Star Journal Staff

The Oneida County Sheriff’s Office announced the arrest Monday morning of Rhinelander City Administrator Daniel Guild. As a result of a 2018 open records request complaint from the Northwoods River News, two state search warrants were executed at Rhinelander City Hall Thursday, Nov. 21, 2019. The warrants were issued for tampering with public records and misconduct in public office.

Guild is expected to make his initial appearance in Oneida County Circuit Court Branch I Tuesday, March 10 at 1:15 p.m. and will face charges related to misconduct in public office.

Guild had been listed as a “person of interest” in the search warrants. According to the sheriff’s office, taken into evidence in November were paper and electronic files involving former Public Works Director Tim Kingman, emails between Guild and several members of the common council and other employees, and Guild’s electronic devices that ad access to the city’s server.

According to the November search warrants, Guild told council members on Sept. 9, 2019,  that Kingman’s file had been missing since Guild began his employment in Sept. 2018. Kingman was fired from his position with the city in June of this year. Several city officials, including former city administrator Keith Kost, former city attorney Carrie Miljevich and city clerk Val Foley, were interviewed regarding record keeping policies and handling of personnel files and open records requests.

The second warrant centered on allegations of misconduct in office and an email that Guild was believed to have altered as well as emails between Guild and several council members or those referencing the subject of a walking quorum of open meeting violation.