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>>> A WISCONSIN PRIMARY ELECTION
IS LESS THAN A MONTH AWAY.
AND THE AGENCY TASKED WITH
MAKING ELECTIONS GO IN THIS
STATE IS BUSILY TRYING TO
INTERPRET COURT RULINGS AND
OTHER GUIDANCE.
THE WISCONSIN ELECTIONS
COMMISSION REMAINS IN THE EYE OF
THE ELECTION FRAUD STORM, AS ALL
THREE REPUBLICAN CANDIDATES FOR
GOVERNOR SUPPORT GETTING RID OF
THE COMMISSION FOLLOWING ITS
ELECTION GUIDANCE DURING THE
PEAK OF THE PANDEMIC.
ENTER NEW WISCONSIN ELECTIONS
COMMISSION CHAIR REPUBLICAN DON
MILLIS.
HE JOINS US NOW AND THANKS VERY
MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
>> MY PLEASURE TO BE HERE.
>> SO WHAT IS IT LIKE TO ENTER
AS THE NEW CHAIR WHEN PEOPLE IN
YOUR OWN PARTY WANT TO DO AWAY
WITH IT?
>> THERE'S A LOT OF CATCHING UP
TO DO.
WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE THE BEST OF
WHAT WE HAVE.
WHETHER OR NOT THE COMMISSION
GOES AWAY IS CERTAINLY A
CONTROVERSIAL ISSUE.
THERE ARE FOLKS WHO WANT TO GET
RID OF THE COMMISSION, THERE ARE
OTHERS WANT TO KEEP IT.
WHEN IT STAYS OR GOES IS BEYOND
MY PAY GREAT.
MY ROLE IS TO MAKE SURE THAT --
PAYGRADE.
MY ROLE IS TO MAKE SURE WE RUN
AN EFFICIENT AND HONEST ELECTION
IN AUGUST AND IN GENERAL.
THAT'S -- THAT'S REALLY ALL I
CAN DO.
I CAN'T LOOK BEYOND THAT.
>> SO WHAT DO YOU THINK, THOUGH?
WHAT IS YOUR POSITION ON THE
IDEA OF ABOLISHING THE ELECTIONS
COMMISSION?
>> WELL, I DON'T HAVE -- I
REALLY DON'T HAVE A -- I HAVEN'T
GIVEN IT MUCH THOUGHT.
I DO THINK, AND I WAS ON THE
RECORD IN 2016 WHEN I WAS FIRST
APPOINTED WHEN THE COMMISSION
WAS CREATED, THAT THE ELECTIONS
COMMISSION WAS A SERIOUS UPGRADE
OVER THE GOVERNMENT
ACCOUNTABILITY BOARD.
I ALSO SERVED ON THE PRIOR
AGENCY.
SO MY BIGGEST CONCERN ABOUT THE
COMMISSION IS THAT WE SEEM TO BE
DEADLOCKED ON ALL THE
IMPORTANT -- IMPORTANT ISSUES OF
THE DAY.
AND MY WARNING TO OTHER
COMMISSIONERS IS IF THERE'S A
CHANCE TO KEEP THE COMMISSION,
WE BETTER START WORKING
TOGETHER.
>> IN FACT, JUST THIS WEEK, THIS
ISSUE THAT YOU SPEAK TO OF THE
DEADLOCK BECAUSE THERE ARE THREE
DEMOCRATS AND THREE REPUBLICANS
ON THE COMMISSION, YOU END UP
WITH A DEADLOCK.
NOW, REPUBLICANS LIKE YOURSELF
WANTED TO OFFER GUIDANCE TO
CLERKS AFTER THE SUPREME COURT
RULED ABSENTEE BALLOT DROP BOXES
ARE ILLEGAL.
DEMS SAID THAT GUIDANCE WOULD
CONFUSE CLERKS MORE THAN HELP.
WHAT ABOUT THESE DEAD LOCKETS
ON -- DEBT LOCKS ON THE
COMMISSION?
