>> A REPUBLICAN WISCONSIN
ELECTIONS COMMISSIONER IS UNDER
FIRE WITH CONTINUING CALLS THIS
WEEK FOR HIS RESIGNATION.
THIS COMES AFTER COMMISSIONER
ROBERT SPINDELL WAS QUOTED
POST-ELECTION SAYING TO FELLOW
REPUBLICANS, "WE CAN BE
ESPECIALLY PROUD OF THE CITY OF
MILWAUKEE, CASTING 37,000 LESS
VOTES THAN CAST IN THE 2018
ELECTION, WITH THE MAJOR
REDUCTION HAPPENING IN THE
OVERWHELMING BLACK AND HISPANIC
AREAS.
DEMOCRATS CALL THIS BRAGGING
ABOUT VOTER SUPPRESSION ON THE
PART OF AN ELECTION OFFICIAL,
AND THIS WEEK STATE SENATE
DEMOCRATS CALLED FOR HIM TO
RESIGN.
COMMISSIONER SPINDELL JOINS US
NOW WITH HIS REACTION.
AND THANKS VERY MUCH FOR BEING
HERE.
>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.
>> WHAT IS YOUR REACTION AND
RESPONSE TO THESE CALLS FOR YOU
TO RESIGN YOUR POSITION AS AN
ELECTIONS COMMISSIONER?
>> WELL, YOU KNOW, I THINK THE
DEMOCRATS HAVE REALLY LOST
BECAUSE OF THEIR OWN FAILED
BIDEN POLICIES SUCH AS
INFLATION, SUBSTANDARD
EDUCATION, HIGH CRIME RATE, AND
THESE ARE SEVERAL OF THE ISSUES
THAT WE TRIED TO PUT FORTH ON
OUR RADIO COMMERCIALS AND OUR
TWICE-A-WEEK RADIO TALK SHOW.
THAT'S WHY MANY PEOPLE BECOME
DISENCHANTED COMING OUT TO VOTE,
INCLUDING THOSE IN THE MINORITY
COMMUNITY.
IN ADDITION, OF COURSE, THERE
WAS A LOSS OF POPULATION
SOMEWHAT IN THE CITY OF
MILWAUKEE, BUT ALSO THE HARD
WORK OF THE PEOPLE OF THE
REPUBLICAN PARTY, THE CANDIDATES
THAT WE GOT OUT TO RUN AND SO
FORTH.
WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT SUPPRESSION,
YOU PROBABLY REMEMBER THE
APRIL 2020 ELECTION, I USED TO
BE A CITY OF MILWAUKEE ELECTION
COMMISSIONER FOR 18 YEARS, AND
IN MILWAUKEE, IT'S PROBABLY THE
EASIEST CITY ANYWHERE TO VOTE,
BECAUSE VERY RARELY DOES ANYBODY
HAVE TO WAIT EVEN DURING
NOVEMBER ELECTIONS MORE THAN
FIVE OR 10 MINUTES AND IF YOU
HAVE TO REGISTER, IF YOU WAIT
MORE THAN 15 MINUTES, THEY'LL
APOLOGIZE.
BUT IF YOU'RE GOING BACK TO THAT
18 -- OR THE ONE IN APRIL OF '2D
185 POLLING PLACES DOWN TO
5 POLLING PLACES, THE -- CENTER
SAID THAT WOULD REDUCE THE --
SUPPRESS THE BLACK VOTE 15%.
WHAT HAPPENED IN MILWAUKEE, THE
GENTLEMAN RUNNING FOR COUNTY
EXEC, CROWLEY, WON BY A THOUSAND
VOTES, THE INDIVIDUAL RUNNING
FOR CITY TREASURER LOST BY A
THOUSAND VOTES, LENA TAYLOR LOST
BY ABOUT 15,000 VOTES.
SO CERTAINLY THE SUPPRESSION WAS
NOT FROM THIS PROGRAM.
THE SUPPRESSION WAS SOMETHING
ALONG THIS LINE, TRY AND DO
SOMETHING ALONG THAT LINE.
>> COMMISSIONER, YOUR COMMENTS
HAVE BEEN CALLED, QUOTE,
INCREDIBLY RACIST, BECAUSE OF
BEING PROUD, ACCORDING TO THAT
EMAIL THAT YOU WROTE, THAT IN
THE CITY OF MILWAUKEE, AMONGST
OVERWHELMINGLY BLACK AND
HISPANIC AREAS, 37,000 FEWER
VOTES WERE CAST.
WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SAY ABOUT
BEING DESCRIBED AS INCREDIBLY
RACIST?
>> WELL, I'VE NEVER REALLY BEEN
DESCRIBED AS THAT BEFORE.
OVER THE YEARS, I'VE BEEN A --
I'VE DONE A GREAT DEAL FOR THE
BLACK COMMUNITY IN MILWAUKEE.
I WAS APPOINTED BY GOVERNOR
THOMPSON TO BE THE ONLY
NON-MINORITY MEMBER OF THE
GOVERNOR'S COMMITTEE ON MINORITY
BUSINESS.
