MILWAUKEE, Wis. – A newly obtained police report sheds light on allegations of sexual assault levied against Wisconsin Center District CEO Marty Brooks by President of the Milwaukee Common Council José Pérez.
No charges were filed by the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s office, and Brooks has denied any wrongdoing.
WTMJ does not normally name those who report sexual assault without their consent. WTMJ is now naming Pérez due to his status as a Milwaukee public official as well as the position he holds on the Wisconsin Center District board.
According to the report, a group of people including Pérez and Brooks were making small talk about the Brewers after a October 22, 2025 fundraising event for Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley at Mos…A Place For Steaks when someone brought up the ongoing discussion at the time of whether or not to designate the Miller High Life Theatre and UWM Panther Arena as historic buildings. The topic is one that Brooks had butted heads with a separate alderman on during an ultimately-successful push to make the buildings historic properties late in 2025.
At that point, Pérez mentions Brooks should take his concerns to the Common Council.
“Pérez stated as the group was talking someone said something funny or cute. He did not remember what was said or who said it. He state at the time Marty who [was] standing to Pérez’ left in close circle reached over and pinched Pérez'[s] left buttock with Marty’s right hand (fingers),” the report reads. “Pérez stated he could feel the sharpness from Marty’s fingernails as Marty pinched his butt.”
Pérez told detectives in an interview on November 5 that he was “shocked and angry”, but didn’t want to “confront Marty in an aggressive way because he did not want anything to become violent”, according to the report.
“He felt it was done in a sexual way and also that it was like a “screw you” / “power move”,” the report indicated.
Phone call recorded
Pérez called Brooks from a room at the Sensitive Crimes Division with two detectives present on November 5, the same day he filed the report. The call was recorded; Wisconsin is a one-party consent state, meaning a person can record a conversation with another person without the second party’s knowledge.
During the roughly five-and-a-half minute phone conversation, Pérez told Brooks he needed to talk to him about something, and that he did not attend a recent WCD board meeting because he “felt super uncomfortable about what happened”.
Brooks repeatedly questioned what Pérez was referring to during the first half of the conversation, before Pérez laid out what he had called about:
Pérez: I’m disappointed that you’re acting like you don’t know what you did.
Brooks: Sir, well, you know, I, I appreciate that you’re calling me to tell me that I did something inappropriate in your presence.
Pérez: The fact that you’re acting that way and you want me to tell you that you pinched my butt.
Brooks: Oh come on, I did not do that!
Brooks later called the allegation “bullshit” before apologizing for losing his temper but stating “I can’t take responsibility for something that I did not do.”
The call ends shortly thereafter.
Police interview witnesses
On November 6, police spoke to a woman who was at the fundraising event. She told detectives she “did not see Brooks’ hand make contact with Pérez’ buttocks but she did observe his hand moving in that direction and believed that he did touch his buttocks,” according to the report.
The witness added neither Brooks nor Pérez seemed angry, and that both “did not appear to be intoxicated”. In a separate interview between police and Brooks the same day conducted at the Baird Center, Brooks said he was only drinking a club soda at the fundraising event.
“Brooks stated he has no ill will and no issues with [Pérez]. Brooks stated it was possible that
he touched Pérez’ arm while talking with his hands but he adamantly denied ever touching or pinching Pérez’ butt at any time,” the report indicated.
The report indicates a detective attempted to review surveillance footage from the restaurant, but that there was none that captured the alleged incident.
No charges filed
While the case was investigated as a fourth-degree sexual assault case, Milwaukee County Assistant District Attorney Erin Karshen determined on November 24 that the DA’s office would not pursue charges against Brooks “because she did not believe that she could prove the sexual gratification or sexual humiliation elements of the crime,” according to the report.
Pérez has retained Milwaukee attorney Mark Thomsen. In a statement to WTMJ, Thomsen said he had been hired “to investigate and track down the sources of, among others, inaccurate statements that the DA’s office ‘found no basis for charges'”.
“Mr. Pérez and I will have no public comments until the Wisconsin Center District reaches its own conclusion,” added Thomsen.
In a statement sent to WTMJ through a third-party, Brooks reaffirmed his prior denial of any wrongdoing.
“I deny the allegation that has been made and have cooperated fully with the review by the District Attorney’s Office, which did not result in charges. I remain focused on leading the Wisconsin Center District and its mission,” said Brooks.
This story has been edited to include an audio summary of the story.
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