1 | 1 | | LRB-4453/1 |
---|
2 | 2 | | RAC:emw |
---|
3 | 3 | | 2023 - 2024 LEGISLATURE |
---|
4 | 4 | | 2023 ASSEMBLY RESOLUTIO N 18 |
---|
5 | 5 | | November 2, 2023 - Introduced by Representatives BRANDTJEN, ALLEN, BEHNKE, |
---|
6 | 6 | | BODDEN and WICHGERS. Referred to Committee on Government Accountability |
---|
7 | 7 | | and Oversight. |
---|
8 | 8 | | ***AUTHORS SUBJECT TO CHANGE*** |
---|
9 | 9 | | Relating to: the impeachment of Meagan Wolfe, the Administrator of the Wisconsin |
---|
10 | 10 | | Elections Commission, citing allegations of maladministration in office and |
---|
11 | 11 | | potential violations of election laws. |
---|
12 | 12 | | Whereas, the following articles of impeachment are presented to the Wisconsin |
---|
13 | 13 | | State Assembly and Senate: |
---|
14 | 14 | | Article 1. Administrator Wolfe's Maladministration During the 2020 |
---|
15 | 15 | | Presidential Election |
---|
16 | 16 | | Administrator Wolfe promoted and encouraged illegal alterations of absentee |
---|
17 | 17 | | ballot applications during the administration of the 2020 presidential election in |
---|
18 | 18 | | Wisconsin. It is important to note that absentee voting, in contrast to in-person |
---|
19 | 19 | | voting, is regarded as a privilege rather than a right, primarily due to legislative |
---|
20 | 20 | | concerns regarding potential fraudulent activities associated with absentee voting |
---|
21 | 21 | | that are not as prevalent in in-person voting. This perspective on absentee voting |
---|
22 | 22 | | has been acknowledged since former President Carter's review of the 2000 |
---|
23 | 23 | | 1 |
---|
24 | 24 | | 2 |
---|
25 | 25 | | 3 |
---|
26 | 26 | | 4 |
---|
27 | 27 | | 5 |
---|
28 | 28 | | 6 |
---|
29 | 29 | | 7 |
---|
30 | 30 | | 8 |
---|
31 | 31 | | 9 |
---|
32 | 32 | | 10 |
---|
33 | 33 | | 11 |
---|
34 | 34 | | 12 |
---|
35 | 35 | | 13 |
---|
36 | 36 | | 14 - 2 -2023 - 2024 Legislature |
---|
37 | 37 | | LRB-4453/1 |
---|
38 | 38 | | RAC:emw |
---|
39 | 39 | | presidential election identified absentee voting as a significant source of potential |
---|
40 | 40 | | election fraud. |
---|
41 | 41 | | To address the perceived vulnerabilities of absentee voting, the legislature |
---|
42 | 42 | | established a series of safeguards, with one of the primary requirements being that |
---|
43 | 43 | | absentee ballots must be witnessed by a third party who provides their name, |
---|
44 | 44 | | signature, and address. Unfortunately, some Wisconsin Elections Commission |
---|
45 | 45 | | (WEC) members, with whom Administrator W olfe concurred, criticized these |
---|
46 | 46 | | security measures as “vote suppressors" and employed derogatory characterizations. |
---|
47 | 47 | | As the chief elections official in Wisconsin, Administrator Wolfe was responsible for |
---|
48 | 48 | | advocating for adherence to the laws set by the legislature and advising |
---|
49 | 49 | | commissioners while publicly supporting adherence to the law. |
---|
50 | 50 | | Throughout the relevant period, Administrator Wolfe was aware, or should |
---|
51 | 51 | | have been aware, that absentee ballots failing to meet legal requirements, such as |
---|
52 | 52 | | missing witness signatures or addresses, should not be counted. Despite this |
---|
53 | 53 | | knowledge, Administrator Wolfe approved and endorsed specific instructions within |
---|
54 | 54 | | the Election Administration Manual for Wisconsin Municipal Clerks, which stated |
---|
55 | 55 | | that clerks “may add a missing witness address using whatever means are |
---|
56 | 56 | | available." This so-called “ballot curing" procedure violated the legislative intent for |
---|
57 | 57 | | strict compliance with absentee ballot requirements and did not guarantee accurate |
---|
58 | 58 | | corrections. This maladministration of “curing," promoted and encouraged by |
---|
59 | 59 | | Administrator Wolfe, created disparities in how voters were treated, allowing some |
---|
60 | 60 | | deficient ballots to be “cured" while others were not. The decision on which votes |
---|
61 | 61 | | would count was left to the municipal clerk, whereas the legislature had previously |
---|
62 | 62 | | determined it. |
---|
63 | 63 | | 1 |
---|
64 | 64 | | 2 |
---|
65 | 65 | | 3 |
---|
66 | 66 | | 4 |
---|
67 | 67 | | 5 |
---|
68 | 68 | | 6 |
---|
69 | 69 | | 7 |
---|
70 | 70 | | 8 |
---|
71 | 71 | | 9 |
---|
72 | 72 | | 10 |
---|
73 | 73 | | 11 |
---|
74 | 74 | | 12 |
---|
75 | 75 | | 13 |
---|
76 | 76 | | 14 |
---|
77 | 77 | | 15 |
---|
78 | 78 | | 16 |
---|
79 | 79 | | 17 |
---|
80 | 80 | | 18 |
---|
81 | 81 | | 19 |
---|
82 | 82 | | 20 |
---|
83 | 83 | | 21 |
---|
84 | 84 | | 22 |
---|
85 | 85 | | 23 |
---|
86 | 86 | | 24 - 3 -2023 - 2024 Legislature |
---|
87 | 87 | | LRB-4453/1 |
---|
88 | 88 | | RAC:emw |
---|
89 | 89 | | Wisconsin Statute § 6.87 (6d) explicitly states, “If a certificate is missing the |
---|
90 | 90 | | address of a witness, the ballot may not be counted." However, the law does provide |
---|
91 | 91 | | a lawful method to correct missing absentee ballot information under Wis. Stat. § |
---|
92 | 92 | | 6.87 (9). According to this law, if a municipal clerk receives an absentee ballot with |
---|
93 | 93 | | an improperly completed certificate or no certificate, the clerk may return the ballot |
---|
94 | 94 | | to the elector inside the sealed envelope if available, along with a new envelope if |
---|
95 | 95 | | necessary, allowing the elector to correct the defect and return the ballot within the |
---|
96 | 96 | | authorized period under subsection (6). Contrary to Administrator Wolfe's directive |
---|
97 | 97 | | to clerks, it was the voter's responsibility to correct absentee ballot errors, not the |
---|
98 | 98 | | clerks' responsibility. |
---|
99 | 99 | | During the investigation into this matter, the Wisconsin Institute of Law and |
---|
100 | 100 | | Liberty (WILL) discovered high rates of cured ballots in Green Bay and Racine. |
---|
101 | 101 | | Nonprofit partners of the Center for Tech and Civic Life (CTCL), such as US Digital |
---|
102 | 102 | | Response (USDR), Elections Group, and National Vote at Home Institute (NVAHI), |
---|
103 | 103 | | played an active role in curing ballots in these locations. These partners offered |
---|
104 | 104 | | services to streamline and automate the ballot curing process in several cities. |
---|
105 | 105 | | Administrator Wolfe, as with the SVD issue outlined in Article 5, failed to fulfill her |
---|
106 | 106 | | duty to take reasonable steps to ensure that essential election laws concerning the |
---|
107 | 107 | | receipt of deficient and ineligible absentee ballots were adhered to during the 2020 |
---|
108 | 108 | | presidential election in Wisconsin. |
---|
109 | 109 | | Article 2. Administrator Wolfe's Neglect of Duty in Safeguarding |
---|
110 | 110 | | Wisconsinites' Personal Data |
---|
111 | 111 | | Administrator Wolfe committed maladministration by unlawfully failing to |
---|
112 | 112 | | protect Wisconsin citizens' confidential and personal information as mandated by |
---|
113 | 113 | | state statutes. These statutes require the Administrator to enter into a contract with |
---|
114 | 114 | | 1 |
---|
115 | 115 | | 2 |
---|
116 | 116 | | 3 |
---|
117 | 117 | | 4 |
---|
118 | 118 | | 5 |
---|
119 | 119 | | 6 |
---|
120 | 120 | | 7 |
---|
121 | 121 | | 8 |
---|
122 | 122 | | 9 |
---|
123 | 123 | | 10 |
---|
124 | 124 | | 11 |
---|
125 | 125 | | 12 |
---|
126 | 126 | | 13 |
---|
127 | 127 | | 14 |
---|
128 | 128 | | 15 |
---|
129 | 129 | | 16 |
---|
130 | 130 | | 17 |
---|
131 | 131 | | 18 |
---|
132 | 132 | | 19 |
---|
133 | 133 | | 20 |
---|
134 | 134 | | 21 |
---|
135 | 135 | | 22 |
---|
136 | 136 | | 23 |
---|
137 | 137 | | 24 |
---|
138 | 138 | | 25 - 4 -2023 - 2024 Legislature |
---|
139 | 139 | | LRB-4453/1 |
---|
140 | 140 | | RAC:emw |
---|
141 | 141 | | the Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC), a private nonprofit, of which |
---|
142 | 142 | | Administrator Wolfe was the Chairman until recently. ERIC's stated purpose is to |
---|
143 | 143 | | assist states in maintaining accurate voter rolls. Yet, it has proven to be ineffective, |
---|
144 | 144 | | evident in the fact that Wisconsin, with approximately 4.5 million eligible voters, has |
