It seems the Republican Party, which has been touting the voter ID law as a way to restore integrity to elections, has its own integrity problems.
The GOP is again running fake Democrats in the recall in an attempt to delay the Senate races until June 5 and add extra cost to the election. Republicans running as Democrats this year are Gladys Huber for governor, Isaac Weix for lieutenant governor, and Gary Ellerman, Tamara Varebrook, James Engel and James Buckley in the four state Senate recalls.
What’s wrong with running a Republican who pretends to be a Democrat in a Democratic primary? According to Jeremy P. Levinson, one of Wisconsin’s top elections attorneys, in a memo issued April 4, it is in violation of 12.13(3)(a), Wis. Stats and a Class A Felony. It is a crime to falsify information on declaration of candidacy or nomination papers.
The form specifically requires a candidate to declare that their candidacy is “representing” the political party for which the primary is to take place. This statement must be made under oath. Furthermore, the nomination papers would also be fraudulent and those persons who circulated them could be implicated. Penalties for this crime include fines as much as $10,000 and 3 1/2 years in prison.
The GOP also employed these tactics in last years recall elections when they ran fake Democrats. I hate to admit it, but the GOP was right: there is voter fraud occurring in Wisconsin. Let’s hope they don’t get away with their own sleazy tactics again.