Matt Mareno, a legislative aide to state Rep. Karen Kirsch (D-Greenfield) and former Waukesha County Democratic Party chair, is facing scrutiny after posting on Facebook that he would “choose violence” in response to words he doesn’t like.

“Men need to hold men accountable, and I’m gonna enforce this sh*t in my spaces,” Mareno wrote on Nov. 8, 2024. His spaces include the Wisconsin State Capitol, where he has worked for Kirsch since January 2025.

Mareno later admitted he made the comment and told Wisconsin Right Now, “Looking back at the post, it’s not something I should have said. I don’t condone violence, and I will be taking the post down.” He has since removed most of his Facebook posts from public view. (RELATED: Fatal Attack on ICE Agency Building In Dallas)

The controversy has drawn comparisons to the recent case of Democratic Rep. Sylvia Ortiz-Velez, who was briefly banned from the Capitol after colleagues accused her of making threats—a charge she strongly denies. Wisconsin Right Now asked Democratic leaders who filed the Ortiz-Velez complaint if they planned to respond to Mareno’s post. None replied.

Neither Kirsch, the Democratic Party of Wisconsin, Assembly Speaker Robin Vos’s office, nor the Capitol’s human resources chief responded to requests for comment.

Mareno’s name surfaced earlier this year when he filed an ethics complaint against Oconomowoc mayoral candidate Matt Rosek after Rosek’s children displayed a homemade pro-police sign during a parade. Rosek called the complaint partisan, saying the sign was not political.

Mareno, once profiled by The New York Times for his political organizing, now faces questions over whether his social media rhetoric undermines his role inside the Capitol. (RELATED: Jimmy Kimmel Pulled Off Air After Controversial Remarks of Kirk Assassination)

The post resurfacing comes amid an increase in political attacks targeted towards the right.