Thursday - September 9, 2021
Say No to Reinvestigating the 2020 Elections in Wisconsin
All across the country, cronies of former President Trump have been attacking the official election results, all as part of an effort to keep the lies about the 2020 election alive and undermine our power at the polls.
In Arizona, a sham election review has dragged on for months with no end in sight. The Cyber Ninjas operation lacks transparency, credibility, and created chaos and infighting for state and local leaders. [1] Various groups have spent at least $5.6 million on the spectacle, to date, buying who-knows-what with their private donations. [2] But the effort has compromised voting machines, which will cost taxpayers $2.8 million to replace. [3]
In Pennsylvania, officials in three counties declined to participate in a similar review, citing the expected costs of replacing their voting machines – estimated to be in the tens of millions of dollars. [4] One Republican-led County Commission accused a state Senator of creating “unnecessary chaos” with his planned review, urging him to drop the idea and “let responsible Republicans get back to work on subjects such as recovering from COVID-19, addressing the opioid crisis and the ‘help wanted’ issue.” [5]
Now, Wisconsin Assembly Speaker Robin Vos and State Representative Janel Brandtjen are trying to recreate the Cyber Ninjas chaos in Wisconsin. Speaker Vos even took a plane ride with former President Trump where he boasted about this illegitimate “forensic audit” and said he “very much enjoyed the chance to get to know President Trump on a personal level.” [6]
What Vos plans to do to keep close to Trump is not exactly clear. But Reince Priebus of Wisconsin – one of Trump’s former chiefs of staff and a close friend of Vos – estimated that this sham operation would cost taxpayers more than $680,000. [7] Last week Monday, in closed-door meeting, Republican lawmakers on the Assembly's organization committee approved spending that much on “an additional investigation into the 2020 election in Wisconsin.” [8]
Wisconsinites don’t deserve to be dragged into this nationwide effort to massage Trump’s ego by attacking our election systems and our freedom to vote. Just yesterday, Republican State Senator Kathy Bernier invited members of the legislature and their staff to hear from clerks, election officials, and experts to see first hand how elections are run in our state, and once again revealed how perpetuating these lies about the election harm our democracy. [9]
The members of our communities who stepped forward to serve as election workers during the pandemic deserve our gratitude and respect – not to be targeted with unfounded and unspecific allegations.
And – there are so many other things that Wisconsin could spend $680,000 on. That would pay for the entire cost of the new “dairy processor grant” program to grow our dairy industry. It would pay the entire FY23 cost of statewide monitoring and testing for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, known as “forever chemicals.” It would pay for a year of grant funding to counties, nonprofit organizations and tribes for innovative practices aimed at reducing child abuse and neglect. [10]
The voters of Wisconsin expect our state legislators to put our needs above personal political ambitions. Already our hard-earned tax dollars have been spent on chasing conspiracies and keeping dangerous lies about the 2020 election alive through calls for sham investigations. The 2020 election was free, fair, and accurate. It’s time for Wisconsin politicians to stop inflaming unsubstantiated allegations, respect the outcome of the election, and get back to work helping the people of Wisconsin.
Write your state senator and representative to tell them you oppose these sham investigations into the 2020 election. Click here to send them a letter now. The form makes it easy.
Thank you for taking action and standing up against carrying out sham election investigations in Wisconsin that come at a high cost to taxpayers and our democracy.
Onward!
Jay Heck
CC/WI Executive Director
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Contact:
Jay Heck
608/256-2686 (office)
608/512-9363 (cell)
608/512-9363 (cell)
Common Cause in Wisconsin
152 Johnson St, Suite 212
Madison, WI 53703
www.commoncausewisconsin.org
152 Johnson St, Suite 212
Madison, WI 53703
www.commoncausewisconsin.org
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