HE THEN APPOINTED ME TO THE
GOVERNOR'S CENTRAL CITY
INITIATIVE, WHICH BROUGHT ABOUT
ALL SORTS OF PROGRAMS TO HELP
PEOPLE IN THE INNER CITY GET
JOBS, GET A HOUSE, GET SOMETHING
ALONG THAT LINE.
THAT WAS -- I WAS ON A WISCONSIN
CORRECTIONAL ORGANIZATION FOR A
WHILE, GOING AROUND TO PRISONS,
TRYING TO HELP PEOPLE TO KNOW
WHAT TO SAY IN TERMS OF GETTING
JOBS, BUT MORE IMPORTANT, FOR
OVER 25 YEARS, I WAS VICE CHAIR
OF CAREER YOUTH DEVELOP M, ONE
OF THE LARGEST SOCIAL SERVICE
AGENCIES IN MILWAUKEE, AND WE
HAVE SUCH PROGRAMS AS WE WERE
THE FIRST AGENCY IN THE COUNTRY
TO GET WITH A DRUG AND ALCOHOL
HOSPITAL TO START OUR OWN
OPERATION WITHIN THE FACILITY.
WE THEN PUT OUR OWN FACILITY
TOGETHER.
WE RAN IT WITH OUR OWN DOCTORS
AND WE EVEN BUILT AN INPATIENT
TREATMENT CENTER.
THERE'S ALL SORTS -- WE HAVE 30
PROGRAMS.
>> SO YOU REJECT THE
DESCRIPTION.
BUT IT'S NOT NEW FOR CANDIDATES
TO SAY, PLEASE VOTE FOR ME, BUT
IF YOU CAN'T DO THAT, DON'T VOTE
FOR MY OPPONENT.
DEMOCRATS DID THAT IN 2020 IN
TALKING TO MODERATE REPUBLICANS.
BUT ISN'T THERE A DIFFERENCE
BETWEEN THAT AND CELEBRATING THE
REDUCTION OF VOTES AMONGST A
POPULATION OF VOTERS THAT HAS
BEEN HISTORICALLY DISCRIMINATED
AGAINST THROUGHOUT OUR NATION'S
HISTORY?
>> WELL, REALLY THE THING I WAS
CELEBRATING WAS THE FACT THAT
FINALLY AFTER ALL THESE YEARS,
THE REPUBLICAN PARTY OF
WISCONSIN AND THE RNC FINALLY
RECOGNIZED THE IMPORTANCE OF THE
BLACK VOTE, THE HISPANIC VOTE
AND NOT JUST TALK ANYMORE BUT
THEY ACTUALLY PUT THE RESOURCES
INTO THAT PROGRAMS SO THAT WE
MAY MAKE PROGRESS WITHIN THAT
AGENCY.
AND A LOT OF PEOPLE WERE
DISENCHANTED.
I KNOW THEY WERE -- THE DEMS
TRIED TO GET PEOPLE TO KNOCK ON
DOORS TO GET THEIR VOTE OUT.
THEY WERE PAYING $27 AN HOUR.
THEY COULDN'T GET PEOPLE TO DO
THAT.
PEOPLE WERE DISENCHANTED.
I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANY
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE BLACK,
HISPANIC, THE WHITE COMMUNITIES
WHERE THE EFFORT IS TO TRY AND
GET THE PEOPLE THAT YOU HAVE
IDENTIFIED OUT TO VOTE, AND IF
THEY CAN'T, ALL THE ADVERTISING,
WHETHER IT BE MILLIONS OF
DOLLARS ON TELEVISION, THAT'S
ALL NEGATIVE ADVERTISING TRYING
TO SAY HOW BAD THE OTHER
CANDIDATE IS.
>> HAVE YOU SPOKEN TO SENATE
MAJORITY LEADER DEVIN LEMAHIEU
WHO REAPPOINTED YOU TO A
FIVE-YEAR TERM ABOUT WHETHER HE
CONTINUES TO SUPPORT YOU AS AN
ELECTIONS COMMISSIONER?
>> NO, I HAVE NOT, I HAVE NOT.
ALL HE WOULD SAY IS WELL, THE
DEMS ARE TRYING TO GET YOU FOR
THE FOURTH OR FIFTH TIME TO
RESIGN.
THEY'VE TRIED THAT ON SEVERAL
DIFFERENT OCCASIONS.
BECAUSE SIMPLY THEY DO NOT LIKE
MY GOING THROUGH AND MAKING SURE
THAT THE REPUBLICAN PARTY HAS A
VOICE ON THE COMMISSION, AND
ALSO THAT WE WORK TOGETHER WITH
THE DEMOCRATS TO TRY AND MAKE
SURE THAT THE BEST SOLUTION FOR
THE PEOPLE OF WISCONSIN COMES
OUT OF SOME VERY HEAVY
DISCUSSIONS AMONG THE SIX OF US
ON THE WISCONSIN ELECTION
COMMISSION.
>> WE NEED TO LEAVE IT THERE.
WISCONSIN ELECTIONS COMMISSIONER
BOB SPINDELL, THANKS VERY MUCH.
>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR
HAVING ME.
>> WE SHOULD NOTE THAT
COMMISSIONER SPINDELL DECLINED
TO SPEAK ABOUT HIS ROLE AS AN