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Wisconsin Public Radio - Minocqua Brewing Company owner arrested on criminal defamation charges

Arrest comes after owner Kirk Bangstad settled a civil case for $580K

By Rob Mentzer
October 16, 2024

The owner of Minocqua Brewing Company was arrested Tuesday in Oneida County on charges of criminal defamation.

In a civil trial last year, Kirk Bangstad was found to have defamed the publisher of a Minocqua-based newspaper and fined $750,000 after he falsely implied that the publisher let his own brother die in order to inherit the family business. Bangstad appealed the judgment, which was the largest in state history. Bangstad settled the case this month for a total of $580,000, most of which was paid by his insurance company.

Bangstad has not been charged by the Oneida County District Attorney. Bangstad’s attorney, Frederick Melms, said he did not have information on who Bangstad is accused of criminally defaming.

But in a video posted to Facebook Tuesday evening from his car outside of the Sheriff’s Department, Bangstad said he believes the arrest is related to the same case that led to the civil judgment. He said he believes Gregg Walker, who brought that case, “convinced” the sheriff to arrest him. Bangstad, who has in the past been embroiled in a zoning dispute with local authorities, said a network of conservatives in the region is working against him.

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