DOES THAT RENDER IT INEFFECTIVE
IN YOUR MIND?
>> IT DOES.
I THOUGHT IT WAS OUTRAGEOUS THAT
THE COMMISSION COULDN'T AGREE TO
ISSUE A STAFF -- THESE ARE
CAREER CIVIL SERVICE STAFF WHO
TRIED TO DISPEL 141-PAGE
DECISION WITH TWO CONCURRENTS.
A DECISION THAT'S VERY
COMPLICATED, DISTILLED IT TO A
PAGE AND A HALF TO GIVE OUT TO
THE 1800-PLUS CLERKS, MOST OF
THEM WHO DON'T HAVE BEEN LAWYERS
TO GO TO CONSULT THEM.
AND THE VERY FACT WE COULDN'T DO
SOMETHING SO BASIC DOESN'T --
DOESN'T BODE WELL FOR THE FUTURE
OF THE COMMISSION.
>> WHY DID YOU IN PARTICULAR
WANT TO OFFER THAT GUIDANCE TO
CLERKS?
>> CLERKS, THE MAST MA -- VAST
MAJORITY OF CLERKS VERY HARD.
THEY HAVE A LOT OF ROLES.
THEY HAVE TO DEAL WITH OTHER
AGENCIES IN STATE GOVERNMENT.
ELECTIONS IS A VERY IMPORTANT,
PERHAPS THE MOST IMPORTANT PART
OF THEIR JOB.
BUT IT'S NOT THE ONLY PART OF
THEIR JOB.
AND THE ELECTION COMMISSION
EXISTS, ONE OF THE -- FOR A
PRIMARY REASON TO BROY
GUIDANCE -- PROVIDE GUIDANCE TO
CLERKS THIS.
WAS A WELL-RITTEN PAGE 1/2 MEMO
THAT WOULD HAVE DISPELLED WHAT
THEY CAN AND CANNOT DO WITH DROP
BOXES.
THERE'S A LOT OF INFORMATION,
NOT ALL OF IT GOOD.
THIS INFORMATION WAS ACCURATE
AND SHOULD HAVE BEEN PROVIDED TO
THE CLERKS.
>> WHAT WAS DID GUIDANCE?
>> THE GUIDANCES THAT --
COMMISSION INTERPRETED THE
DECISION THAT YOU CANNOT HAVE
UNSTAFFED DROP BOXES THAT --
STATUTE REQUIRE THAT ABSENTEE
BALLOTS BE RETURNED IN PERSON BY
THE ELECTOR.
THAT WAS THE GUIDANCE.
AND THAT'S -- BASICALLY WHAT THE
SUPREME COURT RULED.
AND WE TRIED TO MAKE IT CLEAR
AND SO THAT WE CAN ADDRESS THOSE
QUESTIONS.
>> WHAT ABOUT THE ISSUE RAISED
BY DISABILITY RIGHTS ADVOCATE
THAT IS FEDERAL LAW PROTECTS THE
RIGHT OF DISABLED PEOPLE TO GET
HELP MAILING THEIR BALLOT OR
DELIVERING IT TO THE CLERK?
>> WE AGREE.
IN FACT, THE REPUBLICANS OFFERED
TO ADD TO THE GUIDANCE A
PROVISION THAT WOULD REMIND
CLERKS OF THE REQUIREMENTS OF
THE FEDERAL LAW, THAT REQUIRES
THAT OVERRIDES STATE LAW, THAT
CLERKS MUST MAKE ACCOMMODATIONS
FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE ILL
ILLITERATE, BLIND, OR DISABLED.
THAT'S THE LANGUAGE OF THE
FEDERAL LAW.
AND THAT GUIDANCE WAS SHOT DOWN.
THREE DEMOCRATS WOULDN'T AGREE
TO PUT THAT INTO THE GUIDANCE.