---|
145 | 145 | | over 7 million names on its voter rolls—a situation that Administrator Wolfe has |
---|
146 | 146 | | actively contributed to. Furthermore, in the calendar year 2023, eight states have |
---|
147 | 147 | | terminated their relationships with ERIC, casting doubt on its ability to achieve its |
---|
148 | 148 | | stated objectives. |
---|
149 | 149 | | Notably, Kevin Kennedy, the then-chief legal counsel for the Government |
---|
150 | 150 | | Accountability Board, signed a contract with WEC shortly after the statutes |
---|
151 | 151 | | authorizing WEC's creation were enacted. The Government Accountability Board |
---|
152 | 152 | | was dissolved by statute due to its perceived dishonest and partisan activities. |
---|
153 | 153 | | Despite this, Administrator Wolfe has never signed a contract with ERIC. It is |
---|
154 | 154 | | crucial to underline that the duty to sign such a contract is explicitly laid out in the |
---|
155 | 155 | | statute to protect the confidential information of all Wisconsin citizens. |
---|
156 | 156 | | Administrator Wolfe was well aware of this duty through her four-year term as |
---|
157 | 157 | | Administrator of the WEC or her concurrent role as Chairman of ERIC. Her failure |
---|
158 | 158 | | to uphold this vital statutory duty has left ERIC, an organization with partisan |
---|
159 | 159 | | implications if not in name, with unrestricted access to sell, distribute, or share |
---|
160 | 160 | | confidential data. Administrator Wolfe's neglect of this straightforward and |
---|
161 | 161 | | essential duty is indefensible. |
---|
162 | 162 | | Article 3. Administrator Wolfe's Maladministration in Ensuring |
---|
163 | 163 | | Safeguards Against Fraudulent Voting |
---|
164 | 164 | | Administrator Wolfe unlawfully failed to establish the minimum required |
---|
165 | 165 | | safeguards to prevent fraudulent voting in Wisconsin. Under Wisconsin law, |
---|
166 | 166 | | 1 |
---|
167 | 167 | | 2 |
---|
168 | 168 | | 3 |
---|
169 | 169 | | 4 |
---|
170 | 170 | | 5 |
---|
171 | 171 | | 6 |
---|
172 | 172 | | 7 |
---|
173 | 173 | | 8 |
---|
174 | 174 | | 9 |
---|
175 | 175 | | 10 |
---|
176 | 176 | | 11 |
---|
177 | 177 | | 12 |
---|
178 | 178 | | 13 |
---|
179 | 179 | | 14 |
---|
180 | 180 | | 15 |
---|
181 | 181 | | 16 |
---|
182 | 182 | | 17 |
---|
183 | 183 | | 18 |
---|
184 | 184 | | 19 |
---|
185 | 185 | | 20 |
---|
186 | 186 | | 21 |
---|
187 | 187 | | 22 |
---|
188 | 188 | | 23 |
---|
189 | 189 | | 24 |
---|
190 | 190 | | 25 - 5 -2023 - 2024 Legislature |
---|
191 | 191 | | LRB-4453/1 |
---|
192 | 192 | | RAC:emw |
---|
193 | 193 | | residents temporarily residing overseas can cast ballots in Wisconsin's elections. It |
---|
194 | 194 | | is also incumbent upon Administrator Wolfe to establish, implement, and maintain |
---|
195 | 195 | | a comprehensive database containing the names of these individuals. This database |
---|
196 | 196 | | serves as a crucial tool for municipal clerks to cross-reference voter requests with the |
---|
197 | 197 | | overseas voter list, thereby ensuring the legitimacy of such requests. This safeguard |
---|
198 | 198 | | is especially significant because, unlike military overseas absentee voters, |
---|
199 | 199 | | non-military overseas voters are not required to provide a photo ID when requesting |
---|
200 | 200 | | an absentee ballot. |
---|
201 | 201 | | Regrettably, Administrator Wolfe's maladministration unfulfilled her |
---|
202 | 202 | | responsibility to create, implement, and maintain this reference database for our |
---|
203 | 203 | | clerks. Consequently, this method of ballot gathering is left vulnerable to fraudulent |
---|
204 | 204 | | activity, akin to the vulnerabilities seen in the military overseas voting system. In |
---|
205 | 205 | | other words, just as demonstrated by the case of Kim Zapata, who fabricated three |
---|
206 | 206 | | fictitious names and addresses of non-existent military absentee ballot requesters |
---|
207 | 207 | | and had all three ballots sent to Representative Brandtjen's home, anyone, from |
---|
208 | 208 | | anywhere, at any time, can similarly obtain an unlimited number of non-military |
---|
209 | 209 | | absentee ballots. Much like the ballots sent to Representative Brandtjen's home, |
---|
210 | 210 | | there is no mechanism to verify the authenticity of non-military overseas absentee |
---|
211 | 211 | | ballots obtained through this process. This lack of verification results directly from |
---|
212 | 212 | | Administrator Wolfe's complete and inexcusable failure to fulfill her duties. |
---|
213 | 213 | | Article 4. Administrator Wolfe's Unlawful Advocacy for Ballot Drop |
---|
214 | 214 | | Boxes |
---|
215 | 215 | | Administrator Wolfe unlawfully promoted maladministration with the use of |
---|
216 | 216 | | ballot drop boxes. In her role as Wisconsin's chief elections official, Administrator |
---|
217 | 217 | | Wolfe was responsible for guiding clerks regarding the procedures outlined in the |
---|
218 | 218 | | 1 |
---|
219 | 219 | | 2 |
---|
220 | 220 | | 3 |
---|
221 | 221 | | 4 |
---|
222 | 222 | | 5 |
---|
223 | 223 | | 6 |
---|
224 | 224 | | 7 |
---|
225 | 225 | | 8 |
---|
226 | 226 | | 9 |
---|
227 | 227 | | 10 |
---|
228 | 228 | | 11 |
---|
229 | 229 | | 12 |
---|
230 | 230 | | 13 |
---|
231 | 231 | | 14 |
---|
232 | 232 | | 15 |
---|
233 | 233 | | 16 |
---|
234 | 234 | | 17 |
---|
235 | 235 | | 18 |
---|
236 | 236 | | 19 |
---|
237 | 237 | | 20 |
---|
238 | 238 | | 21 |
---|
239 | 239 | | 22 |
---|
240 | 240 | | 23 |
---|
241 | 241 | | 24 |
---|
242 | 242 | | 25 - 6 -2023 - 2024 Legislature |
---|
243 | 243 | | LRB-4453/1 |
---|
244 | 244 | | RAC:emw |
---|
245 | 245 | | state's elections law. However, there have been instances where Administrator Wolfe |
---|
246 | 246 | | acted as if she, and not the legislature, had the authority to establish rules for |
---|
247 | 247 | | Wisconsin's elections. One such instance was her purported authorization of ballot |
---|
248 | 248 | | drop boxes. |
---|
249 | 249 | | Ballot drop boxes were unfamiliar in Wisconsin before the 2020 presidential |
---|
250 | 250 | | election cycle. Their use was mandated for the state's five largest cities through |
---|
251 | 251 | | contracts signed with the “Center for Tech and Civic Life" (CTCL), a private |
---|
252 | 252 | | corporation funded by Mark Zuckerberg to conduct partisan Get Out the Vote |
---|
253 | 253 | | (GOTV) campaigns in Wisconsin and other swing states. |
---|
254 | 254 | | Under the guise of her official role, Administrator Wolfe fully supported and |
---|
255 | 255 | | promoted the use of these unauthorized drop boxes by issuing a series of memoranda |
---|
256 | 256 | | (prepared by WEC staff under her supervision) to municipal clerks. This |
---|
257 | 257 | | endorsement and promotion of ballot drop boxes ran counter to Wisconsin law, as |
---|
258 | 258 | | highlighted in the Teigen case, which concluded that WEC's staff erred by |
---|
259 | 259 | | authorizing a voting method not sanctioned by law. The memos created a ballot drop |
---|
260 | 260 | | box system entirely absent from Wisconsin's election code, as the legislature's |
---|
261 | 261 | | procedures for absentee voting do not allow for voting via ballot drop boxes. |
---|
262 | 262 | | Ballot drop boxes present opportunities for election fraud by reducing the |
---|
263 | 263 | | likelihood of detection, and their maladministration use, as endorsed and promoted |
---|
264 | 264 | | by Administrator Wolfe, likely had a significant and unfair impact on the outcome |
---|
265 | 265 | | of the November 2020 presidential election in Wisconsin. The cities of Green Bay, |
---|
266 | 266 | | Kenosha, Madison, Milwaukee, and Racine received $216,000 from CTCL |
---|
267 | 267 | | specifically to purchase and utilize 44 ballot drop boxes in Wisconsin's five largest |
---|
268 | 268 | | metropolitan areas. The exact number of ballots deposited in these unlawful drop |
---|
269 | 269 | | boxes during the 2020 election remains unknown. |
---|
270 | 270 | | 1 |
---|
271 | 271 | | 2 |
---|
272 | 272 | | 3 |
---|
273 | 273 | | 4 |
---|
274 | 274 | | 5 |
---|
275 | 275 | | 6 |
---|
276 | 276 | | 7 |
