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Groelle claims Sheriff Bob Spoden, whoÃÛèÖÊÓƵ not running for re-election, “spikedâ€� GroelleÃÛèÖÊÓƵ personnel file to make things look worse than they really are. We wouldn’t put it past Spoden—who ran against Groelle in 2014 and later faced his own allegations of ethical lapses—to make life difficult for his political rival.

But thereÃÛèÖÊÓƵ no way Spoden could have manufactured or doctored all the marks against Groelle. Groelle alone has undermined his candidacy, starting in 2009 when he received a written reprimand for involving himself in an investigation of a sheriffÃÛèÖÊÓƵ deputy who was GroelleÃÛèÖÊÓƵ friend.

Spoden and another supervisor told Groelle in 2009 he should not talk to the deputy about a domestic violence case involving the deputy. Groelle didn’t listen and later admitted to investigators he had discussed the case with his friend. He also violated a no-contact order by relaying a message from the deputy to his wife. Groelle said he didn’t know the no-contact order was in effect and that he was only trying to help.

ÃÛèÖÊÓƵ reported on this incident in 2014, days before a primary election that Groelle would lose. Fast forward four years, and Groelle again is running for sheriff, and GroelleÃÛèÖÊÓƵ slip-ups are again under scrutiny.

The violations range from sleeping on the job to illegally raising campaign funds. For each one, Groelle has explanations and excuses. After getting caught using raffles as a campaign fundraiser, Groelle pleaded ignorance and said he didn’t know the rules. Well, he should have checked the rules first.

After reports emerged about him sleeping on the job, Groelle responded he suffered from sleep apnea. That may be true, but Groelle should have approached his superiors about his medical condition before his sleeping habit led to further investigations and became a joke around the office, as GroelleÃÛèÖÊÓƵ personnel file indicates.

Finally, Groelle ignored warnings from Chief Deputy Barbara Tillman not to mix his official duties with his campaign. That Spoden also apparently used his office to campaign reeks of hypocrisy but doesn’t justify Groelle breaking department policy concerning certain postings to his campaign Facebook page. ItÃÛèÖÊÓƵ noteworthy the other sheriff candidates, Troy Knudson and Jude Mauer, have so far avoided violating campaign rules.

Rock County must elect a sheriff with integrity, or it risks later an ethical blowup, such as the one Spoden brought onto the department when he tried in 2017 to stop a Janesville police investigation into an underage drinking party. While Spoden never admitted it, the fiasco likely is the reason heÃÛèÖÊÓƵ not seeking re-election.

We don’t expect Groelle to drop out of the race, but the voters have received fair warning. They know what they’d be getting in Groelle.