>> AMONG THE REPUBLICANS ON THE
COMMISSION RIGHT NOW IS BOB
SPINNEDEL WHO WAS ONE OF THE
FALSE ELECTORS FOR TRUMP NOW
GETTING ATTENTION FROM THE
JANUARY 6th COMMITTEE AND
POSSIBLY THE U.S. JUSTICE
DEPARTMENT.
WHAT IS YOUR COMMENT ON
WISCONSIN'S LATE OF FALSE
ELECTORS?
>> WELL, I'M RELUCTANT TO TALK
ABOUT THAT.
THERE IS A LAWSUIT PENDING.
THERE WAS A COMPLAINT FILED WITH
THE COMMISSION.
THE COMMISSION DISMISSED THE
COMPLAINT ON A 6-0 VOTE.
THE COMPLAINANTS ARE SUING THE
COMMISSION INCLUDING
COMMISSIONER SPIN DEL IN --
SPINTELL IN COURT.
AND ONE OF THE UNPLEASANT DUTIES
I HAVE IS I AM QUARTERBACKING
THAT CASE AND THE OUTSIDE
ATTORNEYS ARE REPORTING TO ME.
SO I'M NOT GOING TO COMMENT ON
IT.
I DO AGREE, I WILL AGREE,
THOUGH, THAT I THOUGHT THE
COMMISSION'S DECISION WAS
CORRECT, THAT THE ULTIMATE SLATE
OF ELECTORS, AS FAR AS I CAN
TELL, DID NOT VIOLATE ANY
WISCONSIN LAW THAT WAS PRESENTED
IN THAT COMPLAINT.
>> WHAT ABOUT CALLS TO DECERTIFY
THE 2020 ELECTION?
>> THE -- EVEN THE COUNCIL
REPRESENTING THE PRE -- COUNSEL
REPRESENTING THE PREVAIL
PARTYING IN THE DROP BOX CASES T
COUNSEL HAVE CONCEDED THAT
THERE'S NOTHING THAT CAN BE DONE
TO DECERTIFY THE 2020 ELECTION.
AS FAR AS I CAN TELL, THE
COMMISSION HAS NO ROLE AT THIS
POINT IN DEALING WITH THE 2020
ELECTION.
MY JOB HAS BEEN TO LOOK FORWARD.
WE HAVE -- SEEMS TO ME DESPITE
MANY ADVANCES IN ELECTION
TECHNOLOGY, OUR CONFIDENCE IN
ELECTION RESULTS IS AT AN
ALL-TIME LOW.
IN 2016 I WAS SUED BECAUSE,
AMONG OTHERS, BECAUSE OF THE
MANY PEOPLE ON THE LEFT FELT
THAT HILLARY CLINTON WON
WISCONSIN AND IN 2020 YOU HAVE
THE SAME THING WHERE PEOPLE ON
THE RIGHT BELIEVED DON'T TRUMP
WON.
RIGHT NOW THE COMMISSION HAS NO
ROLE IN THAT.
MY JOB IS TO LOOK FORWARD AND
TRY TO ENHANCE THE PUBLIC'S
CONFIDENCE IN ELECTIONS.
>> I TRUST THAT YOU DO BELIEVE
THAT JOE BIDEN LEGITIMATELY WON
THE PRESIDENCY?
>> I HAVE MY PERSONAL FEELINGS
ON THAT.
IT SEEMS THAT EVERY TIME I'M
ASKED ABOUT MY ROLE ON THE
COMMISSION, THAT'S ONE OF THE
QUESTIONS THAT IS ASKED OF ME.
CLEARLY, THE SUPREME COURT
DECIDED THAT THERE WERE
SOMETHING THAT -- THINGS THAT
WERE UNTOWARD REGARDING THE DROP
BOXES.
WHETHER THAT HAD AN IMPACT ON
THE ELECTION RESULTS -- I'M NOT
GOING TO SAY ONE CANDIDATE WON
OVER THE OTHER.
I'M TRYING TO LOOK FORWARD.
>> DON MILLIS, THANK YOU VERY