“DNC operative seeks to use SCOWIS to reshape political environment in favor of their own nominee” – Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty
The Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty (WILL) “is strongly condemning the Democratic National Committee’s (DNC) attempt to remove the Green Party candidate, Jill Stein, from the presidential ballot in Wisconsin, saying its designed to favor the Democrat nominee Kamala Harris.
The DNC petition “advances a new reading of Wis. Stat. § 8.18 that would effectively prevent any small or new party from getting on the presidential ballot,” WILL noted.
[Read our 2020 story on how the Wisconsin Election Commission successfully denied the Green Party ballot access during that presidential election. In a close election, this could be determinative, as the party is likely to siphon more votes away from the Democrat.]
In 2016, the Green Party’s Jill Stein received 31,072 votes in Wisconsin. It arguably cost Hillary Clinton the State of Wisconsin because President Donald Trump won the state with fewer votes than that in 2016 (22,748 votes).
“WILL hopes the Supreme Court of Wisconsin considers the arguments we lay out in our amicus brief that we will file tomorrow morning and denies the DNC’s effort to disenfranchise tens of thousands of Wisconsin voters,” wrote WILL in an August 22 press release.
We would note that liberal Justice Janet Protasiewicz previously said she “would likely recuse herself in any cases involving the Democratic Party of Wisconsin, one of her top campaign donors,” according to WPR. The DNC is the national arm of the Democrat Party. Splitting hairs if she doesn’t recuse?
WILL President and General Counsel, Rick Esenberg, stated, “This is a last-ditch effort by a political party operative to disenfranchise the votes of tens of thousands of Wisconsinites. WILL prides itself as a strong champion for our democratic republic and believes elections in our state are conducted with integrity and fairness. A last-minute ruling, not based in law, from the Wisconsin Supreme Court in favor of the DNC would severely damage the faith and trust every day Wisconsinites put in their elections.”
WILL’s comments come after Center Square reported that court documents reveal the Wisconsin Supreme Court accepted the case Thursday and is requesting that the plaintiff provide additional information, actions that have caused two conservative Supreme Court justices to sharply dissent.
WILL Associate Counsel Skylar Croy, added, “WILL strongly condemns this effort to remove the Green Party candidate from the Wisconsin ballot, just days before ballots need to be printed. They are wrong on the law, and their novel reading of a state statute has no merit.”
According to WILL, to go “directly to the Wisconsin Supreme Court and seek far-reaching, antidemocratic relief is inappropriate. Truly demonstrating that history repeats itself: four years ago, the Wisconsin Elections Commission rejected the Green Party’s effort to get on the ballot.”
WILL added, “When the Green Party filed an original action in the state supreme court, the court by a 4-3 vote rejected it as untimely, saying it is too close to an election for the court to do anything. That same problem applies here. And it is just one of many procedural issues.”
According to WILL: “This decision should not be taken lightly, and it is crucial that the court considers the gravity of such a last-minute decision and the potential to sow doubt on the election.”
WILL describes itself as “a respected and reputable state-based litigation firm in Wisconsin.”
