Brad Schimel Claims Voter Fraud in Waukesha County
Admits He Can’t Back Up Reckless and Irresponsible Claims of Impropriety
MADISON, Wis. — Attorney General Brad Schimel recently stirred controversy claiming the state voter ID law helped pave the way for Donald Trump and U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson to win election in Wisconsin. In a television appearance this weekend, Schimel upped the ante by claiming he has knowledge of cases of voter impersonation during his time as Waukesha County District Attorney, but was unable to produce any evidence.
One Wisconsin Now Executive Director Scot Ross blasted Schimel, saying, “Brad Schimel said Republicans rigging the rules on voting helped them win elections. He now claims years later there was voter fraud going on under his nose in Waukesha County that he wasn’t able to prove. Let’s be clear: Brad Schimel is trying to justify the GOP’s voter suppression with irresponsible and reckless claims of voter impersonation that he admits he can’t prove.”
On the state political news program Capitol City Sunday Schimel said:
“… We do have voter ID here and it is my job to defend it and, and I do believe in it. I think that as DA, we did see cases where, umm, someone else used someone’s vote and you couldn’t, you can’t prove it. If, if there’s not a clerk taking an ID, there’s no way to ever make a case against anyone because you don’t know who did it.”
One Wisconsin Now’s partner organization, One Wisconsin Institute was the lead plaintiff in a federal lawsuit challenging numerous anti-voter laws adopted by Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker and the Republican-controlled legislature.
A federal district court struck down several of the challenged measures including restrictions on hours of early voting, finding that one of the limitations was enacted to discriminate against legal voters. In addition, the judge found the state’s administration of its strict voter ID law was unconstitutional and wrote in his decision, “The evidence in this case casts doubt on the notion that voter ID laws foster integrity and confidence” and that the “… voter ID law is a cure worse than the disease.”