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Yet another alarming indication of the influence election denialists wield over conservative lawmakers took place this week in Wisconsin: On Thursday, Republicans in the Wisconsin Senate voted to fire the state’s top nonpartisan elections official, Meagan Wolfe, who has been the target of right-wing attacks.
Those attacks have focused on voting measures adopted during the 2020 primary and general election, as the coronavirus pandemic brought unprecedented challenges in the administration of election, and are a product of former President Trump’s refusal to accept his loss. But they’ve been steadily fed over the past few years by the election denial movement and baseless allegations of fraud.
- Wolfe has been the administrator of the bipartisan Wisconsin Elections Commission since 2018, and was confirmed unanimously by the state Senate in 2019.
- She plans to continue in the role as the issue plays out in court, with Democrats and members of Gov. Tony Evers’ administration having denounced the vote as illegitimate.
- “The Senate’s vote today to remove me is not a referendum on the job I do, but rather a reaction to not achieving the political outcome they desire,” Wolfe told reporters on Thursday.
Of course, the same conspiracy theories about absentee ballots and municipal grants are what fueled the Wisconsin Assembly’s discredited and partisan inquiry in the 2020 election, which was headed by attorney Michael Gableman within the Assembly’s Office of Special Counsel (OSC).
Earlier this week, the Wisconsin Assembly finally posted records from Gableman’s review — records that OSC lawyers had first promised would be made available to the public nearly one year ago.
- Last year, our investigation revealed that OSC was routinely deleting records from the review. We sued to prevent the further deletion of public records.
- As recently as June of this year, OSC claimed in a court filing that the Assembly clerk had already posted all the documents, which was not the case.
- We’re still reviewing the documents — visit our website for updates on what we find.
Meanwhile, news came out this week that Wisconsin Assembly Speaker Robin Vos has reportedly created a panel of former state supreme court justices to advise him on efforts to remove newly elected Justice Janet Protasiewicz. Vos has threatened to impeach Protasiewicz if she does not recuse herself from Supreme Court cases about Republican-drawn redistricting maps.
- We immediately filed a public records request for Vos’ communications related to that effort and his consultation with former justices.
- “It’s bad enough that he’s threatening impeachment for partisan political gain; creating a secret panel to shield these efforts from public view is an additional violation of the public trust,” said American Oversight Executive Director Heather Sawyer. “The people of Wisconsin have a right to know who is involved and how they’re working to remove a duly elected supreme court justice.
On the Records
More Records Related to DOJ Election Investigation
Attorney Katherine Friess was one of several allies who aided Trump’s scheme to overturn his election result, serving as an adviser to Rudy Giuliani. According to a story this week in Politico, emails exchanged by Friess have been turned over to Special Counsel Jack Smith.
- Politico’s reporting shows that in November 2020, Friess suggested election denier Phil Waldron join Giuliani to testify about the election results before the Arizona Legislature. Waldron became a key player in the plot to overturn the presidential election.
- An email we obtained shows Waldron included Friess in a Dec. 8, 2020, email to Trump attorney Jenna Ellis, Giuliani adviser Bernie Kerik, and Arizona Rep. Mark Finchem. “This is the base research doc that our team produced on AZ,” he wrote.
- We know from other records we’ve obtained that Giuliani was in frequent contact with Arizona Senate President Karen Fann around this time — the email shows another link between Arizona leaders and Trump’s legal team as they challenged the election results.
John Eastman’s Disbarment Trial
Hearings in Trump-allied lawyer John Eastman’s disbarment trial are ongoing. We compiled public records that shed light on the election-denying activities of individuals who appear on the long list of scheduled and potential witnesses.
- Last week, Michael Gableman testified on Eastman's behalf. Our investigation of Gableman’s review shed light on the partisan and election-undermining origins of Gableman's taxpayer-funded operation — and the involvement of election conspiracy theorists.
- This week, Georgia-based election-denial activist Garland Favorito testified in support of Eastman. We obtained records showing his involvement in several election-undermining efforts, including his communications with Doug Logan, the CEO of lead Arizona “audit” contractor Cyber Ninjas.
- Earlier this month, Eastman’s team asked if witnesses who were previously excluded for procedural reasons could be allowed to testify, including Arizona state Sen. Wendy Rogers and former state Rep. Mark Finchem. We’ve also compiled records on these barred witnesses.
- Eastman is also referred to in the recent election-subversion indictments. Read more about what we’ve uncovered regarding Eastman’s involvement in the scheme to overturn the 2020 election here.
