While DNA testing delays grew, Brad Schimel hands out about $7,300 in bonuses

USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin

MADISON - Attorney General Brad Schimel awarded about $7,300 in bonuses to his former crime labs director while DNA testing delays grew under her tenure, records obtained by USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin show.

Jana Champion received a $3,660 merit bonus in May 2016 and the same amount in May of this year, according to personnel files released under open records laws. Letters informing her of the bonuses contain no detailed explanation.

A spokesman for Schimel declined requests to specify why the bonuses were awarded and what the attorney general knew at the time about an expanding backlog of evidence at the state's crime labs. Only a broad statement was provided.

"Ms. Champion had a distinguished career in state service for three decades and was an exceptional manager," the statement says. "Ms. Champion always had the Attorney General’s full confidence and support."

Champion retired in August — a few weeks before USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin revealed rising crime lab delays and Schimel announced new steps to speed up lab work. She had planned to work through the end of the year, records show.

Asked if the attorney general pressed Champion to step down, Schimel spokesman Johnny Koremenos said Champion "moved up her retirement date in order to tend to pressing health matters." He declined to elaborate.

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Champion's gross salary as director of the state's crime labs was nearly $107,000 last year, according to state figures published online.

Schimel tapped Champion for the job in April 2015. She was previously deputy director of the state crime labs for 2½ years, and head of the state's Milwaukee lab for six years. The state's two other labs are in Madison and Wausau.

As director, Champion ran the labs during a period when technicians struggled to keep up with a surge in requests for DNA tests and other forensic reviews. The number of DNA cases pending at the end of each week steadily grew throughout her tenure. By the time she retired, more than a thousand cases had stacked up and DNA tests were increasingly taking months to complete.

The average DNA case submitted to labs took 61 days last year, up by 18 days from the previous year and up 24 days from 2013, according to state Department of Justice figures. Delays in testing drug and gun evidence climbed, too.

USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin reported the rising delays in September. Around the same time, Schimel announced more overtime for technicians and 11 new part-time jobs to help collect and analyze evidence faster.

Department of Justice officials said the DNA delays haven't impeded high-priority cases, such as homicide and rape investigations, but they also don't track how long DNA evidence sits on shelves for certain categories of crime.

Champion's personnel files show she outlined a plan in March to mentor her deputy director through December this year. The plan was approved, but in July, Champion wrote an email documenting her intentions to retire in August.

The email references Champion meeting with her direct superior earlier that day but does not describe the nature of what they discussed. Her superior replied to the email with a letter expressing gratitude for her 30 years of service.

"In every capacity, particularly as the Crime Laboratory Bureau Director, you have had an incredible impact and have improved our Bureau and our services to our partners," wrote Mike Steffes, a top Department of Justice administrator who oversees the crime labs. "It has been my privilege and honor to work with you and learn from you."

The letter says Champion planned to retire Aug. 4 and use sabbatical until January. Koremenos said sabbatical may be requested by workers with unused vacation time at the end of their tenure. During sabbatical, workers remain department employees but they are not assigned work.

Schimel tapped Champion's former deputy director and mentee, Nikki Roehm, to succeed Champion earlier this month. In announcing the hire, Schimel highlighted Roehm's experience and his confidence that she would ensure "all support needed for crime scene response is promptly provided."

Note to readers: If you have information related to state crime lab testing delays, please contact investigative reporter Keegan Kyle at kkyle@gannett.com.