MADISON, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – After a nearly four-hour hearing, state lawmakers continue to disagree on whether there are any problems with the way Green Bay ran its November election.
Conservatives allege Green Bay was not in charge of administering the November election.
Green Bay Mayor Eric Genrich still isn’t answering our questions, a day after Republican lawmakers called on him to resign. We also didn’t hear from him in this morning’s hearing, because the Republicans who hosted it did not invite him or any other city officials to speak.
Attorney Erick Kaardal, who has been leading legal challenges for conservatives across five states, told a panel of Assembly Republicans his testimony about Green Bay’s election isn’t about overturning results.
“The separate legal issue I’m raising today is who has the legal authority over that election and can it be transferred to a private corporation.”
Kaardal presented city emails that he says proves there was a diversion of election duties from then clerk Kris Teske to private corporations. Emails from Teske dating back to last summer were shared.
In July, Teske wrote, “I feel I am being left out of the discussions and not listened to at the meetings.” She also wrote, “I just don’t know where the Clerk’s Office fits in anymore.”
In another email that was presented to the panel from late October, Teske wrote, “I want you to be aware about the Clerk Staff that stated if they had the money, they would walk out the door now, another said I don’t want to work here anymore, and the third is actively looking for a new job. All because the Mayors staff.is bossing the Clerk Staff around.”
Teske took a leave of absence and has since left the city clerk job for the same position with Ashwaubenon.
“Kris Teske was saying there is a problem because in order to have fair and transparent elections, the clerk needs to run them,” said Kaardal.
Prior to the election, the city accepted a $1.6 million grant from Center for Tech and Civic Life, a nonprofit fueled by money from Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg.
Conservatives challenged the grants, which were given to other Wisconsin cities, before the election. They said they were given to Democratic-leaning cities to sway election results. A judge rejected that claim.
Along with that grant, the Vote at Home Institute sent Michael Spitzer-Rubenstein to Green Bay to help with the election.
Kaardal alleges consultant Spitzer-Rubenstein was eventually calling the shots. However, no direct evidence was presented to show Spitzer-Rubenstein was officially given any power.
Kaardal referred to emails where Spitzer-Rubenstein questioned the process for curing ballots. Documents were also shared showing Spitzer-Rubenstein had access to where ballots were counted at the KI Convention Center.
“It seems to me a chain of custody violation seems to be a problem,” said Kaardal.
Genrich has been silent on these allegations. FOX 11 and WTAQ has tried to interview him the past two days.
Genrich referred us to a statement from the city that says the election was administered exclusively by city staff.
“No ballots were ever in the care or custody of these consultants,” reads the statement. “Absentee ballots were kept at City Hall exclusively until they were delivered, by City staff and in City vehicles, to the KI Convention Center at 6:00 am on Election Day, utilizing a clear, documented chain of custody made up exclusively of City staff.”
No one from the city was part of the Assembly hearing, which State Rep. Janel Brandtjen (R-Menominee Falls) ran.
FOX 11 asked Brandtjen why city officials were not invited to testify.
“We plan on doing that,” answered Brandtjen. “Why wouldn’t we look at the emails that went back and forth.”
Brandtjen couldn’t provide a date for when city officials will be invited to speak, only saying it would be soon.
State election officials also have told us there is nothing in state law that would prohibit a municipality from using an outside consultant.