Other Stories We're Following
Election Denial and Threats to Democracy
- Inside a Michigan sheriff's unsuccessful campaign to find election fraud (Detroit News)
- Expert: Antrim election software 'in the wild' (Traverse City Record-Eagle)
- California lawmakers ban most hand-count elections, targeting far-right Shasta County (NPR)
- Two Kari Lake supporters file new claim seeking to overturn election (Arizona Daily Star)
- Voting rights activists sound alarms over private tool that could lead to canceling voter registrations (CNN)
- What Ginni Thomas and Leonard Leo wrought: How a justice’s wife and a key activist started a movement (Politico)
- GOP activists target Arizona elections official Celia Nabor through public records (Votebeat)
Voting Rights
- Texas trial over sweeping voting law to discuss voter ID and ballot drop box ban (Votebeat)
- Trial underway over Texas’ GOP voting restrictions that prompted walkout from Dems in 2021 (Texas Public Radio)
- What’s at stake in the long-awaited trial over Texas’s sweeping 2021 elections law (Texas Tribune)
- Republicans unveil what they're calling an 'Iowa-style' plan to redraw voting maps (Wisconsin Public Radio)
- Vos backs turning over drawing of election maps to nonpartisan agency in bid to bypass lawsuits (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
- Alabama asks Supreme Court to revisit congressional districting map case (Washington Post)
- Bill to criminalize absentee ballot assistance back on the docket (Alabama Political Reporter)
In the States
- Texas AG Ken Paxton's impeachment trial is almost over. This is what happened and what's next (Associated Press)
- Lawsuit filed to block potential impeachment of Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Janet Protasiewicz (Wisconsin Public Radio)
- Florida Surgeon General advises against new Covid-19 booster for anyone under 65 (Florida Phoenix)
- Deborah Birx, former COVID-19 White House adviser, to join Texas Tech's health center (Texas Tribune)
National News
- New Covid vaccines get FDA approval (NPR)
- When police kill and use victims’ rights laws to stay anonymous (Marshall Project)
- Fraudsters may have stolen $1 of every $7 in covid jobless aid, watchdog finds (Washington Post)
- Google trial begins in first major tech antitrust case in decades (Washington Post)
LGBTQ Rights
- New Catholic Diocese of Cleveland policy bars gender-affirming care, use of pronouns among staff, students (Cleveland.com)
- Whitnall School Board considers pronoun policy crafted by conservative law firm (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
- Washington U. curtails transgender care to minors in response to state law (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)
- Kentucky, Tennessee bans on gender affirming care to remain in place during appeal (Louisville Public Media)
- Jury awards $100,000 to Kentucky couple denied marriage license by ex-County Clerk Kim Davis (Associated Press)
- ‘Where is there to go?’ He needs gender-affirming surgery, but his state is fighting to deny coverage. (ProPublica)
Abortion and Reproductive Rights
- Justice Department asks Supreme Court to end abortion pill legal challenge that threatens widespread access (NBC News)
- Legal actions seek guarantee of abortion access for patients in medical emergencies (New York Times)
- Abortion rights group sues on behalf of women denied care in emergencies (Washington Post)
- Planned Parenthood announces it is resuming abortions in Wisconsin (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
- Challengers seek rewrite of Missouri abortion-rights ballot measures, calling them misleading (Associated Press)
- Alabama cracks down on birth centers, leaving pregnant women with fewer options (NBC News)
- Abortion-rights groups in Nevada launch an effort to get a constitutional amendment on the ballot (NBC News)
- Partisan battle grows over state funding for antiabortion centers (Washington Post)
Threats to Education
- These 5 books banned from Florida school shelves might surprise you (Tallahassee Democrat)
- Florida teachers face stiffer sanctions over classroom restrictions (Tampa Bay Times)
- Osceola County ends automatic public library access for students over Florida education law (WFTV Orlando)
- After conservative overhaul, New College of Florida faces federal civil rights investigation (USA Today)
- Florida schools have month's end to submit their sex ed lesson plans for review (Tallahassee Democrat)
- New Catholic Diocese of Cleveland policy bars gender-affirming care, use of pronouns among staff, students (Plain Dealer)
- Over 80 employees have left Oklahoma State Department of Education during Walters’ tenure, records show (Oklahoma Voice)
- Chris Rufo's dangerous fictions (Vox)
- 'No left-wing indoctrination': Climate science under attack in classrooms (E&E News)
- The conservative push for “school choice” has had its most successful year ever (Vox)
- Moms for Liberty is winning its fight to remove books from one Maryland school district (Baltimore Banner)
- New Mat-Su citizens library committee to review dozens of challenged books (Alaska Public Media)
- Elizabeth school board passes resolution from Moms for Liberty playbook (Colorado Times Recorder)
- Debate over 'parental rights' is the latest fight in the education culture wars (ABC News)
Government Transparency and Public Records Law
- Youngkin borrowed Altria’s jet. No one will say where he went. (VPM)
- DeSantis took undisclosed private flights and lodging through wealthy donors (Washington Post)
- Effort to restrict public's access to Arkansas records stumbles at start of legislative session (Associated Press)
- Maine Monitor wins public records dispute with York County (Maine Monitor)
- Staffing shortages, complex requests blamed for delays in getting public records in Wisconsin (Wisconsin State Journal)
- Sarah Sanders seeks to limit public records law amid suit related to her travel (ABC News)
Immigration
- Federal judge again declares that DACA is illegal (NPR)
- This federal ruling will keep many Cubans from getting green cards to stay in the U.S. (Miami Herald)
Trump Accountability
- Trump faces another 14th Amendment candidacy challenge, this time in Minnesota (CNN)
- GOP lawyer with ties to three Trump rivals enters 14th Amendment fray (Washington Post)
- The Constitution's disqualification clause and how it's being used to try to prevent Trump from running for president (CBS News)
- Judge rejects Trump’s request to move Colorado ballot case to federal court (NBC News)
- Judge restricts Trump’s access to classified info in documents case and limits what he can say (NBC News)
Jan. 6 Investigations
- Infowars host Owen Shroyer sentenced to 60 days jail in Jan. 6 riot (Washington Post)
- Trump seeks recusal of judge in federal elections case (New York Times)
- Trump won’t have to stand trial in October, Georgia judge says (Washington Post)
- Judge severs Trump's Georgia election interference case, and 16 others, from trial starting in October (ABC News)
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