State Tea Party Leader in Brookfield Receives Threat

Police are increasing patrols near the Brookfield home of a state tea party leader who has pushed for greater health and pension concessions from public employees after he received a veiled death threat over the weekend.

Wisconsin Tea Party Patriots State Coordinator Michael Hintze told police when he answered a call on his cell phone about 2:30 p.m. Saturday, a male voice "asked if he was wearing a bullet-proof vest" and then hung up.

The caller's identity had been blocked, and AT&T could not trace the call, which came up as a "private caller." Police likely will be unable to trace the call since it was blocked, Police Capt. Jim Adlam said Monday.

Hintze asked for increased patrols near his Brookfield residence and planned to purchase equipment that would allow future calls, should they occur, to be traced. Extra patrols are occurring.

Adlam said there was not a history of problems or threats to Hintze.

Hintze told police he believed the call was targeting Hintze for his role as the tea party leader. He said his cell phone number is listed on a tea party web site.

Numerous amid the controversy surrounding Gov. Scott Walker's budget repair bill, which eliminating most collective bargaining for most public employees and requires some to pay increased pension and health contributions. State Senate Republicans passed the repair bill last week in the absence of Democrats who fled the state. Walker signed it after the state Assembly approved it by a 53-42 vote.

Hintze was the top signature on a the list of 52 state and national tea party organizations that sent a Feb. 23 letter to the governor urging him to follow through with his election mandate for fiscal reforms.

The letter said in part: "During your campaign you said that, 'We can no longer live in a society where the public employees are the haves and taxpayers who foot the bills are the have-nots.' We agree."

Hintze also was quoted in a Feb. 14 press release backing the governor's controversial budget repair bill.

"Wisconsin Tea Party Patriots strongly support Gov. Scott Walker's insistence that state and municipal workers pay a larger share of the cost of their health care and pension benefits," the release said.  

It said the tea party would watch which state and local officials try to block the governor's efforts.

"We will remember that opposition; we will work tirelessly to ensure that the opponents to restore fiscal sanity to the State of Wisconsin and its municipalities face a different kind of reality at the next election," Hintze said in the press release.

The weekend phone call to Hintze remains under investigation.