---|
277 | 277 | | 8 |
---|
278 | 278 | | 9 |
---|
279 | 279 | | 10 |
---|
280 | 280 | | 11 |
---|
281 | 281 | | 12 |
---|
282 | 282 | | 13 |
---|
283 | 283 | | 14 |
---|
284 | 284 | | 15 |
---|
285 | 285 | | 16 |
---|
286 | 286 | | 17 |
---|
287 | 287 | | 18 |
---|
288 | 288 | | 19 |
---|
289 | 289 | | 20 |
---|
290 | 290 | | 21 |
---|
291 | 291 | | 22 |
---|
292 | 292 | | 23 |
---|
293 | 293 | | 24 |
---|
294 | 294 | | 25 - 7 -2023 - 2024 Legislature |
---|
295 | 295 | | LRB-4453/1 |
---|
296 | 296 | | RAC:emw |
---|
297 | 297 | | Article 5. Administrator Wolfe's Role in Enabling Unlawful Absentee |
---|
298 | 298 | | Voting in Long-Term Care Facilities Without Special Voting Deputies |
---|
299 | 299 | | Administrator Wolfe was involved in facilitating illegal absentee voting in |
---|
300 | 300 | | long-term care facilities without the presence of Special Voting Deputies (SVDs), as |
---|
301 | 301 | | required by Wisconsin law. According to Wisconsin law, when absentee voting is |
---|
302 | 302 | | conducted in long-term care facilities such as nursing homes, each municipal clerk |
---|
303 | 303 | | or their designated representatives must be accompanied by two SVDs, one from |
---|
304 | 304 | | each of the two major political parties. These SVDs receive specialized training and |
---|
305 | 305 | | take an oath to ensure that absentee voting is conducted strictly with the law. One |
---|
306 | 306 | | of their essential functions is to challenge the competency of potential voters in |
---|
307 | 307 | | nursing homes and other long-term care facilities, as outlined in Wis. Stat. § 6.875 |
---|
308 | 308 | | (4). |
---|
309 | 309 | | Administrator Wolfe caused maladministration by assisting five out of the six |
---|
310 | 310 | | WEC commissioners in consistently voting to unlawfully direct Wisconsin's clerks to |
---|
311 | 311 | | disregard the statutorily mandated SVD procedure. This disregard for the law |
---|
312 | 312 | | occurred in 2020 during the administration of three separate elections, including the |
---|
313 | 313 | | presidential election. Several authorities, including the Racine County Sheriff's |
---|
314 | 314 | | Department, the Racine County District Attorney, Wisconsin's Legislative Audit |
---|
315 | 315 | | Bureau (LAB), and the Wisconsin Assembly's Special Counsel to Investigate the |
---|
316 | 316 | | 2020 presidential election, all reached the conclusion that WEC violated Wisconsin |
---|
317 | 317 | | election law each time it permitted absentee voting in long-term care facilities |
---|
318 | 318 | | without requiring the presence of at least two special voting deputies. It is |
---|
319 | 319 | | indisputable that the actions of those five commissioners and Administrator Wolfe |
---|
320 | 320 | | were illegal. |
---|
321 | 321 | | 1 |
---|
322 | 322 | | 2 |
---|
323 | 323 | | 3 |
---|
324 | 324 | | 4 |
---|
325 | 325 | | 5 |
---|
326 | 326 | | 6 |
---|
327 | 327 | | 7 |
---|
328 | 328 | | 8 |
---|
329 | 329 | | 9 |
---|
330 | 330 | | 10 |
---|
331 | 331 | | 11 |
---|
332 | 332 | | 12 |
---|
333 | 333 | | 13 |
---|
334 | 334 | | 14 |
---|
335 | 335 | | 15 |
---|
336 | 336 | | 16 |
---|
337 | 337 | | 17 |
---|
338 | 338 | | 18 |
---|
339 | 339 | | 19 |
---|
340 | 340 | | 20 |
---|
341 | 341 | | 21 |
---|
342 | 342 | | 22 |
---|
343 | 343 | | 23 |
---|
344 | 344 | | 24 - 8 -2023 - 2024 Legislature |
---|
345 | 345 | | LRB-4453/1 |
---|
346 | 346 | | RAC:emw |
---|
347 | 347 | | Throughout the relevant period, Administrator Wolfe publicly and privately |
---|
348 | 348 | | supported this illegal scheme and encouraged Wisconsin's clerks to participate in it. |
---|
349 | 349 | | Article 6. Administrator Wolfe's Neglect in Safeguarding the Votes of |
---|
350 | 350 | | Overseas Military Voters |
---|
351 | 351 | | Administrator Wolfe is charged with maladministration for failing to protect |
---|
352 | 352 | | overseas military voters' votes, as Wisconsin Statutes require. These statutes assign |
---|
353 | 353 | | to WEC and its Administrator, Meagan Wolfe, the responsibility to establish, |
---|
354 | 354 | | implement, and maintain a process through which the identities of Wisconsin |
---|
355 | 355 | | residents serving in the military and stationed overseas can be made available to |
---|
356 | 356 | | municipal clerks. |
---|
357 | 357 | | Upon receiving an application for a ballot from a purported serviceman or |
---|
358 | 358 | | woman, the municipal clerk is then statutorily obligated to refer to the identification |
---|
359 | 359 | | list created, implemented, and maintained by WEC to verify the individual's military |
---|
360 | 360 | | service status. This verification process is especially crucial because military service |
---|
361 | 361 | | personnel are exempt from the statutory requirement to present photo identification |
---|
362 | 362 | | before voting. |
---|
363 | 363 | | The significance of the system that WEC is mandated to create, implement, and |
---|
364 | 364 | | maintain cannot be overstated; it serves as the protective barrier between access to |
---|
365 | 365 | | military ballots and those who may attempt to fraudulently obtain them by falsely |
---|
366 | 366 | | claiming eligibility. The need for such a verification system was unequivocally |
---|
367 | 367 | | demonstrated in October 2022 when Kim Zapata, then employed as the Deputy |
---|
368 | 368 | | Director of the Milwaukee Election Commission, intentionally fabricated three |
---|
369 | 369 | | fictitious names with non-existent home addresses and submitted them online to |
---|
370 | 370 | | generate three fraudulent ballots, which were subsequently mailed to the residence |
---|
371 | 371 | | of Representative Janel Brandtjen, who was serving as the Chairman of the |
---|
372 | 372 | | 1 |
---|
373 | 373 | | 2 |
---|
374 | 374 | | 3 |
---|
375 | 375 | | 4 |
---|
376 | 376 | | 5 |
---|
377 | 377 | | 6 |
---|
378 | 378 | | 7 |
---|
379 | 379 | | 8 |
---|
380 | 380 | | 9 |
---|
381 | 381 | | 10 |
---|
382 | 382 | | 11 |
---|
383 | 383 | | 12 |
---|
384 | 384 | | 13 |
---|
385 | 385 | | 14 |
---|
386 | 386 | | 15 |
---|
387 | 387 | | 16 |
---|
388 | 388 | | 17 |
---|
389 | 389 | | 18 |
---|
390 | 390 | | 19 |
---|
391 | 391 | | 20 |
---|
392 | 392 | | 21 |
---|
393 | 393 | | 22 |
---|
394 | 394 | | 23 |
---|
395 | 395 | | 24 |
---|
396 | 396 | | 25 - 9 -2023 - 2024 Legislature |
---|
397 | 397 | | LRB-4453/1 |
---|
398 | 398 | | RAC:emw |
---|
399 | 399 | | Assembly Committee on Campaigns and Elections at the time. These fraudulent |
---|
400 | 400 | | ballots were indeed delivered to Representative Brandtjen's home, prompting her to |
---|
401 | 401 | | turn them over to law enforcement. Kim Zapata later admitted her actions, |
---|
402 | 402 | | explaining that she did so to illustrate to Representative Brandtjen and others the |
---|
403 | 403 | | “true" vulnerability to fraud in Wisconsin elections. |
---|
404 | 404 | | Crucially, due to Administrator Wolfe's negligence, if anyone had cast the three |
---|
405 | 405 | | fraudulent ballots created by Kim Zapata, there would have been no means to detect |
---|
406 | 406 | | the fraudulent activity or the resulting disenfranchisement of three legitimate |
---|
407 | 407 | | military absentee ballots. |
---|
408 | 408 | | When a lawsuit sought declaratory and injunctive relief to compel |
---|
409 | 409 | | Administrator Wolfe to address this dereliction, she engaged the services of a private |
---|
410 | 410 | | law firm, the Mark Elias Law Group, in an attempt to avoid remedying the situation. |
---|
411 | 411 | | Article 7. Administrator Wolfe's Involvement in the Employment of |
---|
412 | 412 | | Partisan, Out-of-State Residents for Election Administration in 2020 |
---|
413 | 413 | | Administrator Wolfe facilitated, promoted, and encouraged the employment of |
---|
414 | 414 | | partisan, out-of-state residents to administer Wisconsin's elections in 2020. In this |
---|
415 | 415 | | maladministration, Mark Zuckerberg's stated objective in 2020 was to aid in the |
---|
416 | 416 | | defeat of President Donald Trump. Zuckerberg enlisted the services of David Plouffe, |
---|
417 | 417 | | one of former President Obama's principal political advisors and the author of “The |
