Over a year ago, Doug Diny, the mayor of Wausau, Wisconsin, stole the city's ballot drop box and hid it from the city clerk, thereby keeping people from exercising their right to vote. Diny claimed that he did it because he was worried about the security of the box, but did not explain why he took the time to put on a suit and make a photo op of his thievery.

It took all this time for the Wausau Ethics Board to vote unanimously that Diny did violate the city's ethics policy, not for election interference, but for the vague "exceeded his lawful authority."

Besides taking them forever to come to an obvious conclusion, the board added insult to injury by not even giving Diny a slap on the wrist:

In its conclusion, the ethics board did not choose to impose fines on Diny. It also declined to recommend that the City Council take steps to censure, suspend or remove Diny from office.

Instead, the findings say that Diny must adjust his conduct so that he follows the city’s ethics policy going forward.

“Diny is ordered to refrain from interfering, intervening, or in any manner inhibiting the City Clerk in her exercise of her duties in the administration of elections, including with regard to the placement of any absentee ballot drop box in the City of Wausau,” a statement signed by Ethics Board Chair Calvin Dexter says.

Ooooh, that will teach him!

Diny is still facing a criminal investigation but it doesn't seem likely that justice will be done there either:

Meanwhile, Fond Du Lac District Attorney Eric Toney has been assigned to investigate whether Diny’s actions broke criminal laws.

Toney is a Republican who ran unsuccessfully for Wisconsin attorney general. Toney has also said previously that he believes ballot drop boxes are illegal under state law.

Wausau is a pretty, little city in a beautiful part of the state. Too bad it's such a joke.