PBS WISCONSIN ORIGINAL
PRODUCTION.
>> THIS MORNING A RACINE COUNTY
JUDGE REJECTED THE TRUMP
CAMPAIGN'S ATTEMPT TO OVERTURN
RESULTS, CONFIRMING THE
BIDEN-HARRIS VICTORY.
A STATE REPUBLICAN LEGISLATIVE
PANEL HEARD TESTIMONY
QUESTIONING THE INTEGRITY OF THE
ELECTION, TESTIMONY THAT CALLED
ATTENTION TO IRREGULARITIES THAT
NO COURT HAS YET UPHELD.
>> I'M FREDERICA FREYBERG.
TONIGHT ON "HERE AND NOW," ZAC
SCHULTZ HAS THE LATEST ON THIS
WEEK'S COURT CHALLENGES TO
WISCONSIN ELECTION RESULTS.
A LOOK AHEAD TO THE ARRIVAL OF
VACCINATIONS IN WISCONSIN.
AN EXPERT EXPLAINS THE IMPACT OF
NEWLY-RESTORED PROTECTIONS FOR
YOUNG IMMIGRANTS.
AND LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR MANDELA
BARNES SHARES RESULTS OF THE
CLIMATE CHANGE TASK FORCE
REPORT.
IT'S "HERE AND NOW" FOR
DECEMBER 11.
>> FUNDING FOR "HERE AND NOW" IS
PROVIDED BY THE FOCUS FUND FOR
JOURNALISM AND FRIENDS OF PBS
WISCONSIN.
>> BECAUSE THE COURT IS
SATISFIED, THE RULES AND
GUIDELINES APPLIED IN EACH OF
THE DISPUTED AREAS ARE
REASONABLE AND THE CORRECT
INTERPRETATION OF THE UNDERLYING
EARLY ABSENTEE VOTING LAWS.
THE CERTIFICATION OF THE RESULTS
OF THE 2020 WISCONSIN
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION, AFTER THE
DANE COUNTY AND MILWAUKEE COUNTY
RECOUNTS, IS AFFIRMED.
THERE IS NO CREDIBLE EVIDENCE OF
ANY MISCONDUCT OR CAMPAIGN LAWSUIT
FILED IN WISCONSIN, SHOOFTING
DOWN EVERY CHALLENGE BROUGHT BY
THE CAMPAIGN.
TRUMP LAWYERS IMMEDIATELY
APPEALED THE DECISION, AS TIME
IS RUNNING OUT BEFORE THE
ELECTORAL COLLEGE MEETS MONDAY
TO OFFICIALLY DELIVER JOE BIDEN
THE PRESIDENCY.
THIS EVENING, THE WISCONSIN
SUPREME COURT ALLOWED BYPASSING
THE APPEALS COURT IN THIS CASE
AND WILL HEAR ORAL ARGUMENTS
TOMORROW.
A FEDERAL JUDGE IN MILWAUKEE IS
RULING ON ANOTHER TRUMP LAWSUIT.
AND EARLIER TONIGHT THE U.S.
SUPREME COURT REJECTED THE TEXAS
LAWSUIT THAT SOUGHT TO OVERTURN
THE VICTORY NOTICE WISCONSIN,
PENNSYLVANIA, MICHIGAN AND
GEORGIA.
IT'S BEEN A LAST-MINUTE PUSH
WITH WISCONSIN AT THE EPICENTER
IN THE FINAL MOMENTS.
SEEN DISOR POLITICALSENIOR POLITICAL REPORTER ZAC
SCHULTZ IS HERE.
THE BIG NEWS TONIGHT, THE U.S.
SUPREME COURT REJECTED TRUMP'S
SUIT TO OVERTURN THE ELECTION,
AGAIN THE TEXAS CASE OR TURNING
FOUR OTHER STATES' RESULTSMENT
JOSH KAUL SAID TONIGHT IT'S OR
FOR THE TRURP CAMPAIGN
NOTWITHSTANDING CASES REMAINING
IN WISCONSIN.
