If it wasn’t apparent that The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has sold out their editorial and newsroom integrity to the right wing narrative, today’s paper ices the cake. Over the past month or so, MJS gave significant op ed space to RNC Chairman Reince Priebus and State Senator Van Wanggaard to spout off about voter fraud in Wisconsin.
Following the recall election that Senator Wanggaard lost to Senator-elect John Lehman, the news pages dedicated column upon column inch to the supposed irregularities and alleged fraudulent activities in the Racine polls.
Yet today…after the Wisconsin Government Accountability Board published a FIVE page letter blasting the continued voter fraud rhetoric as counter productive, The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel relegated their piece to page 2 of the local section under the Wisconsin tag in REGIONALNEWSWATCH. In the vernacular, they BURIED the sucker. The GAB letter was in direct response to a letter from six Republican legislators including State Representatives Jeff Fitzgerald and Robin Vos.
Replying on behalf of the GAB, was GAB Director Kevin Kennedy:
“Speaking frankly on behalf of our agency and local election officials, absent direct evidence, I believe continued unsubstantiated allegations of voter fraud tend to unnecessarily undermine the confidence that voters have in election officials and the results of the election…”
“I know we agree that elections should be open and transparent and subject to scrutiny and analysis. I hope that, as an elected official, you would also agree that there is little benefit in promoting unsupported allegations questioning the credibility of the election process and the work of local clerks and election inspectors.”
In a side note, since the GAB’s letter was released yesterday, the Racine County Sheriff and Racine County District Attorney announced that no crimes were committed at Racine County polling places during the June 5th recall election. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel coverage is here and the Racine Journal Times coverage is here.
From the RJT:
County investigators have found no evidence of criminal activity after looking into claims of alleged voter fraud at Racine polling places during the June 5 recall election.
The Racine County Sheriff’s and District Attorney’s office made the announcement via a press release on Friday, stating that they will not be filing charges related to the allegations.
The announcement comes after a nearly month-long investigation the two offices the made into four separate complaints of alleged voter fraud.
From MJS:
Racine County District Attorney W. Richard Chiapete has determined no crimes were committed at City of Racine polling places in a June 5 recall election.
The Racine County Sheriff’s Department investigated four separate complaints of voting fraud at city polling places on June 5 but information received in the complaints did not support a criminal prosecution, Chiapete says in a statement.
“Some of the information that was provided was anecdotal, as opposed to first hand eyewitness accounts,” the statement says. “Much of what was reported as fraud was more appropriately categorized as rule violations that are under the jurisdiction of the Government Accountability Board,” he says in the statement. The state board is responsible for overseeing elections statewide and investigating such violations.
“Complaints about poll workers, same day registration procedures and electioneering, can be, but in this case did not rise to the level of a crime in Wisconsin,” Chiapete says in the statement.
It will be interesting to see where this appears in The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel in their Sunday print edition
Why didn’t the righties make a fuss about sloppy Kathy in Waukeshaw? and she really did illeagle stuff and be allowed to stay at her job. maybe that was in their favor to keep her in office. maybe we would have had Joanne Kloppenburg as a judge, and not have the disfunction of a judge calling names and ckoking, and reducing the function of our state court. your taxes at work!!!! the righties have egg on their faces.
Cheryl, the right-wingers gripe about alleged voter fraud when they lose, but when there the right-wingers themselves commit rig elections to their favor, as Kathy Nickolaus did in Waukesha County to benefit Judge David Prosser, the right-wingers are not going to complain at all.
Robin Vos and Jeff Fitzgerald might as well cry me a river. Van Wanggaard lost the recall election, and Vos and Fitzgerald are just making up a bunch of excuses.
At least we can spell, Cheryl. And a fuss was made, I know I certainly did. Incompetence from any official needs to be looked at, no matter the party.
Maybe Mr. Kluck, but prominent righy bloggers have been conspicuously silent.