I am writing to express my concern regarding public statements each of you have made regarding my work on the staff of the Government Accountability Board (G.A.B.) and as Interim Administrator of the Wisconsin Elections Commission. Specifically, each of you have made references to a purported possibility or likelihood that I and other staff of the G.A.B. engaged in criminal conduct while performing our responsibilities for that agency. As you are undoubtedly aware, these statements have no factual or legal basis. I believe they may constitute slander and I am respectfully requesting an immediate public apology and correction.
In a letter to Attorney General Brad Schimel dated December 19, 2017, Senator Fitzgerald stated that “There is enough evidence that GAB staff were acting incompetently at best, and criminally at worst, in the years surrounding the recall elections of 2011 & 2012.” Regardless of your view of the wisdom of the G.A.B.’s investigations and actions, there is absolutely no basis for alleging that G.A.B. staff possibly acted criminally during those years or in subsequent years. To the contrary, G.A.B.’s management of the election events in the hyper-partisan atmosphere which occurred during those years demonstrated an extremely high level of competence.
In an interview with Wisconsin Radio Network and article published December 20, 2017, Speaker Vos stated “The idea that individuals who potentially are on the short list of having committed a crime are now going to be in charge of running ethics and elections seems preposterous to me.” The article stated that this remark was made while Speaker Vos defended his calls for the resignations of myself and Ethics Administrator Brian Bell. Again, there is absolutely no basis for alleging that Mr. Bell or I are potentially on any short list of having committed any crime, much less have committed any crimes…..