---|
418 | 418 | | Citizen's Guide to Beating Donald Trump," to oversee a plan aimed at staffing the |
---|
419 | 419 | | offices of the largest cities in swing states with partisan employees and agents to |
---|
420 | 420 | | administer the elections in those cities. An essential aspect of this plan, called |
---|
421 | 421 | | “block-by-block political warfare," was directed at cities like Detroit, Milwaukee, |
---|
422 | 422 | | and Philadelphia. |
---|
423 | 423 | | 1 |
---|
424 | 424 | | 2 |
---|
425 | 425 | | 3 |
---|
426 | 426 | | 4 |
---|
427 | 427 | | 5 |
---|
428 | 428 | | 6 |
---|
429 | 429 | | 7 |
---|
430 | 430 | | 8 |
---|
431 | 431 | | 9 |
---|
432 | 432 | | 10 |
---|
433 | 433 | | 11 |
---|
434 | 434 | | 12 |
---|
435 | 435 | | 13 |
---|
436 | 436 | | 14 |
---|
437 | 437 | | 15 |
---|
438 | 438 | | 16 |
---|
439 | 439 | | 17 |
---|
440 | 440 | | 18 |
---|
441 | 441 | | 19 |
---|
442 | 442 | | 20 |
---|
443 | 443 | | 21 |
---|
444 | 444 | | 22 |
---|
445 | 445 | | 23 |
---|
446 | 446 | | 24 - 10 -2023 - 2024 Legislature |
---|
447 | 447 | | LRB-4453/1 |
---|
448 | 448 | | RAC:emw |
---|
449 | 449 | | David Becker, a highly partisan individual employed by George Soros and the |
---|
450 | 450 | | administrator of the partisan Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC), |
---|
451 | 451 | | played a central role in executing this scheme. It is noteworthy that while |
---|
452 | 452 | | Administrator Wolfe was the Chairman of ERIC, David Becker was in charge. In this |
---|
453 | 453 | | context, Zuckerberg, Plouffe, and Becker arranged for the Center for Tech and Civic |
---|
454 | 454 | | Life (CTCL) to distribute payments totaling $8.8 million to the five largest cities in |
---|
455 | 455 | | Wisconsin, namely Milwaukee, Madison, Racine, Kenosha, and Green Bay (referred |
---|
456 | 456 | | to as the “Zuckerberg Five" or the “Cities"). The contracts governing the transfer of |
---|
457 | 457 | | these funds required the Cities to perform various services for Zuckerberg, with a |
---|
458 | 458 | | primary obligation being the installation of illegal ballot drop boxes in unmonitored |
---|
459 | 459 | | locations. Additionally, the Cities were required to “cooperate" with Zuckerberg's |
---|
460 | 460 | | directives and follow the instructions of CTCL 's designated personnel in |
---|
461 | 461 | | administering the elections. |
---|
462 | 462 | | One of the individuals involved in this scheme was Michael |
---|
463 | 463 | | Spitzer-Rubenstein, a Brooklyn, New York resident and known partisan. In an |
---|
464 | 464 | | email to the clerks of the Zuckerberg Five Cities, Administrator Wolfe provided her |
---|
465 | 465 | | authorization to utilize Michael Spitzer-Rubenstein as part of their election |
---|
466 | 466 | | administration efforts. Although Claire Woodall-Vogg, the Milwaukee Election |
---|
467 | 467 | | Commission's leader, recommended Michael Spitzer-Rubenstein to Administrator |
---|
468 | 468 | | Wolfe without indicating that she had vetted him, Administrator Wolfe promptly |
---|
469 | 469 | | forwarded this recommendation to the clerks of the Zuckerberg Five Cities, |
---|
470 | 470 | | suggesting they reach out to him if they were interested in learning more. |
---|
471 | 471 | | As a direct result of Administrator Wolfe's recommendation, Michael |
---|
472 | 472 | | Spitzer-Rubenstein, a designated “partner" of Zuckerberg and CTCL, assumed |
---|
473 | 473 | | control over various aspects of the Green Bay election, including overriding the |
---|
474 | 474 | | 1 |
---|
475 | 475 | | 2 |
---|
476 | 476 | | 3 |
---|
477 | 477 | | 4 |
---|
478 | 478 | | 5 |
---|
479 | 479 | | 6 |
---|
480 | 480 | | 7 |
---|
481 | 481 | | 8 |
---|
482 | 482 | | 9 |
---|
483 | 483 | | 10 |
---|
484 | 484 | | 11 |
---|
485 | 485 | | 12 |
---|
486 | 486 | | 13 |
---|
487 | 487 | | 14 |
---|
488 | 488 | | 15 |
---|
489 | 489 | | 16 |
---|
490 | 490 | | 17 |
---|
491 | 491 | | 18 |
---|
492 | 492 | | 19 |
---|
493 | 493 | | 20 |
---|
494 | 494 | | 21 |
---|
495 | 495 | | 22 |
---|
496 | 496 | | 23 |
---|
497 | 497 | | 24 |
---|
498 | 498 | | 25 - 11 -2023 - 2024 Legislature |
---|
499 | 499 | | LRB-4453/1 |
---|
500 | 500 | | RAC:emw |
---|
501 | 501 | | Clerk's recommendations, signing contracts, controlling access to a key location, and |
---|
502 | 502 | | determining the acceptance of ballots after the 8 p.m. deadline. Mr . |
---|
503 | 503 | | Spitzer-Rubenstein lacked the requisite training, certification, and oath of office |
---|
504 | 504 | | necessary to work in Wisconsin elections. |
---|
505 | 505 | | Wisconsin Statute § 5.02 (4e) defines an election official as an individual |
---|
506 | 506 | | charged with duties related to election conduct. The Wisconsin Election |
---|
507 | 507 | | Administration Manual emphasizes the importance of qualified and well-trained |
---|
508 | 508 | | election officials. Michael Spitzer-Rubenstein did not meet these qualifications and |
---|
509 | 509 | | was disqualified due to his New York residence. After Administrator Wolfe's |
---|
510 | 510 | | recommendation, any roles assigned to Mr. Spitzer-Rubenstein by the clerks would |
---|
511 | 511 | | have involved his participation in election activities, constituting a violation of Wis. |
---|
512 | 512 | | Stat. § 5.02 (4e). |
---|
513 | 513 | | Spitzer-Rubenstein also played a significant role in the Racine 2020 election, |
---|
514 | 514 | | setting up systems, collecting ballots, and creating absentee ballot logs. He authored |
---|
515 | 515 | | the Election Day Manual in Milwaukee, had exclusive access to critical information, |
---|
516 | 516 | | and recruited out-of-state personnel. This scheme included “ballot navigators" who |
---|
517 | 517 | | could visit citizens' homes, represent themselves as being “from the City" (although |
---|
518 | 518 | | funded by Zuckerberg/CTCL), offer assistance in completing absentee ballots, and |
---|
519 | 519 | | potentially illegally return the ballots to the clerk's office. |
---|
520 | 520 | | Administrator Wolfe's cooperation in this scheme was vital for covering the |
---|
521 | 521 | | Zuckerberg Five Cities clerks. By participating in and facilitating this scheme, |
---|
522 | 522 | | Administrator Wolfe betrayed the trust of Wisconsin citizens who had entrusted her |
---|
523 | 523 | | with the position of Administrator of WEC. |
---|
524 | 524 | | Article 8. Administrator Wolfe's Maladministration of Third-Party |
---|
525 | 525 | | Submission of Absentee Ballot Applications |
---|
526 | 526 | | 1 |
---|
527 | 527 | | 2 |
---|
528 | 528 | | 3 |
---|
529 | 529 | | 4 |
---|
530 | 530 | | 5 |
---|
531 | 531 | | 6 |
---|
532 | 532 | | 7 |
---|
533 | 533 | | 8 |
---|
534 | 534 | | 9 |
---|
535 | 535 | | 10 |
---|
536 | 536 | | 11 |
---|
537 | 537 | | 12 |
---|
538 | 538 | | 13 |
---|
539 | 539 | | 14 |
---|
540 | 540 | | 15 |
---|
541 | 541 | | 16 |
---|
542 | 542 | | 17 |
---|
543 | 543 | | 18 |
---|
544 | 544 | | 19 |
---|
545 | 545 | | 20 |
---|
546 | 546 | | 21 |
---|
547 | 547 | | 22 |
---|
548 | 548 | | 23 |
---|
549 | 549 | | 24 |
---|
550 | 550 | | 25 - 12 -2023 - 2024 Legislature |
---|
551 | 551 | | LRB-4453/1 |
---|
552 | 552 | | RAC:emw |
---|
553 | 553 | | Administrator Wolfe's actions regarding submitting absentee ballot |
---|
554 | 554 | | applications by individuals other than the voter, contravening Wisconsin election |
---|
555 | 555 | | laws, were unlawful. Administrator Wolfe is responsible for the guidance provided |
---|
556 | 556 | | in the Election Administration Manual for Wisconsin Municipal Clerks. |
---|
557 | 557 | | According to the manual, “If an absentee ballot request is delivered by someone |
---|
558 | 558 | | other than the registered elector (spouse, campaign volunteer, etc.), it is treated as |
---|
559 | 559 | | a by-mail request." This directive lacked a legal basis, and Administrator Wolfe's |
---|
560 | 560 | | actions in this regard were unlawful, as outlined in the Teigen case. |
---|
561 | 561 | | Wisconsin Statute § 6.86 describes six distinct “methods for obtaining an |
---|
562 | 562 | | absentee ballot," and § 6.86 (1) (a) 2. specifies the law for submitting an absentee |
---|
