2020 ELECTION HIT A FEVER PITCH
LATE THIS WEEK.
THE RACINE COUNTY SHERIFF
ACCUSED THE WISCONSIN ELECTION
COMMISSION OF BREAKING THE LAW
IN THE MIDST OF THE PANDEMIC FOR
ALLOWING NURSING HOME STAFF TO
HELP RESIDENTS VOTE IN PLACE OF
DEPUTIES.
ASSEMBLY SPEAKER ROBIN VOS
QUICKLY PILED ON, CALLING FOR
THE WEC ADMINISTRATOR TO RESIGN
AND OTHER REPUBLICANS CALLED FOR
ALL STATE ELECTION COMMISSIONERS
TO IMMEDIATELY STEP DOWN AND
FACE POSSIBLE PROSECUTION.
IN RESPONSE, MEAGAN WOLFE SAID
DESPITE THE CURRENT POLITICAL
FIRESTORM I WILL CONTINUE TO
APPLY MY FULL FOCUS ON THE
IMPORTANT WORK OF SERVING VOTERS
AND ELECTION FOACIALS.
IT WOULD BE IRRESPONSIBLE TO
SPEND ANY ENERGY ENGAGING A
BLATANTLY PARTISAN AND
COORDINATED ATTEMPT TO
BASELESSLY CHALLENGE THE
INTEGRITY OF DEMOCRACY IN OUR
GREAT STATE.
GOVERNOR EVERS CALLED VOS'S
REACTION UNBECOMING OF HIS
POSITION AND, IMPORTANTLY, THE
RACINE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY
HAS NOT FILED CHARGES.
IN THE MIDST OF ALL OF THIS,
THERE IS YET ANOTHER WISCONSIN
ELECTION INVESTIGATION IN THE
WORKS.
STATE SENATE LEADERS THIS WEEK
ANNOUNCED THEY TOO WOULD LAUNCH
A PROBE INTO THE 2020 ELECTION
FOLLOWING RESULTS OF THE
LEGISLATIVE AUDIT BUREAU REVIEW,
WHICH DIDN'T FIND ANY WIDESPREAD
FRAUD BUT MADE RECOMMENDATIONS
FOR THE COMMISSION AND
LEGISLATURE TO CONSIDER AROUND
ELECTION PROCEDURES.
NOW THE SENATE ELECTIONS
COMMITTEE WILL CONDUCT THE
LATEST INVESTIGATION.
ITS CHAIR IS REPUBLICAN SENATOR
KATHLEEN BERNIER OF CHIPPEWA
FALLS WHO JOINS US NOW AND
THANKS VERY MUCH FOR DOING SO.
>> IT IS MY PLEASURE.
THANK YOU.
>> SO WAS THIS A COORDINATED
PARTISAN ATTACK ATTEMPTING TO
UNDERMINE OUR ELECTI ELECTIONS?
WHAT THE RACINE COUNTY SHERIFF
ANNOUNCED?
>> NO.
THIS IS NOT A NEW PHENOMENON.
THAT IS WITH NURSING HOME STAFF
WHO MANIPULATE AND TAKE
ADVANTAGE OF THE ELDERLY AND THE
DISABLED.
I SPENT MONTHS WORKING ON
SPECIAL VOTING DEPUTY
LEGISLATION FOR THAT PURPOSE,
BECAUSE IT IS SOMETHING WE KNEW
THAT WAS OCCURRING.
AND SO BECAUSE OF THE PANDEMIC,
A DECISION HAD TO BE MADE, AND I
DON'T KNOW WHAT OTHER DECISION
THEY COULD HAVE MADE, BUT I
BELIEVE THAT THE ENFORCEMENT OF
THE LAW AGAINST THESE
INDIVIDUALS THAT TOOK ADVANTAGE
OF OUR ELDERLY AND DISABLED
SHOULD BE PURSUED.
>> DO YOU ALSO THINK THAT THE
WEC COMMISSIONERS AND ITS
ADMINISTRATORS SHOULD RESIGN?
>> I BELIEVE THE COMMISSION IS
SET UP FOR FAILURE AT THIS POINT
WITH THE PERSONALITIES THAT ARE
INVOLVED.
WITH THREE DEMOCRATS AND THREE
REPUBLICANS EACH VOTING THEIR
SEPARATE PARTISAN WISHES, SO A
3-3 VOTE MEANS THAT THE STAFF DO
NOT GET ANY DIRECTION.
WHEN THEY GO TO THE BOARD AND
ASK FOR DIRECTION, IT ENDS UP IN
A TIE AND THEN A TIE MEANS
NOTHING WILL HAPPEN.
>> WHAT ABOUT MEAGAN WOLFE?
DO YOU THINK SHE SHOULD STEP
DOWN?
>> NO.
NO.
SHE IS DOING WHAT THE ELECTION
COMMISSION TELLS HER TO DO OR
TELLS HER NOT TO DO.
