On November 7, 2026, H.O.T. Government sent the attached letter to Racine County Sheriff-elect Don Vandervest, by email and by mail, with copies to the County Board and Corporation Counsel. It congratulates him on his election and asks for five things within thirty days of his taking office:
- Written responses to H.O.T.’s June 8, June 30 and August records requests to the Sheriff’s Office, none of which has been answered.
- A request to the County Board to waive attorney-client privilege on Attorney Hall’s December 2, 2024 report, his February 4, 2025 follow-up, and the communications about whether to refer the Kite matter to an outside agency.
- Referral of the Kite matter to the Wisconsin Department of Justice or another outside agency.
- Production of the 2022–2023 version of Policy 1009, the policy Captain Madrigal was found to have violated.
- A named records custodian at the Sheriff’s Office who signs responses.
The letter quotes the Sheriff-elect’s own campaign commitments—a firm policy against legal maneuvers to hide official conduct, a transparent disciplinary matrix, independent outside review, and full records cooperation—and commits H.O.T. to publishing his reply unedited. H.O.T. Government is nonpartisan and endorsed no candidate in the race.
Background: The Kite File: Off the Books.