Politics

County administrator apologizes for Limbaugh comment

Published

3 years ago

March 18, 2021

FILE - Conservative talk radio host Rush Limbaugh talks with former Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld, left, in the East Room of the White House in Washington, Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2009 (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

The La Crosse County administrator has publicly apologized for a disparaging remark he posted on social media after the February death of Rush Limbaugh.

“I have no excuse,” Steve O’Malley told the county board Thursday night.

He added that, as a public official, he should not have made any comment about the radio talk show host.

O’Malley was on vacation when Limbaugh died last month, and says his remarks were made as a private citizen.

The county ethics board ruled this month that O’Malley did not violate county codes of conduct. A motion asking to have O’Malley issue a written apology to be published in a newspaper was postponed indefinitely by the board.

O’Malley says in the future, he will keep his opinions to himself, unless the subject is county business.

County board chair Monica Kruse said she was “angry” that the controversy occurred, and had disrupted the work of county officials.

Brad Williams

A native of Prairie du Chien, Brad graduated from UW - La Crosse and has worked in radio news for more than 30 years, mostly in the La Crosse area. He regularly covers local courts and city and county government. Brad produces the features "Yesterday in La Crosse" and "What's Buried on Brad's Desk." He also writes the website "Triviazoids," which finds odd connections between events that happen on a certain date, and he writes and performs with the local comedy group Heart of La Crosse. Brad been featured on several national TV programs because of his memory skills.