BUT IN YOUR MIND, WHERE DOES IT
LEAVE TRUMP SUPPORTERS WHO HUNG
ON THIS CHALLENGE?
>> WELL, IT REALLY WAS THE LAST
GASP NATIONALLY FOR THE TRUMP
CAMPAIGN.
EVEN IF THEY WIN WISCONSIN,
THOSE TEN ELECTORAL VOTES WON'T
SWING THE DIFFERENCE.
EXPERTS SAID IT WAS A STRETCH TO
BEGIN WITH, BUT IT BECAME A
LITMUS TEST FOR TRUMP SUPPORTERS
AND PRETTY SOON THERE WERE
ATTORNEYS GENERALS FROM OTHER
STATES SIGNING ON, 106 MEMBERS
OF CONGRESS, INCLUDING TOM
TIFFANY, SIGNED ON AND SOME
NEVER-TRUMPER CONSERVATIVE
NOTICE WISCONSIN CRITICIZED HIM
FOR PUTTING HIS REPUTATION IN
LINE WITH THIS LAWSUIT THAT THE
SUPREME COURT DENIED.
>> TO OUR KNOWLEDGE, HE WAS THE
ONLY ONE WHO DID SO.
>> IN WISCONSIN, CORRECT.
>> NOW, THE STATE SUPREME COURT
GOES INTO SATURDAY SESSION AND
THEY ARE RELYING ON THE RACINE
COUNTY RECORD IN THAT CASE.
WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT THE
WISCONSIN HIGH COURT'S RESPONSE
AND REACTION TO THIS AND OTHER
CASES FROM THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN AS
THEY'VE COME THROUGH?
>> WELL, THE REAL QUESTION IS
WHAT WILL THEY ACTUALLY RULE ON.
IN THE INITIAL DECISION CHIEF
JUSTICE PAT ROGGENSACK SAID SHE
WANTED THIS ULTIMATE RESULT, A
LOWER COURT TO DO THE
FACT-FINDING, THEN LET THE
SUPREME COURT DECIDE.
IN THAT DISSENT ORIGINALLY SHE
SAID SHE DIDN'T THINK THAT THE
TRUMP CAMPAIGN WOULD GET THE
REMEDY THEY WERE SEEKING, WHICH
IS ULTIMATELY TO TAKE AWAY A
COUPLE HUNDRED THOUSAND VOAFTS VOTES.
BRIAN HAGEDORN MAY HAVE BE THE
SWING VOTE.
WHERE HE FALLS ON THESE ISSUES
COULD BE A DECIDING FACTOR.
>> I FEEL LIKE ROGGENSACK SAID
THEY MAY NOT GET THE REMEDY, IT
MAY BE OUT OF REACH FOR THEM,
BUT WE WILL HAVE TO SEE, OF
COURSE.
BUT TO DATE, FIVE TRUMP CASES
HAVE BEEN THROWN OUT IN
WISCONSIN, ONE THAT REMAINS, THE
FEDERAL CASE OUT OF MILWAUKEE,
WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT REMARKS
FROM THAT FEDERAL JUDGE?
>> WELL, HE'S CALLED IT BIZARRE.
HE'S CALLED IT ODD.
EVEN WHEN HE WAS COMMENTING
DURING THE HEARING, HE SAID IF
HE RULED IN FAVOR OF THE TRUMP
CAMPAIGN, IT WOULD BE ONE OF THE
MOST REMARKABLE DECISIONS IN THE
HISTORY OF THE COURT AND
JUDICIARY.
WITH EVERYTHING ELSE THAT'S
HAPPENED, IT'S HARD TO FIND A
WAY IN WHICH THIS JUDGE RULES IN
FAVOR OF TRUMP.
OBVIOUSLY THAT WOULD BE APPEALED
UP TO THE 7TH CIRCUIT AND
SUPREME COURT.
THE ELECTORAL COURT WILL HAVE
VOTED.
