Under current law, there is no criminal penalty for someone who impersonates an officer, public employee, or employee of a utility, but Senator Andre Jacque of De Pere is looking to change that.
Jacque has teamed up with Democratic Senator Melissa Agard of Madison, and Republican Assemblyman Calvin Callahan of Wilson, to introduce a bill that would make the act a Class 1 Felony. The bill specifically makes it illegal to “Assume to act in an official capacity, or to perform an official function, knowing that they are not the specific public officer, public employee, or the employee of a utility that he or she assumes to be,” and to “Exercise any function of a public office knowing that they are not qualified to do so, or that his or her right to act has ceased.”
In layman’s terms, you cannot present yourself as someone in public office for the sake of performing that office’s job.