563 | 563 | | ballot application directly to the municipal clerk, stating, “In person at the office of |
---|
564 | 564 | | the municipal clerk or at an alternate site under s. 6.855, if applicable." Notably, Wis. |
---|
565 | 565 | | Stat. § 6.86 (1) (a) 2. allows the elector to personally submit their absentee ballot |
---|
566 | 566 | | application at the clerk's office. |
---|
567 | 567 | | Administrator Wolfe's directive to clerks, permitting a “spouse," “campaign |
---|
568 | 568 | | volunteer," or other agents to submit absentee ballot applications on behalf of |
---|
569 | 569 | | electors, contradicted the plain language of Wis. Stat. § 6.86 (1) (a) 2. Furthermore, |
---|
570 | 570 | | her treatment of absentee ballot applications submitted by agents as “by-mail" |
---|
571 | 571 | | requests also conflicted with the statute's language. |
---|
572 | 572 | | How Wolfe mishandled the return of absentee ballot applications paralleled her |
---|
573 | 573 | | maladministration of absentee ballot returns. In the Teigen case, the Wisconsin |
---|
574 | 574 | | Supreme Court addressed the delivery of absentee ballots and emphasized that |
---|
575 | 575 | | Wisconsin law did not allow agents or anyone other than the elector to submit an |
---|
576 | 576 | | elector's absentee ballot directly to a clerk's office. Similarly, Wisconsin law did not |
---|
577 | 577 | | 1 |
---|
578 | 578 | | 2 |
---|
579 | 579 | | 3 |
---|
580 | 580 | | 4 |
---|
581 | 581 | | 5 |
---|
582 | 582 | | 6 |
---|
583 | 583 | | 7 |
---|
584 | 584 | | 8 |
---|
585 | 585 | | 9 |
---|
586 | 586 | | 10 |
---|
587 | 587 | | 11 |
---|
588 | 588 | | 12 |
---|
589 | 589 | | 13 |
---|
590 | 590 | | 14 |
---|
591 | 591 | | 15 |
---|
592 | 592 | | 16 |
---|
593 | 593 | | 17 |
---|
594 | 594 | | 18 |
---|
595 | 595 | | 19 |
---|
596 | 596 | | 20 |
---|
597 | 597 | | 21 |
---|
598 | 598 | | 22 |
---|
599 | 599 | | 23 |
---|
600 | 600 | | 24 - 13 -2023 - 2024 Legislature |
---|
601 | 601 | | LRB-4453/1 |
---|
602 | 602 | | RAC:emw |
---|
603 | 603 | | permit a family member or agent to submit an elector's absentee ballot application |
---|
604 | 604 | | directly to a clerk's office, as Administrator Wolfe allowed. |
---|
605 | 605 | | The court noted that the guidance provided by Administrator Wolfe in the |
---|
606 | 606 | | March 2020 memo was contrary to Wis. Stat. § 6.87 (4) (b) 1., similar to the situation |
---|
607 | 607 | | with absentee ballot applications. Wis. Stat. § 6.86 (1) (a) 2. required a |
---|
608 | 608 | | person-to-person exchange between the elector submitting an absentee ballot |
---|
609 | 609 | | application and the clerk or the clerk's authorized representative. The court |
---|
610 | 610 | | reaffirmed that absentee ballots could only be returned through two authorized |
---|
611 | 611 | | methods: mailing by the voter to the municipal clerk or personal delivery by the voter |
---|
612 | 612 | | to the municipal clerk. Therefore, Administrator Wolfe's memos advising otherwise |
---|
613 | 613 | | conflicted with the law and were rightly void. |
---|
614 | 614 | | Article 9. Administrator Wolfe's Inadequate Absentee Ballot Request |
---|
615 | 615 | | Web Page and Violation of Wisconsin Election Law |
---|
616 | 616 | | Administrator Wolfe's absentee ballot request web page potentially facilitated |
---|
617 | 617 | | ballot maladministration and contradicts Wisconsin election law requirements. |
---|
618 | 618 | | On July 26, 2022, Harry Wait, the President of HOT Government, made |
---|
619 | 619 | | absentee ballot requests on behalf of Wisconsin House Speaker Robin Vos, Racine |
---|
620 | 620 | | Mayor Cory Mason, and several other registered Wisconsin voters. Mr. Wait |
---|
621 | 621 | | intended to demonstrate the ease with which one person could request absentee |
---|
622 | 622 | | ballots using the names of other voters without any intention of actually casting |
---|
623 | 623 | | these ballots. Mr. Wait openly confessed to this practice in emails to various |
---|
624 | 624 | | authorities, drawing state and national attention to the flaws in the WisVote |
---|
625 | 625 | | system's absentee ballot mailing process. |
---|
626 | 626 | | Wisconsin Statute § 6.86 outlines six “methods for obtaining an absentee |
---|
627 | 627 | | ballot," all of which require “proof of identification," with a few exceptions. Following |
---|
628 | 628 | | 1 |
---|
629 | 629 | | 2 |
---|
630 | 630 | | 3 |
---|
631 | 631 | | 4 |
---|
632 | 632 | | 5 |
---|
633 | 633 | | 6 |
---|
634 | 634 | | 7 |
---|
635 | 635 | | 8 |
---|
636 | 636 | | 9 |
---|
637 | 637 | | 10 |
---|
638 | 638 | | 11 |
---|
639 | 639 | | 12 |
---|
640 | 640 | | 13 |
---|
641 | 641 | | 14 |
---|
642 | 642 | | 15 |
---|
643 | 643 | | 16 |
---|
644 | 644 | | 17 |
---|
645 | 645 | | 18 |
---|
646 | 646 | | 19 |
---|
647 | 647 | | 20 |
---|
648 | 648 | | 21 |
---|
649 | 649 | | 22 |
---|
650 | 650 | | 23 |
---|
651 | 651 | | 24 |
---|
652 | 652 | | 25 - 14 -2023 - 2024 Legislature |
---|
653 | 653 | | LRB-4453/1 |
---|
654 | 654 | | RAC:emw |
---|
655 | 655 | | Mr. Wait's public disclosure of absentee ballot requests on behalf of others, the WEC |
---|
656 | 656 | | sent confirmation postcards to voters who had requested absentee ballots to new |
---|
657 | 657 | | addresses. This action by WEC tacitly acknowledges the flaws in the WisVote |
---|
658 | 658 | | absentee ballot request process. |
---|
659 | 659 | | Had Administrator Wolfe mandated that W isVote request proof of |
---|
660 | 660 | | identification, as required by law, Mr. Wait would not have been able to obtain |
---|
661 | 661 | | absentee ballots in other people's names, and WEC would not have needed to send |
---|
662 | 662 | | out confirmation cards. The underlying issue lies in mailing absentee ballots |
---|
663 | 663 | | without prior proof of identification, which underscores the importance of such |
---|
664 | 664 | | verification in preventing voter fraud. |
---|
665 | 665 | | WEC currently provides an online form on its web page, allowing voters to |
---|
666 | 666 | | submit their names, addresses, and birth dates to request an absentee ballot. |
---|
667 | 667 | | However, Wis. Stat. § 6.86 specifies six methods to obtain an absentee ballot, none |
---|
668 | 668 | | of which state that WisVote's absentee ballot form is a lawful method for application. |
---|
669 | 669 | | Wis. Stat. § 6.86 also requires voters to direct their absentee ballot requests to their |
---|
670 | 670 | | municipal clerk, not WEC. |
---|
671 | 671 | | The Wisconsin Supreme Court has previously ruled that Administrator Wolfe |
---|
672 | 672 | | lacked the authority to establish a law allowing citizens to use ballot drop boxes to |
---|
673 | 673 | | return their absentee ballots. Wis. Stat. § 6.86 allows an absent elector to make a |
---|
674 | 674 | | written application to their municipal clerk for an official ballot but does not grant |
---|
675 | 675 | | WEC the authority to serve as an intermediary in the absentee ballot application |
---|
676 | 676 | | process. Administrator Wolfe apparently established WEC's absentee voting |
---|
677 | 677 | | application method, potentially enabling absentee voters to circumvent Wisconsin's |
---|
678 | 678 | | proof of identification requirement. |
---|
679 | 679 | | 1 |
---|
680 | 680 | | 2 |
---|
681 | 681 | | 3 |
---|
682 | 682 | | 4 |
---|
683 | 683 | | 5 |
---|
684 | 684 | | 6 |
---|
685 | 685 | | 7 |
---|
686 | 686 | | 8 |
---|
687 | 687 | | 9 |
---|
688 | 688 | | 10 |
---|
689 | 689 | | 11 |
---|
690 | 690 | | 12 |
---|
691 | 691 | | 13 |
---|
692 | 692 | | 14 |
---|
693 | 693 | | 15 |
---|
694 | 694 | | 16 |
---|
695 | 695 | | 17 |
---|
696 | 696 | | 18 |
---|
697 | 697 | | 19 |
---|
698 | 698 | | 20 |
---|
699 | 699 | | 21 |
---|
700 | 700 | | 22 |
---|
701 | 701 | | 23 |
---|
702 | 702 | | 24 - 15 -2023 - 2024 Legislature |
---|
703 | 703 | | LRB-4453/1 |
---|
704 | 704 | | RAC:emw |
---|
705 | 705 | | When Mr. Wait submitted absentee ballot requests using others' names, none |
---|
706 | 706 | | of these requests were legitimate because WEC lacked the legal authority to |
---|
707 | 707 | | establish the WisVote absentee ballot request form. Consequently, WEC now seeks |
---|
708 | 708 | | charges against Mr. Wait for conduct made possible only due to Administrator Wolfe's |
