Ladysmith City Administrator Arrested in Closed Meeting Eavesdropping Case

LADYSMITH, Wis. — Ladysmith City Administrator Alan Christianson was arrested this week after being accused of participating in an eavesdropping attempt during a Rusk County Board of Supervisors closed meeting.

The arrest, first reported in the September 25, 2025 issue of The Ladysmith News, revealed that Christianson, 37, was taken into custody at his home on September 22. He was charged with intercepting wire/electric communication as a party to a crime.

Family Tied to Alleged Eavesdropping

Authorities confirmed that Christianson’s arrest came just one week after his sister, 34-year-old Stephanie Christianson, was also charged with intercepting communication in connection with the same August 26 incident.

Both Alan and Stephanie are the children of former city administrator and current alderman Al Christianson.

Sheriff: Charges Apply Regardless of Political Office

Rusk County Sheriff Phil Grassmann said the charges stemmed from an attempt to record a closed county board session on Tuesday, August 26, 2025.

“This is due to their involvement in attempting to record a county board closed session,” Grassmann explained.

He emphasized that the arrests were made without regard to political standing:
“If you commit or attempt to commit a crime in Rusk County, you will be investigated and arrested if there is probable cause that such a crime was committed.”

Mayor Reacts to Arrest

Ladysmith Mayor Bob Grotzingler said he was “surprised” to learn about the arrest of Christianson, noting that he holds the city’s top administrative position.

The mayor declined to speculate further on the potential impact to city leadership until the case proceeds through the courts.

Investigation Still Active

Sheriff Grassmann said the investigation is still ongoing and declined to provide additional details about potential further charges.

The arrests have raised serious questions in Ladysmith about the use of recording equipment in government meetings and whether local officials violated state and county laws in an attempt to gain access to private discussions.

Stay with ChicagoMusicGuide.com for further developments in this case and other major Wisconsin news stories.