our caucus, we are committed to preventing and stopping incidents of harassment whenever they may occur in the Legislature,” Hintz said in a statement. “It’s our job to create a culture of accountability and to ensure members and legislative employees are held to a high standard of conduct.”

Gruszynski failed to meet those standards, Hintz demanded.

Probably.

You know who else failed to meet those standards? Gordon Hintz.

In early 2011, the Oshkosh Democrat was ticketed for sexual misconduct as part of an investigation into prostitution at Heavenly Touch Massage Parlor in Appleton, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported at the time.

Hintz was accused of touching/offering to touch sexual parts, according to court records.

Appleton Police had been cracking down on the massage parlor on suspicion of prostitution, according to the the Appleton Post-Crescent.

Hintz pleaded no contest to sexual misconduct, paying a $2,032 fine.

The Assembly minority leader did what Gruszynski is doing now: He issued an apology insisting that the incident was “out of character.”

Gruszynski, who rightfully was called out for his “inappropriate comments to a female staffer” at a Madison bar, was excommunicated from the Assembly Dem caucus and urged to resign his seat.

Hintz, who was looking for love in all the wrong places, was eventually voted leader of Assembly Democrats.

There is no doubt that Gruszynski behaved like a tool.

But the legislative leader who was reportedly seeking a happy ending at a reputed den of prostitution is worthy of Empower Wisconsin’s Tool of the Week award.