>> MEANWHILE, DOES IT DAMPEN AT
ALL THE WORK THAT THE COURTS IN
THE STATE OF WISCONSIN HAVE TO
DO BECAUSE THE U.S. SUPREME
COURT REJECTED THAT VERY LARGE
CASE TONIGHT?
>> I DON'T KNOW IF IT AFFECTS
THE WISCONSIN SUPREME COURT IN
ANY WAY BECAUSE THEY'RE REALLY
RULING ON STATE LAW AND HOW IT
WAS FOLLOWED.
AND WHETHER THEY CHANGE THE
RESULTS OR NOT, THEY MAY FEEL
THEY WANT TO WEIGH IN ON WHETHER
IT WAS FOLLOWED PROPERLY AND
WHETHER THEY WANT TO ADVISE THE
LEGISLATURE TO LOOK AT SOME OF
THOSE ISSUES.
SO BEYOND WHO WON OR NOT OR
CHANGING THE RESULTS, THERE MAY
BE SOME TECHNICAL QUESTIONS THAT
THE COURT FEELS THEY WANT TO
ADVISE THE LEGISLATURE UPON.
>> SO AT THIS SAME TIME THAT
TRUMP WAS LOSING IN COURT IN
RACINE COUNTY, WISCONSIN
LEGISLATIVE REPUBLICANS WERE
STAGING AN ALL-DAY COMMITTEE
HEARING WHERE ALL MANNER OF
FRAUD CLAIMS WERE BEING MADE BY
INVITED WITNESSES.
TO WHAT END WAS THIS HEARING?
>> WELL, THIS ALSO HAD THE FEEL
OF KIND OF A LITMUS TEST FOR
SOME OF THOSE TRUMP SUPPORTERS
WHO FELT THEY WANTED TO HEAR
ABOUT POTENTIAL FRAUD.
AT THE EXACT SAME TIME A RACINE
JUDGE WAS SAYING THERE WAS NO
EVIDENCE OF FRAUD, WE HAD SOME
OF THE WILDEST CLAIMS THAT HAVE
BEEN THROWN OUT OF COURTS ACROSS
THE COUNTRY BEING AIRED IN
WISCONSIN.
THE DEMOCRATS WALKED OUT SAYING
IT WAS A SHAM TARGETING BLACK
AND BROWN VOTERS IN MILWAUKEE
AND MADISON.
WE DON'T KNOW MORE THAN THE SHOW
WHAT WILL COME OUT OF THIS.
>> ONE OF THE REPUBLICAN MEMBERS
OF THE WISCONSIN ELECTIONS
COMMISSION APPEARING AT THAT
COMMITTEE HEARING TESTIFIED THAT
THERE WAS NOT WIDESPREAD FRAUD
IN NOVEMBER'S ELECTION, BUT THAT
SOME CHANGES COULD OR SHOULD
COME OUT OF ALL OF THAT.
IS THAT SOMETHING THAT COULD BE
THE NEXT PROGRESSION?
>> YEAH.
THERE ACTUALLY ARE VERY
IMPORTANT ISSUES THAT NEED TO BE
RESOLVED COMING UP, AND
PRIMARILY IT HAS TO DO WITH THE
PROCESSING OF ABSENTEE BALLOTS.
WISCONSIN'S RESULTS CAME IN LATE
BECAUSE CITIES WEREN'T ALLOWED
TO PROCESS THEM UNTIL ELECTION
DAY WHERE FLORIDA AND OHIO WHO
ARE USED TO HAVING MORE MAIL-IN
BALLOTS PROCESS THEM THROUGHOUT
THE WEESK SO THEY'RE READY TO
COUNT THEM ON THE DAY OF
ELECTIONS.
DEMOCRATS WANT TO SEE THAT
CHANGED.
REPUBLICANS HAVE TALKED ABOUT
IT.
IT DEPENDS ON WHETHER THE
POLITICS SURROUNDING ALL OF THIS
CONTINUES TO GO FORWARD OR IF
BOTH PARTIES CAN LOOK
FOR RESOLUTIONS.
>> WE LEAVE IT THERE.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK ON