---|
709 | 709 | | maladministration. |
---|
710 | 710 | | Article 10. Administrator Wolfe's Maladministration of Addressing |
---|
711 | 711 | | Accessibility Issues at Racine's Mobile Polling Place |
---|
712 | 712 | | Administrator Wolfe failed to address accessibility concerns at Racine's mobile |
---|
713 | 713 | | polling place, which was funded by Zuckerberg/CTCL and used in two elections. |
---|
714 | 714 | | On March 24, 2022, members of HOT Government, Sandy Weidner, and Sandra |
---|
715 | 715 | | Morris, lodged a complaint with the WEC regarding the Racine mobile polling |
---|
716 | 716 | | location—a converted recreational vehicle (RV) purchased by the city with funding |
---|
717 | 717 | | from Zuckerberg/CTCL. The complaint highlighted that the RV did not provide full |
---|
718 | 718 | | accessibility to every disabled person, a requirement mandated by Wis. Stat. § 5.25 |
---|
719 | 719 | | (4) (a), which states that “Each polling place shall be accessible to all individuals with |
---|
720 | 720 | | disabilities." |
---|
721 | 721 | | In response to the complaint, Racine Clerk Tara Coolidge contended that a bell |
---|
722 | 722 | | had been placed outside the mobile polling location's door, which could be used by |
---|
723 | 723 | | voters physically unable to enter the RV. Racine suggested that the bell constituted |
---|
724 | 724 | | a “reasonable accommodation" for those unable to access the vehicle. However, the |
---|
725 | 725 | | law governing handicap accessibility at polling places is categorical and cannot be |
---|
726 | 726 | | met merely by placing a bell outside the entrance. The law explicitly states, “Each |
---|
727 | 727 | | polling place shall be accessible to all individuals with disabilities." |
---|
728 | 728 | | Additionally, WEC requires a Polling Place Accessibility Survey to be |
---|
729 | 729 | | conducted for each new polling place, a requirement that had not been fulfilled for |
---|
730 | 730 | | 1 |
---|
731 | 731 | | 2 |
---|
732 | 732 | | 3 |
---|
733 | 733 | | 4 |
---|
734 | 734 | | 5 |
---|
735 | 735 | | 6 |
---|
736 | 736 | | 7 |
---|
737 | 737 | | 8 |
---|
738 | 738 | | 9 |
---|
739 | 739 | | 10 |
---|
740 | 740 | | 11 |
---|
741 | 741 | | 12 |
---|
742 | 742 | | 13 |
---|
743 | 743 | | 14 |
---|
744 | 744 | | 15 |
---|
745 | 745 | | 16 |
---|
746 | 746 | | 17 |
---|
747 | 747 | | 18 |
---|
748 | 748 | | 19 |
---|
749 | 749 | | 20 |
---|
750 | 750 | | 21 |
---|
751 | 751 | | 22 |
---|
752 | 752 | | 23 |
---|
753 | 753 | | 24 |
---|
754 | 754 | | 25 - 16 -2023 - 2024 Legislature |
---|
755 | 755 | | LRB-4453/1 |
---|
756 | 756 | | RAC:emw |
---|
757 | 757 | | Racine's RV. Upon discovering Racine's failure to submit such a survey, |
---|
758 | 758 | | Administrator Wolfe committed maladministration by not instructing Racine to |
---|
759 | 759 | | cease using the mobile polling location until WEC could ascertain whether the |
---|
760 | 760 | | mobile unit complied with the accessibility requirements, as mandated by law. |
---|
761 | 761 | | Despite being aware of the RV's lack of handicap accessibility and the complaint |
---|
762 | 762 | | filed on March 24, 2022, Administrator Wolfe did not take any action. Administrator |
---|
763 | 763 | | Wolfe's failure to address this issue allowed Racine to employ its converted |
---|
764 | 764 | | RV/mobile polling place in two elections for partisan purposes. The RV became a tool |
---|
765 | 765 | | for partisan politics, favoring certain voters over others and making it easier for the |
---|
766 | 766 | | preferred voters to cast their ballots. |
---|
767 | 767 | | Article 11. Administrator Wolfe's Maladministration of CTCL Grants |
---|
768 | 768 | | from the September 2020 Election Preparedness Report |
---|
769 | 769 | | On September 1, 2020, Administrator Wolfe released a 125-page report titled |
---|
770 | 770 | | “How Wisconsin is Prepared for the November 3, 2020 Election." She compiled this |
---|
771 | 771 | | report in response to inquiries from legislators and WEC commissioners. While |
---|
772 | 772 | | preparing this report, Wolfe requested election preparation plans specifically from |
---|
773 | 773 | | the cities of Green Bay, Madison, and Milwaukee. |
---|
774 | 774 | | It is important to note that these three cities, Green Bay, Madison, and |
---|
775 | 775 | | Milwaukee, held particular significance because they were among the five Wisconsin |
---|
776 | 776 | | cities that received approximately 86 percent of the substantial funding provided by |
---|
777 | 777 | | Mark Zuckerberg and the Center for Tech and Civic Life (CTCL) to support the |
---|
778 | 778 | | administration of Wisconsin's elections. The publicly stated purpose of this funding |
---|
779 | 779 | | was to safeguard Wisconsin voters from the spread of COVID-19. However, the |
---|
780 | 780 | | actual allocation of funds, such as Green Bay's use of less than 1 percent for personal |
---|
781 | 781 | | protective equipment (PPE), raised questions about the true intent behind these |
---|
782 | 782 | | 1 |
---|
783 | 783 | | 2 |
---|
784 | 784 | | 3 |
---|
785 | 785 | | 4 |
---|
786 | 786 | | 5 |
---|
787 | 787 | | 6 |
---|
788 | 788 | | 7 |
---|
789 | 789 | | 8 |
---|
790 | 790 | | 9 |
---|
791 | 791 | | 10 |
---|
792 | 792 | | 11 |
---|
793 | 793 | | 12 |
---|
794 | 794 | | 13 |
---|
795 | 795 | | 14 |
---|
796 | 796 | | 15 |
---|
797 | 797 | | 16 |
---|
798 | 798 | | 17 |
---|
799 | 799 | | 18 |
---|
800 | 800 | | 19 |
---|
801 | 801 | | 20 |
---|
802 | 802 | | 21 |
---|
803 | 803 | | 22 |
---|
804 | 804 | | 23 |
---|
805 | 805 | | 24 |
---|
806 | 806 | | 25 - 17 -2023 - 2024 Legislature |
---|
807 | 807 | | LRB-4453/1 |
---|
808 | 808 | | RAC:emw |
---|
809 | 809 | | expenditures. Furthermore, the lack of transparency in the financial reporting of the |
---|
810 | 810 | | other “Zuckerberg Five" cities has contributed to suspicions that these funds were |
---|
811 | 811 | | used to promote voter turnout among specific demographic groups favored by |
---|
812 | 812 | | partisan actors like Mark Zuckerberg, David Plouffe, David Becker, the mayors of |
---|
813 | 813 | | the “Zuckerberg Five" cities, and the Biden campaign. |
---|
814 | 814 | | The central issue with Administrator Wolfe's maladministration of the “How |
---|
815 | 815 | | Wisconsin is Prepared for the November 3, 2020 Election" report does not revolve |
---|
816 | 816 | | around its contents but rather its omissions. Rather than disclosing the CTCL |
---|
817 | 817 | | grants to the legislature, Administrator Wolfe conspicuously removed any references |
---|
818 | 818 | | to Zuckerberg, CTCL, CTCL grants, CTCL partners, and their employees from her |
---|
819 | 819 | | report on election preparedness. |
---|
820 | 820 | | During a subsequent Assembly committee hearing, Administrator W olfe |
---|
821 | 821 | | claimed that she became aware of the CTCL funding only when a city (though |
---|
822 | 822 | | unnamed in her statements, it is clearly Green Bay based on her email exchanges) |
---|
823 | 823 | | submitted an addendum to a report on August 30, 2020. However, this claim does |
---|
824 | 824 | | not align with the facts, as she had received emails from CTCL and its partners at |
---|
825 | 825 | | least six weeks before publishing her report on September 1, 2020. |
---|
826 | 826 | | Furthermore, it is highly improbable that Administrator Wolfe remained |
---|
827 | 827 | | unaware of CTCL's grants until late August, as news of the $6.3 million in CTCL |
---|
828 | 828 | | grants awarded to the “Zuckerberg Five" cities was widely covered by radio, |
---|
829 | 829 | | television, and print news sources in early July. For Wolfe to assert that she first |
---|
830 | 830 | | learned of CTCL's grants after compiling her “How Wisconsin is Prepared for the |
---|
831 | 831 | | November 3, 2020 Election" report strains credibility. Additionally, she could have |
---|
832 | 832 | | easily added an addendum regarding CTCL grants to her report after its initial |
---|
833 | 833 | | submission, following the example set by the City of Green Bay. |
---|
834 | 834 | | 1 |
---|
835 | 835 | | 2 |
---|
836 | 836 | | 3 |
---|
837 | 837 | | 4 |
---|
838 | 838 | | 5 |
---|
