MILWAUKEE — Republican gubernatorial candidate Tom Tiffany took aim at Democrat David Crowley’s record on crime Tuesday, blasting the Milwaukee County executive over his inmate tablet program that has repeatedly come under fire for alleged abuse by violent offenders.
At a press conference in Milwaukee, Tiffany called on Crowley to explain what action his administration has taken after multiple inmates allegedly used county-issued devices to contact victims, threaten law enforcement and intimidate witnesses.
“David Crowley knew there was a serious problem in May, and he did nothing to fix it,” Tiffany said. “No meaningful new safeguards. No changes to the program. No accountability.”
In May, it was revealed that a Milwaukee County inmate allegedly used a tablet to contact a domestic abuse victim more than 1,500 times while in custody and threaten a police officer.
Months later, Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge David Borowski sounded the alarm after a defendant charged with three homicides allegedly used a county-issued device to discuss intimidating witnesses. Another inmate reportedly accessed child pornography.
“Months later, we are right back where we started, with another defendant using a county-issued tablet to intimidate witnesses,” Tiffany said.
The controversy could also carry a price tag for the county’s inmate-communications contractor. The contract approved under Crowley’s administration includes financial penalties when inmates gain unauthorized access to applications or networks, including a $2,500 penalty for each occurrence of unauthorized application or website access.
Tiffany is now demanding Crowley disclose whether the contractor has been fined and explain what safeguards, if any, were implemented following the May incident.
The Republican also pledged to dramatically overhaul the policy if elected governor, saying taxpayers should not be paying to provide tablets to inmates.
“Victims should be able to trust that the justice system will protect them. Taxpayers should not be footing the bill for inmate tablets,” Tiffany said. “Nonviolent offenders should have opportunities to rehabilitate and may purchase tablets at their own expense, but violent offenders, including murderers and sex offenders, will not have access.”
Tiffany’s campaign launched a new ad Monday morning hitting Crowley on the scandal.
Tablets Add to Crowley’s Public-Safety Baggage
For Tiffany, the inmate tablet controversy is the latest ammunition in a broader effort to paint Crowley as soft on crime — a line of attack that reaches back to the Democrat’s time in the state Legislature.
In 2018, Crowley was one of just 10 lawmakers to vote against legislation revoking the driver’s licenses of repeat drunk drivers with four or more qualifying OWI offenses.
Two years later, he was again among just 10 lawmakers who voted against legislation requiring fifth- and sixth-time drunk drivers to serve at least 18 months in prison.
Crowley also voted against a 2020 bill imposing tougher felony penalties on individuals who intimidate domestic abuse victims.
The controversies have continued during his tenure running Milwaukee County.
In 2025, county officials failed to properly notify prosecutors and the court before a man charged with murder was released from a mental health facility into the community. Crowley described the episode as an “isolated incident.” Then, in April 2026, Milwaukee County mistakenly released a juvenile facing a felony murder charge despite a court order requiring him to remain in custody.
A month later came the revelation that an inmate had allegedly contacted his domestic abuse victim more than 1,500 times using a tablet behind bars. Now, another violent defendant’s alleged misuse of a county-issued device is putting the program — and Crowley’s handling of it — back under scrutiny.
“As governor, I will put victims first, hold violent offenders accountable, and make public safety a top priority,” Tiffany said.
With Crowley now running statewide, Tiffany is betting that a string of Milwaukee County public-safety failures — from mistakenly released defendants to violent inmates allegedly abusing taxpayer-funded technology — will become a liability well beyond Milwaukee.
