TO REPUBLICAN ATTEMPTS TO FIND
WRONGDOING IN THE 2020 ELECTIONS
WISCONSIN ELECTIONS COMMISSION
UNANIMOUSLY THROUGH OUT A CLAIM
ALLEGING ILLEGAL FUNDING WAS
DISTRIBUTING TO
? [ MUSIC ] ?
TYES INCLUDING THE FIVE LARGEST
IN THE CITY OF WISCONSIN.
HOLD THE PHONE JUST AFTER THAT
TWO REPUBLICAN MEMBERS OF THE
COMMISSION CHANGED THEIR MINDS
SAYING THEY DO IN FACT WANT TO
CONSIDER THE COMPLAINT.
AND THERE IS MORE, WEDNESDAY, AN
ASSEMBLY ELECTIONS COMMITTEE
CALLED A NUMBER OF PEOPLE TO
TESTIFY WHOSE CREDENTIALS AS
EXPERTS WERE QUESTIONED
INCLUDING BY OUR NEXT GUEST
PROFESSOR BARRY BURDEN.
THANKS VERY MUCH FOR BEING
HERE.
>> THANKS FOR HAVING ME.
>> WHAT IS GOING ON HERE.
IT REALLY FEELS LIKE THESE
ELECTION PROBES ARE KIND OF
SPINNING OUT OF CONTROL.
>> IT IS A BIT OF A THREE RING
CIRCUS.
WE ARE MORE THAN A YEAR FROM THE
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION AND STILL
THERE ARE PROBE ITS,
INVESTIGATIONS AND AUDITS
UNDERWAY IN ONE FORM OR
ANOTHER.
ALL SEEM TO BE OPEN ENDED WITH
NO CLEAR GOALS, UNCLEAR WHO WAS
INVOLVED, WHAT DEADLINES ARE SET
FOR PRODUCING SOME KIND OF
REPORT OR CONCLUSION.
SO MY FEAR IS THAT THEY ARE
UNFORTUNATELY DOING THE OPPOSITE
OF WHAT THE PROPONENTS SAY THEY
ARE DOING.
INSTEAD OF BUILDING CONFIDENCE
IN THE ELECTION SYSTEM THEY ARE
CONTINUING TO RAISE SUSPICIONS,
MAKE ALLEGATIONS AND LEAVE
QUESTIONS ON THE TABLE THAT ARE
LIKELY TO LOWER PUBLIC TRUST IN
ELECTIONS.
>> HOWEVER DO YOU BELIEVE THAT'S
BY DESIGN AND IF SO, WHAT WOULD
BE THE MOTIVATION FOR THAT?
>> I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S BY
DESIGN.
IT COULD BE BY INCOMPETENCE,
LACK OF EXPERIENCE, MICHAEL
GABLEMAN HAS SAID HE DOESN'T
KNOW HOW WISCONSIN ELECTIONS
OPERATE SO THERE IS A LEARNING
CURVE FOR SOME OF THE
LEGISLATURES AND INVESTIGATORS
WHO ARE INVOLVED.
I THINK THERE IS ALSO KIND OF
SYMPATHY FOR PRESIDENT TRUMP AND
THE CONCERNS HE HAS RAISED FOR
THE INTEGRITY OF THE ELECTION IN
WISCONSIN SPECIFICALLY.
SPEAKER VOSS INTRODUCED MICHAEL
GABLEMAN AFTER MEETING PRESIDENT
TRUMP IN A RALLY IN ALABAMA.
SO THERE IS CLEARLY EXTERNAL
PRESSURE TO KEEP THESE ISSUES
ALIVE.
>> WOULD YOU REGARD IT AS MORE
THAN SIMPLY AND POTENTIAL
POLITICAL NECESSITY?
>> WELL, IT'S TRUE THE BASE OF
THE PARTY, THE COURSE OF
QUARTERS THAT PRESIDENT ARE
STILL SKEPTICAL OF THE
ELECTION.
WHAT IF UNCOVERED AND
INVESTIGATED.
THAT'S DESPITE THE FACT DOZENS
OF LAWSUITS INCLUDING I THINK
SEVEN OR EIGHT IN WISCONSIN HAVE
CONFIRMED THE RESULTS.
