A special prosecutor has decided not to charge Mayor Doug Diny of Wausau, Wisconsin for removing a ballot drop box in September 2024. The Republican mayor took the empty, locked box from outside City Hall, citing security concerns before the contentious presidential election.

Eric J. Toney, the special prosecutor and Fond du Lac County district attorney, concluded there wasn't sufficient evidence to prove a crime beyond a reasonable doubt. His review found the box didn't meet Wisconsin's legal definition of a ballot box since it contained no ballots and hadn't been bolted to the ground. The investigation was signed by Toney, a Republican, along with two local prosecutors from different parties.

Diny acknowledged the incident was "to some level a national embarrassment" for the city of 40,000 in a swing state. The Wausau Ethics Board had previously found he violated the city's ethics code by exceeding his authority. The box was ultimately returned and used in the 2024 election, despite Diny's argument that the City Council should have been consulted on its installation.