AG Van Hollen Defends Plan to Send Wisconsin Department of Justice Staffers to Observe Polls on Election Day
From Ballotpedia
October 31, 2008
Wispolitics.com'-MADISON, WI-Attorney General JB Van Hollen defended in a statement issued to the Wisconsin Media at a press conference with the Republican Attorney General of Wisconsin along with Roy Korte and Kevin Porter the co-leaders of the Wisconsin Election Day task force[1].
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Attorney General and Task Force Sets the Record Straight on their Role in Enforcing Elections laws
In a press conference held in Madison the State Capitol, Attorney General Van Hollen and the elections task force responded to Democratic Party criticisms over having Judgepedia:Department of Justice officials observing the polls. Both Korte and Porter said, "The Attorney General and (Wisconsin) Department of Justice have express authority to enforce the state’s election laws, including those laws that govern what happens on election day...In addition to this authority under section 5.07 of the Wisconsin Statutes, the Attorney General and Department of Justice have express authority to assist and advise district attorneys and local law enforcement. One emphasis of this part of our work is to provide resources in areas that are outside the normal operations of these local officials. The fact is that district attorneys and local law enforcement agencies do not deal with election law issues on a daily basis and do not have the same level of expertise as they do in other matters. Locating Department of Justice staff around the state will ensure that we are available to assist local District Attorneys and law enforcement in the event they have questions or request assistance on election related issues"[1].
Task Force Accuses Governor Doyle and Wisconsin Democratic Party of Partisan Politics on Task Force Announcement
During the press conference Korte, Porter, and Attorney General Van Hollen accused the Democratic Party leaders in Wisconsin and Governor Jim Doyle of playing partisan politics on this issue claiming that the previous Wisconsin Attorney General Peg Lautenschlager a democrat did this practice in Wisconsin during the 2004 elections[1]. Attorney General Van Hollen dismissed the Democratic Party's partisan motivated charges by saying that "the materials used to train the current observers are based in large part on materials prepared by the Lautenschlager administration and the Government Accountability Board"[1].
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References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 "WisPolitics", AG Van Hollen Defends DOJ Election Day Observation Plan, October 31, 2008
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