IN WISCONSIN WE HAVE DONE A FULL
RECOUNT OF DANE COUNTY AND
MILWAUKEE COUNTY AT PRESIDENT
TRUMP'S REQUEST.
THAT VALIDATED THE RESULT.
THAT DOESN'T SEEM TO MATTER.
IT DOESN'T APPEAR TO BE AN
INVESTIGATION LOOKING FOR FACTS,
IT SEEMS TO BE AN INVESTIGATION
TRYING OR INVESTIGATIONS,
PLURAL, TRYING TO FIND AN
ASSUMPTIONING OR CONCLUSION
THAT'S ALREADY BEEN REACHED.
>> IN THE LATEST INFORMATIONAL
HEARING HELD AT THE CAPITOL FOR
REPUBLICAN LAWMAKERS
INVESTIGATING THE 2020 ELECTION
IT HAD YOU TWEETING "I DON'T
HAVE THE TIME TO LIVE TWEET
CORRECT THE NONSENSE THAT
SO-CALLED ELECTION EXPERTS ARE
GIVING STATE LEGISLATURES."
WHY DID YOU CHARACTERIZE THOSE
WHO TESTIFIED IN FRONT OF THE
REPRESENTATIVE BRANCH ON
WEDNESDAY AS EXPERTS IN
QUOTATION MARKS?
>> WELL THE PEOPLE WHO ARE
INVITED THIS WEEK AND IN A PRIOR
HEARING, THAT COULDN'T BE HELD,
ARE MOSTLY ELECTION DOUBTERS
EITHER CONSPIRACY THEORISTS OR
PEOPLE WHO HAVE FILED LAWSUITS.
THEY ALREADY HAVE A CONCLUSION
TO WHAT THEY THINK ABOUT THE
VALIDITY OF THE ELECTION AND
THEY ARE PRESENTING TO THE
COMMITTEE WHAT LOOK LIKE
AUTHORITATIVE ANALYSIS WITH
STATISTICS AND CHARTS, BUT THEY
ARE ALL AMATEURS WHO ARE DONALD
TRUMP SUPPORTERS AND PART OF THE
PEOPLE WORKING IN THE GABLEMAN
INVESTIGATION.
IT'S NOT THE KIND OF BIPARTISAN
SERIOUS LOOK THAT THE I WOULD
HOPE THE LEGISLATURE WOULD DO
AFTER EVERY ELECTION TO DO
TWEAKS, BUT INSTEAD IT'S FEEDING
INTO THIS NARRATIVE OF THE
QUESTIONS OF THE HA VALIDITY
OF THE ELECTION ITSELF.
>> WHEN YOU ARE ASKED YOUR
OPINION HOW SHOULD VOTERS TAKE
THIS?
WHAT SHOULD THEY DO WITH ALL OF
THIS INFORMATION BEING GENERATED
FROM ALL OF THESE
INVESTIGATIONS?
>> YOU KNOW, THE PEOPLE TO TRUST
ARE THOSE WHO ARE IN POSITIONS
OF AUTHORITY WHO ACTUALLY
ADMINISTER ELECTIONS AND
UNDERSTAND HOW THEY ARE RUN.
THOSE ARE MAINLY THE COUNTY AND
MUNICIPAL CLERKS ACROSS THE
STATE.
EVERY CITY, TOWN AND VILLAGE HAS
ITS OWN CLERK.
THEY ARE HAPPY TO ANSWER YOUR
QUESTIONS AND TELL YOU THEY ARE
CONFIDENT IN THE ELECTION.
THEY WON'T SAY IT'S PERFECT.
IT'S A COMPLICATED HUMAN PROCESS
THAT HAS SOME ERRORS AND SOME
INCONSISTENCIES, BUT THEY ARE
PEOPLE WHO KNOW FROM FIRST
PANNED EXPERIENCE HOW THESE
THINGS OPERATE AS OPPOSED TO
OUTSIDE OBSERVER WHO IS ARE
FLOWN IN TO OFFER OUTLANDISH
SPECULATION.
>> ALL RIGHT PROFESSOR BARRY