Brad Schimel Claims Voter Fraud in Waukesha County
Admits He Can’t Back Up Reckless and Irresponsible Claims of Impropriety
Brad Schimel. Photo from the State of Wisconsin.
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.”
One Wisconsin Now is a statewide communications network specializing in effective earned media and online organizing to advance progressive leadership and values.
NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. It has not been verified for its accuracy or completeness.
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There is an interesting thing about these kinds of liars and the lies that they tell. Years ago, the commentator Malcolm Muggeridge said that the reason people believe lies isn’t because they have to, but because they want to. Or, in an updated version, as George Constanza of Seinfeld said, “It’s not a lie if I believe it.” With a pathological liar now in the White House, Schimel and those like him are kind of bush league versions of the leader. But, there will be little doubt that the true believers will accept his lie as truth, even if it can be disproven. Why? Because they want to believe it. And, as a recent study by Daniel Effron shows, the lying strategy works because those who are spreading them know that those who want to believe them will convince themselves that, even though it is false, it could have been true.
Those non-existent Muslims that Trump saw cheering the collapse of the twin towers could have been there. And, in the case of Schimel, even though there was no evidence of voter fraud, it could have been true. As Donald Rumsfeld famously said, the absence of evidence isn’t evidence of absence. And, even though there is no such thing as a “food stamp,” it’s possible that the minority person in front of me in line was buying a 40 ounce malt liquor with them. Etc., etc.
And, even though Trump has told more than 2,400 demonstrable lies in his first year and one-half in office, they could have been true if they weren’t lies. And, as the true believers will tell you, the Democrats are even worse, right? After all, didn’t Obama say that you could keep your health care plan? Of the many consequences of our times, the destruction of truth may be the most damaging.
Once again we have the Republican ” Silent Majority ” syndrome ( No thanks to Spiro T.) : I know they are out there but I just can’t prove / document it .
-Brad : You could prove it if two people tried to vote through one registered voters name & address . Except this doesn’t seem to occur . One would think the displaced voter would complain. With such regular low voter participation this would be difficult to recognize.
– Let’s follow with the regular Trump conclusion —” Who knows ??? “