Wis. AG didn't rely on party consultation in suit
MADISON, Wis. (AP) A state Department of Justice spokesman says Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen didn't base his decision to bring a lawsuit demanding election clerks confirm the identity of thousands of voters on consultation with the Republican Party.
Van Hollen is co-chairman of GOP presidential hopeful John McCain's Wisconsin campaign. Van Hollen filed a lawsuit last week asking state elections officials to cross-reference the names of up to a million people who have registered to vote since Jan. 1, 2006, with other state databases.
Asked Thursday whether Van Hollen consulted with the GOP or McCain officials on the lawsuit, DOJ spokesman Kevin St. John replied that Van Hollen brought it in his official capacity. He says Van Hollen didn't use any consultation with any party in deciding whether to bring it.

Sep 19, 2008 at 11:53 a.m.
Suggest removal
Someone's skirt is showing.
Just what could possibly be the point of noting that Van Hollen is the co-chair of the McCain election campaign in Wisconsin other than the vote fraud abatement laws he's trying to force the state to follow could erase a political advantage for Democrats? I guess you have to expect a donkey to complain while it’s being gelded.
It may be true that there is no evidence of wide spread voter fraud. That’s especially true when you don’t look for any. There is, however, evidence of “isolated” voter fraud, but, apparently some think that, like boys, politicians will be politicians, those imps.
Just what should Van Hollen be investigated for, a conflict of interest with Democrats? Lock up the bum!
Sep 19, 2008 at 9:46 a.m.
Suggest removal
Sure, he didn't. We have another Katherine Harris on our hands here.
Sep 18, 2008 at 7:53 p.m.
Suggest removal
I have no problem with proving who I am before I vote, especially if I just moved here from, oh I don't know, Arizona, or California, or Texas, or New Mexico....or any other state.
Sep 18, 2008 at 3:51 p.m.
Suggest removal
There has been actual, widespread, proven, criminal voting fraud?
.
Yes, there have been a few people who scammed registrations for commissions, but they were *turned in*. I'm talking about people who actually voted fraudulently. How often does that happen? In other words, is this a problem anyone should be concerned about, or is it just another way to keep participation down?
Sep 18, 2008 at 3:04 p.m.
Suggest removal
Whoops! JimB, you're correct. It's the Government Accoutability Board. And it ought to investigate Van Hollen.
Sep 18, 2008 at 2:21 p.m.
Suggest removal
Its probably just coincidence that no one in the Democratic Party ever wants to clean up voter fraud in Wisconsin because they are the ones who benefit most from it. They block every attempt to straighten this mess out. What is wrong with accurate voter records and identification at the polls. A lawsuit is proper.
Sep 18, 2008 at 1:58 p.m.
Suggest removal
Then it's probably just coincidence that John McCain's campaign co-chair (van Hollen) filed suit against the GAB which has the authority to administer election law in Wisconsin after they determined that Federal Law was being met.
It's probably a coincidence that van Hollen keeps parroting a roundly disproven WisGOP memo from 2006 that even Karl Rove has backed away from and the US Attorney in Milwaukee called meritless.
It's probably a coincidence that van Hollen's own department told him that it would be a conflict of interest for the Department of Justice to sue the GAB while it was already defending them in two other cases but van Hollen decided to bull through anyway in defiance of Ethics Regulations.
It's probably just coincidence that van Hollen is co-chair of a campaign that is soliciting absentee ballots for districts other than the voters home. Should our Attorney General be a party to soliciting vote fraud?
Too many coincidences for my taste.
Sep 18, 2008 at 1:51 p.m.
Suggest removal
The Attorney General files suit against the state elections board. Just coincidentally, he is the co-chair of the McCain election campaign in Wisconsin.
Can you say conflict of interest?
Before you post a comment, consider this:
Note: GazetteXtra.com does not condone or review every comment. Read more in our User Policy AgreementPost Comment
Commenting requires registration.