Investigation Found Ismael Bonilla Violated Ordinances Dealing With Disclosure Of Privileged Information

The director of General Mitchell International Airport (KMKE) in Milwaukee has been fired, according to a statement from Milwaukee County Executive Chris Abele.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports that Abele said in a statement that Ismael "Izzy" Bonilla was terminated because he violated a county ordinance prohibiting the disclosure of privileged information.

The violations were confirmed by the  Audit Services Division (ASD) in the Comptroller's Office. According to the report summary, the  investigation focused in particular on a General Mitchell International Airport (GMIA) request for proposal and subsequent professional services contract for a Timmerman Airport business plan. GMIA awarded the $250,000 contract to Hanson Professional Services, Incorporated (Hanson). Through its investigation, ASD personnel learned that Bonilla and Deputy Director Yul McNair had prior working relationships with Hanson personnel and a Hanson sub-contractor. Bonilla has a current quasi-business relationship with Hanson personnel outside of the Timmerman business plan contract.

ASD learned that Bonilla and McNair arranged for Hanson personnel to take a site visit of Timmerman prior to the release of the request for proposal (RFP). Hanson personnel reported that the site visit was helpful. The issued RFP did not include an explicit notice that site visits were possible and ASD found no evidence that the three other companies which submitted a response requested or conducted a site visit.

ASD has determined that Bonilla and McNair, by arranging a site visit for a company prior to the publication of a RFP which did not include an option for a site visit, violated Milwaukee County General Ordinance (MCGO) § 9.05 (2)(d) prohibition against disclosure of privileged information.

ASD has also determined that GMIA personnel are insufficiently trained to conduct contract procurements. Recently hired and long-term GMIA personnel reported that they received no training from Department of Administrative Services (DAS) Procurement on issuing requests for proposals.

In a statement, Abele said the findings left him with no choice but to remove Bonilla.

 "For six years, it has been my unambiguous expectation that county employees operate with the highest ethical standards at all times — the taxpayers deserve no less," he said in the statement. "The mere suggestion that the integrity of the procurement process was in question anywhere in county government would be a serious cause for concern. In order to ensure confidence in the airport’s operations, I have made the decision to bring in new management. We will also implement comprehensive, formal re-training on procurement procedures at the airport.”

FMI: ASD report, Original Story