By Allan Lengel
ticklethewire.com
The FBI has backed off a little on its plans and will keep open its La Crosse, Wisc. office, U.S. Sen. Herb Kohl announced Tuesday.
Kohl had been fighting to get the FBI’s plan to close half of its office in the western district of Wisconsin.
The original plan called for the closure of Kenosha, Wausau and La Crosse offices to save money.
“Local law enforcement officials convinced us that having an FBI presence in western Wisconsin is a crucial layer in their efforts to fight drug trafficking, gang violence and other serious criminal enterprises,” Kohl said in a statement. “While I support streamlining operations, we have to consider whether distance challenges in our state would compromise the FBI’s mission and risk neglecting some of our rural communities. I’m gratified that Director Mueller and Attorney General Holder kept an open mind to our concerns and reevaluated their plans.”