839 | 839 | | 6 |
---|
840 | 840 | | 7 |
---|
841 | 841 | | 8 |
---|
842 | 842 | | 9 |
---|
843 | 843 | | 10 |
---|
844 | 844 | | 11 |
---|
845 | 845 | | 12 |
---|
846 | 846 | | 13 |
---|
847 | 847 | | 14 |
---|
848 | 848 | | 15 |
---|
849 | 849 | | 16 |
---|
850 | 850 | | 17 |
---|
851 | 851 | | 18 |
---|
852 | 852 | | 19 |
---|
853 | 853 | | 20 |
---|
854 | 854 | | 21 |
---|
855 | 855 | | 22 |
---|
856 | 856 | | 23 |
---|
857 | 857 | | 24 |
---|
858 | 858 | | 25 - 18 -2023 - 2024 Legislature |
---|
859 | 859 | | LRB-4453/1 |
---|
860 | 860 | | RAC:emw |
---|
861 | 861 | | Article 12. Administrator Wolfe's Maladministration of Reporting |
---|
862 | 862 | | CTCL and the “Zuckerberg Five" Clerks for Unauthorized Creation of |
---|
863 | 863 | | Absentee Voter Instructions |
---|
864 | 864 | | Wisconsin Statute § 6.869 clearly stipulates that the WEC is responsible for |
---|
865 | 865 | | prescribing uniform instructions to be provided by municipalities to absentee |
---|
866 | 866 | | electors. This statute underscores the importance of standardized absentee voting |
---|
867 | 867 | | instructions across the state. However , a substantial number of |
---|
868 | 868 | | emails—approximately 80—reveal communications between CTCL, the Center for |
---|
869 | 869 | | Civic Design (CCD), the clerks of the “Zuckerberg Five" cities, and Milwaukee |
---|
870 | 870 | | Election Commission Executive Director Woodall-Vogg regarding the development |
---|
871 | 871 | | and printing of absentee ballot instructions in both English and Spanish. |
---|
872 | 872 | | The actions taken by municipal election officials to create their own absentee |
---|
873 | 873 | | ballot instructions stand in violation of Wis. Stat. § 6.869, as the statute exclusively |
---|
874 | 874 | | grants the authority to WEC to establish uniform absentee voting instructions. |
---|
875 | 875 | | In one email from CTCL's Whitney May, the “Zuckerberg Five" city clerks were |
---|
876 | 876 | | solicited for their feedback on ballot instructions and envelopes. On August 18, 2020, |
---|
877 | 877 | | Administrator Wolfe updated Uniform Instructions for Absentee Voters. In this |
---|
878 | 878 | | communication, Wolfe made it explicitly clear that these instructions would be |
---|
879 | 879 | | utilized for all absentee voters, commencing with the absentee ballots that clerks |
---|
880 | 880 | | would send out for the November 3rd General Election, following WEC's directive, |
---|
881 | 881 | | which is evident maladministration. |
---|
882 | 882 | | On the very same day that Wolfe disseminated her uniform instructions for |
---|
883 | 883 | | absentee voters, CTCL's Whitney May corresponded with the clerks of the |
---|
884 | 884 | | “Zuckerberg Five" cities. May's email indicated CTCL's intention to halt an |
---|
885 | 885 | | operation due to WEC's desire for statewide conformity in format and their plans to |
---|
886 | 886 | | 1 |
---|
887 | 887 | | 2 |
---|
888 | 888 | | 3 |
---|
889 | 889 | | 4 |
---|
890 | 890 | | 5 |
---|
891 | 891 | | 6 |
---|
892 | 892 | | 7 |
---|
893 | 893 | | 8 |
---|
894 | 894 | | 9 |
---|
895 | 895 | | 10 |
---|
896 | 896 | | 11 |
---|
897 | 897 | | 12 |
---|
898 | 898 | | 13 |
---|
899 | 899 | | 14 |
---|
900 | 900 | | 15 |
---|
901 | 901 | | 16 |
---|
902 | 902 | | 17 |
---|
903 | 903 | | 18 |
---|
904 | 904 | | 19 |
---|
905 | 905 | | 20 |
---|
906 | 906 | | 21 |
---|
907 | 907 | | 22 |
---|
908 | 908 | | 23 |
---|
909 | 909 | | 24 |
---|
910 | 910 | | 25 - 19 -2023 - 2024 Legislature |
---|
911 | 911 | | LRB-4453/1 |
---|
912 | 912 | | RAC:emw |
---|
913 | 913 | | embark on new envelope design work in the following year. This communication |
---|
914 | 914 | | raises questions regarding how May was privy to WEC's intentions and the fact that |
---|
915 | 915 | | they were supplying uniform absentee ballot instructions. Notably, May's email did |
---|
916 | 916 | | not mention that the creation of their own absentee ballot instructions by CTCL, |
---|
917 | 917 | | CCD, and the clerks of the “Zuckerberg Five" cities potentially violated Wis. Stat. § |
---|
918 | 918 | | 6.869. |
---|
919 | 919 | | In an additional incident, Madison Clerk Maribeth Witzel-Behl sent an email |
---|
920 | 920 | | on September 17, 2020, to Whitney May and the other clerks of the “Zuckerberg |
---|
921 | 921 | | Five," including an attachment containing Spanish-language absentee ballot |
---|
922 | 922 | | instructions. It's imperative to note that Wis. Stat. § 6.869 does not differentiate |
---|
923 | 923 | | between English and Spanish absentee ballot instructions; it unequivocally states |
---|
924 | 924 | | that the commission shall prescribe uniform instructions for municipalities to |
---|
925 | 925 | | provide to absentee electors. Wolfe's memo from August 18, 2020, left no room for |
---|
926 | 926 | | ambiguity—it mandated the use of uniform absentee ballot instructions for absentee |
---|
927 | 927 | | voters, which should be applied regardless of language. |
---|
928 | 928 | | The discrepancy between Wolfe's memo and Witzel-Behl's actions, sending |
---|
929 | 929 | | Spanish absentee ballot instructions, necessitates an investigation into whether any |
---|
930 | 930 | | of the “Zuckerberg Five" cities distributed their versions of absentee ballot |
---|
931 | 931 | | instructions in Spanish, potentially contravening Wis. Stat. § 6.869. |
---|
932 | 932 | | This situation exemplifies how CTCL and its partners influenced Wisconsin |
---|
933 | 933 | | election officials leading up to the 2020 election. Even though the “Zuckerberg Five" |
---|
934 | 934 | | clerks ultimately did not send out their versions of absentee ballot instructions, the |
---|
935 | 935 | | act of creating them likely violated state law. What is certain is that Administrator |
---|
936 | 936 | | Wolfe did not hold CTCL, CCD, the “Zuckerberg Five" clerks, or Milwaukee Election |
---|
937 | 937 | | 1 |
---|
938 | 938 | | 2 |
---|
939 | 939 | | 3 |
---|
940 | 940 | | 4 |
---|
941 | 941 | | 5 |
---|
942 | 942 | | 6 |
---|
943 | 943 | | 7 |
---|
944 | 944 | | 8 |
---|
945 | 945 | | 9 |
---|
946 | 946 | | 10 |
---|
947 | 947 | | 11 |
---|
948 | 948 | | 12 |
---|
949 | 949 | | 13 |
---|
950 | 950 | | 14 |
---|
951 | 951 | | 15 |
---|
952 | 952 | | 16 |
---|
953 | 953 | | 17 |
---|
954 | 954 | | 18 |
---|
955 | 955 | | 19 |
---|
956 | 956 | | 20 |
---|
957 | 957 | | 21 |
---|
958 | 958 | | 22 |
---|
959 | 959 | | 23 |
---|
960 | 960 | | 24 - 20 -2023 - 2024 Legislature |
---|
961 | 961 | | LRB-4453/1 |
---|
962 | 962 | | RAC:emw |
---|
963 | 963 | | Commission's Claire Woodall-Vogg accountable for producing their own absentee |
---|
964 | 964 | | ballot instructions in apparent violation of Wis. Stat. § 6.869. |
---|
965 | 965 | | Article 13. Administrator Wolfe's Maladministration in Establishing a |
---|
966 | 966 | | Systematic Program for the Removal of Incompetent Individuals from the |
---|
967 | 967 | | Voter Roll |
---|
968 | 968 | | Wisconsin law dictates that individuals whose voting rights have been legally |
---|
969 | 969 | | terminated by a court due to incompetence are ineligible to vote. However, this legal |
---|
970 | 970 | | provision is not self-executing. To ensure the proper functioning of this process, it |
---|
971 | 971 | | is incumbent upon the Administrator of the WEC to institute a system that enables |
---|
972 | 972 | | municipal clerks to promptly identify cases of adjudication for incompetence, |
---|
973 | 973 | | allowing for the removal of the affected individuals from the voter roll. Establishing |
---|
974 | 974 | | and maintaining such a system is a legal obligation that falls within the purview of |
---|
975 | 975 | | the Administrator's role. |
---|
976 | 976 | | In the maladministration of the Administrator's fulfillment of this duty, there |
---|
977 | 977 | | exists a substantial risk that the legislative intent to exclude from the voter roll those |
---|
978 | 978 | | individuals who have been declared incompetent to vote will remain unfulfilled. |
---|
979 | 979 | | Administrator Wolfe's failure to initiate and sustain such a system represents a |
---|
980 | 980 | | significant deficiency in her execution of one of the fundamental responsibilities |
---|
