Wisconsin John Doe update

Republican Wisconsin State Senator Tom Tiffany has kept us updated on the political aftermath of Wisconsin’s fascist John Doe investigation. We took a look back on the investigation, most recently, in “Deborah Jordahl: Wisconsin’s Comey-over.” Now Senator Tiffany provides this current update:

I promised to update you on events surrounding the John Doe investigation in Wisconsin. In December the Wisconsin Department of Justice issued a scathing report about the handling of sensitive information gathered during the investigation. The sensitive information included the personal medical information of Senator Leah Vukmir.

On Tuesday the Administrators of the Elections (Michael Haas) and Ethics (Brian Bell) Commissions came before the state senate for confirmation votes. Haas and Bell were in leadership at the defunct Government Accountability Board (GAB) when the John Doe witch hunt unfolded.

The state senate voted the nominations down. Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald did a stellar job of explaining why the nominees should be denied confirmation. Interested readers can view the proceedings on WisconsinEye [here. Senator Fizgerald spoke to reporters following the vote in video that is posted here.]

Below the asterisks you will find my brief statement after the vote. The targets of the John Doe such as Senator Vukmir and others who were the subject of pre-dawn raids in October 2013, received a little justice yesterday. Concluding the statement I call for the lead attorneys at the Elections and Ethics Commissions– GAB holdovers –also to step aside. It is important for the past leadership of the disgraced GAB to move on.

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Tiffany statement:

Today, I voted against the confirmation of Brian Bell and Michael Haas as the Administrators
of the Ethics and Elections Commissions. The John Doe investigation is a black mark on the history of clean government in Wisconsin. It is important to move beyond the failed Government Accountability Board (GAB). Mr. Bell and Mr. Haas both served in leadership positions at the GAB and do not have the confidence of many of our members, including me.

Now, I am calling for David Buerger and Nathan Judnic to step aside. They carry the black mark from the John Doe Investigations. It is time for a fresh start at the Ethics and Elections Commissions.

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