I DON'T BELIEVE IT IS FAIR TO A
STAFF PERSON TO HOLD HER 100%
ACCOUNTABLE FOR WHAT THE
ELECTION COMMISSION HAS DECIDED.
AND I BELIEVE THE AUDIT POINTS
TO THAT DIRECTION.
VERY FEW THINGS -- THERE'S ONE
THING I'VE READ THUS FAR THAT
THE STAFF DID NOT DO CORRECTLY
AND THAT'S INFORM GOVERNING
BODIES THAT THE CLERK DIDN'T DO
THEIR TRAINING.
BUT ASIDE FROM THAT, MOST ALL OF
IT REFERS TO THE WISCONSIN
ELECTION COMMISSION ITSELF.
>> TURNING TO YOUR INVESTIGATION
SPECIFICALLY, WHY ARE YOU
DECIDING TO MOVE FORWARD WITH
YET ANOTHER INVESTIGATION?
>> WELL, I DON'T KNOW ABOUT YET
ANOTHER INVESTIGATION.
WE HAVEN'T REALLY HAD THIS
BEFORE, SO THIS IS -- THE
INVESTIGATION HAS TO DO WITH
ELECTION OFFICIALS WHO MAY NOT
BE ACCOMMODATING THE LEGISLATIVE
AUDIT BUREAU.
I DON'T BELIEVE THAT CAN STAND,
BECAUSE OUR STATE LAW DIRECTS
COUNTIES, MUNICIPALITIES TO
ACCOMMODATE THE AUDIT BUREAU'S
REQUESTS.
SO THAT IS THE FOCUS OF THIS
INVESTIGATION.
AS TO WHY THEY WOULD NOT
ACCOMMODATE THE AUDIT BUREAU.
BECAUSE IN THE FUTURE, WHETHER
IT HAS TO DO WITH ELECTIONS OR
ANYTHING ELSE, THE
MUNICIPALITIES AND THE COUNTIES
AND THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS ARE
REQUIRED BY LAW, 13.94, TO
ACCOMMODATE THE REQUESTS OF THE
LEGISLATIVE AUDIT BUREAU.
AND THAT IS STRICTLY THE FOCUS
OF THIS INVESTIGATION.
>> SO THIS HAS TO DO WITH CLERKS
WHO DECLINED TO ALLOW AUDIT
BUREAU STAFF TO PHYSICALLY
HANDLE ELECTION RECORDS.
BUT I UNDERSTAND THAT IT'S ALSO
BEEN DECIDED BY THE LEGISLATIVE
COUNCIL THAT IT WAS, QUOTE,
ARGUABLY REASONABLE TO PERMIT
ONLY CLERKS' STAFF TO PHYSICALLY
HANDLE THESE DOCUMENTS.
>> SO THERE'S MORE TO THAT
STORY.
WHEN A LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
OPINION IS GIVEN, IT USUALLY IS
WORDED AND PURSUED BY A SPECIFIC
LEGISLATOR.
AND THAT WAS SENATOR JANET
BEWLEY REQUESTED THAT.
THE DIRECTOR OF THE COUNCIL
REACHED OUT TO ME FOR MORE TO
THE STORY AND ADDITIONAL
INFORMATION.
I HAVEN'T SPOKEN WITH HER YET.
BUT THERE IS MORE TO THE STORY.
SUCH AS THE PRESIDENTIAL RACE IS
NOT THE ONLY RACE ON THAT
BALLOT.
THERE ARE MANY OTHER RACES,
STATE RACES AND COUNTY RACES ON
THOSE BALLOTS.
AND SO THERE'S A LOT MORE TO BE
INVESTIGATED, WHICH WHY I'M
HAVING AN INVESTIGATION.
>> VERY QUICKLY, I JUST WANT TO
SAY THAT MINORITY LEADER JANET
BEWLEY ALSO STATED THAT INSTEAD
OF LAUNCHING AN INVESTIGATION
INTO THE AUDIT BUREAU'S
FINDINGS, THE LEGISLATURE SHOULD
BE FOCUSING ON ITS
ELECTION-RELATED
RECOMMENDATIONS.
WHAT ABOUT THAT IDEA?
WE HAVE ONLY ABOUT A HALF A
MINUTE LEFT.
>> OKAY.
I'VE ALREADY -- WE'RE ALREADY
WORKING ON THAT, DRAFTING
INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE
RECOMMENDATIONS.
THE AUDIT COMMITTEE ALREADY IS
HOLDING A HEARING ON THE RESULTS
OF THE AUDIT.
AND THEN MY INVESTIGATION HAS TO
DO WITH THE COOPERATION OR THE
LACK OF COOPERATION BY ELECTION
OFFICIALS.
>> ALL RIGHT.
GREAT.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
AND THANKS FOR JOINING US TODAY
ON THIS VERY CONTROVERSIAL
ELECTION STUFF THAT'S GOING ON
IN THE STATE OF WISCONSIN.
SENATOR KATHLEEN BERNIER, THANK
YOU.