981 | 981 | | inherent in her position. |
---|
982 | 982 | | Article 14. Administrator Wolfe's Unlawful Failure to Remove Names |
---|
983 | 983 | | from the Wisconsin Voter Roll |
---|
984 | 984 | | In Wisconsin, the law distinguishes between two categories of voters: “eligible" |
---|
985 | 985 | | and “ineligible." “Eligible" voters are those who meet the qualifications to register |
---|
986 | 986 | | and have their names placed on the voter roll, while “ineligible" voters are not |
---|
987 | 987 | | permitted to be listed on this roll. These designations are consistent with the |
---|
988 | 988 | | 1 |
---|
989 | 989 | | 2 |
---|
990 | 990 | | 3 |
---|
991 | 991 | | 4 |
---|
992 | 992 | | 5 |
---|
993 | 993 | | 6 |
---|
994 | 994 | | 7 |
---|
995 | 995 | | 8 |
---|
996 | 996 | | 9 |
---|
997 | 997 | | 10 |
---|
998 | 998 | | 11 |
---|
999 | 999 | | 12 |
---|
1000 | 1000 | | 13 |
---|
1001 | 1001 | | 14 |
---|
1002 | 1002 | | 15 |
---|
1003 | 1003 | | 16 |
---|
1004 | 1004 | | 17 |
---|
1005 | 1005 | | 18 |
---|
1006 | 1006 | | 19 |
---|
1007 | 1007 | | 20 |
---|
1008 | 1008 | | 21 |
---|
1009 | 1009 | | 22 |
---|
1010 | 1010 | | 23 |
---|
1011 | 1011 | | 24 |
---|
1012 | 1012 | | 25 - 21 -2023 - 2024 Legislature |
---|
1013 | 1013 | | LRB-4453/1 |
---|
1014 | 1014 | | RAC:emw |
---|
1015 | 1015 | | statutes' language and align with the legislative intent and the reasonable |
---|
1016 | 1016 | | expectations of Wisconsin's citizens. |
---|
1017 | 1017 | | Regrettably, Administrator Wolfe has initiated maladministration with a |
---|
1018 | 1018 | | systematic replacement of “eligible” and “ineligible” with “active" and “inactive." |
---|
1019 | 1019 | | These non-statutory designations, although seemingly harmless, have resulted in |
---|
1020 | 1020 | | consequences that have compromised both the integrity and the public trust in our |
---|
1021 | 1021 | | voter roll. Under Administrator Wolfe's leadership, names are never removed from |
---|
1022 | 1022 | | the voter roll, even in cases of individuals who have passed away. Rather than |
---|
1023 | 1023 | | designating these deceased individuals as “ineligible" voters, as the statute would |
---|
1024 | 1024 | | dictate, Administrator Wolfe categorizes them as “inactive" voters, allowing their |
---|
1025 | 1025 | | names to persist on the voter roll. |
---|
1026 | 1026 | | One of Administrator Wolfe's past justifications for this practice was a reference |
---|
1027 | 1027 | | to HAVA (Help America Vote Act), which requires states to maintain historical |
---|
1028 | 1028 | | records of all those who have voted. However, her explanation lacks completeness, |
---|
1029 | 1029 | | as there is no requirement to retain the names of deceased “historical" voters on the |
---|
1030 | 1030 | | voter roll. |
---|
1031 | 1031 | | At best, this practice of retaining deceased individuals on the voter roll |
---|
1032 | 1032 | | needlessly complicates the list, making it more challenging for auditors and others |
---|
1033 | 1033 | | interested in assessing its accuracy. At worst, it provides a reservoir of names that |
---|
1034 | 1034 | | can be “activated" two weeks before an election and “deactivated" two weeks after, |
---|
1035 | 1035 | | by anyone with access to the WisVote system. This process operates in a manner that |
---|
1036 | 1036 | | conceals the identities of both the “activator" and the “deactivator." Consequently, |
---|
1037 | 1037 | | it fosters suspicions of potential fraud or, at the very least, creates a fertile ground |
---|
1038 | 1038 | | for such suspicions. |
---|
1039 | 1039 | | 1 |
---|
1040 | 1040 | | 2 |
---|
1041 | 1041 | | 3 |
---|
1042 | 1042 | | 4 |
---|
1043 | 1043 | | 5 |
---|
1044 | 1044 | | 6 |
---|
1045 | 1045 | | 7 |
---|
1046 | 1046 | | 8 |
---|
1047 | 1047 | | 9 |
---|
1048 | 1048 | | 10 |
---|
1049 | 1049 | | 11 |
---|
1050 | 1050 | | 12 |
---|
1051 | 1051 | | 13 |
---|
1052 | 1052 | | 14 |
---|
1053 | 1053 | | 15 |
---|
1054 | 1054 | | 16 |
---|
1055 | 1055 | | 17 |
---|
1056 | 1056 | | 18 |
---|
1057 | 1057 | | 19 |
---|
1058 | 1058 | | 20 |
---|
1059 | 1059 | | 21 |
---|
1060 | 1060 | | 22 |
---|
1061 | 1061 | | 23 |
---|
1062 | 1062 | | 24 - 22 -2023 - 2024 Legislature |
---|
1063 | 1063 | | LRB-4453/1 |
---|
1064 | 1064 | | RAC:emw |
---|
1065 | 1065 | | In sum, Administrator Wolfe's oversight of this problematic system is |
---|
1066 | 1066 | | unacceptable to the people of Wisconsin and raises serious concerns about the |
---|
1067 | 1067 | | integrity of our voter roll. |
---|
1068 | 1068 | | Article 15. Administrator Wolfe's Promotion of an Unlawful V oter |
---|
1069 | 1069 | | Registration Form |
---|
1070 | 1070 | | On September 5, 2023, the Circuit Court for Waukesha County, presided over |
---|
1071 | 1071 | | by the Honorable Michael P. Maxwell, issued a summary judgment in favor of a |
---|
1072 | 1072 | | concerned citizen who contested the use of the WEC's voter registration form. The |
---|
1073 | 1073 | | court's decision was based on two primary grounds: firstly, that the form did not |
---|
1074 | 1074 | | conform to state law requirements, and secondly, that WEC had never engaged in the |
---|
1075 | 1075 | | statutory rule-making process of the additional information requested on the form, |
---|
1076 | 1076 | | which was not mandated by Wisconsin law. Throughout this relevant period, it |
---|
1077 | 1077 | | remains undisputed that Administrator W olfe actively promoted this |
---|
1078 | 1078 | | maladministration and encouraged clerks to accept it. Administrator Wolfe was |
---|
1079 | 1079 | | likely aware and should have certainly been aware, that the disputed form solicited |
---|
1080 | 1080 | | more information from citizens than what was authorized by Wisconsin law. |
---|
1081 | 1081 | | As emphasized by the Circuit Court, “WEC was granted authority by the State |
---|
1082 | 1082 | | Legislature to administer Wisconsin's election laws and was subsequently tasked |
---|
1083 | 1083 | | with using that authority to prescribe the voter registration forms permissible for |
---|
1084 | 1084 | | use in our state. WEC, however, has failed in this fundamental duty by permitting |
---|
1085 | 1085 | | the use of the National Form in Wisconsin, despite never officially prescribing its |
---|
1086 | 1086 | | use." |
---|
1087 | 1087 | | Administrator Wolfe, in her capacity as Wisconsin's “chief elections official," |
---|
1088 | 1088 | | has exhibited reluctance or incapacity to fulfill this fundamental responsibility, |
---|
1089 | 1089 | | much like several others detailed herein. Her mismanagement of WEC has |
---|
1090 | 1090 | | 1 |
---|
1091 | 1091 | | 2 |
---|
1092 | 1092 | | 3 |
---|
1093 | 1093 | | 4 |
---|
1094 | 1094 | | 5 |
---|
1095 | 1095 | | 6 |
---|
1096 | 1096 | | 7 |
---|
1097 | 1097 | | 8 |
---|
1098 | 1098 | | 9 |
---|
1099 | 1099 | | 10 |
---|
1100 | 1100 | | 11 |
---|
1101 | 1101 | | 12 |
---|
1102 | 1102 | | 13 |
---|
1103 | 1103 | | 14 |
---|
1104 | 1104 | | 15 |
---|
1105 | 1105 | | 16 |
---|
1106 | 1106 | | 17 |
---|
1107 | 1107 | | 18 |
---|
1108 | 1108 | | 19 |
---|
1109 | 1109 | | 20 |
---|
1110 | 1110 | | 21 |
---|
1111 | 1111 | | 22 |
---|
1112 | 1112 | | 23 |
---|
1113 | 1113 | | 24 |
---|
1114 | 1114 | | 25 - 23 -2023 - 2024 Legislature |
---|
1115 | 1115 | | LRB-4453/1 |
---|
1116 | 1116 | | RAC:emw |
---|
1117 | 1117 | | transformed the agency into one requiring substantial reform or, possibly, |
---|
1118 | 1118 | | dissolution, as was the case with its predecessor, GAB. The crucial initial step |
---|
1119 | 1119 | | toward achieving either goal is the impeachment of Administrator Wolfe. |
---|
1120 | 1120 | | Resolved by the assembly, That per Article VII, section 1, of the Wisconsin |
---|
1121 | 1121 | | Constitution and Wis. Stat. § 17.06 (1), the Assembly hereby initiates proceedings |
---|
1122 | 1122 | | for the impeachment of Meagan Wolfe, the Administrator of the Wisconsin Elections |
---|
1123 | 1123 | | Commission, based on allegations of maladministration in office. |
---|
1124 | 1124 | | (END) |
---|
1125 | 1125 | | 1 |
---|
1126 | 1126 | | 2 |
---|
1127 | 1127 | | 3 |
---|
1128 | 1128 | | 4 |
---|
1129 | 1129 | | 5 |
---|
1130 | 1130 | | 6 |
---|
1131 | 1131 | | 7 |
---|
1132 | 1132 | | 8 |
---|