{"id":1959735,"date":"2023-06-28T18:52:02","date_gmt":"2023-06-28T22:52:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/democrat-abstentions-temporarily-block-reappointment-of-wisconsin-elections-chief\/"},"modified":"2023-06-28T18:52:57","modified_gmt":"2023-06-28T22:52:57","slug":"democrat-abstentions-temporarily-block-reappointment-of-wisconsin-elections-chief","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/democrat-abstentions-temporarily-block-reappointment-of-wisconsin-elections-chief\/","title":{"rendered":"Wisconsin Elections Chief&#8217;s Reappointment Delayed by Democrat Abstentions."},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">16<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fdemocrat-abstentions-temporarily-block-reappointment-of-wisconsin-elections-chief%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1959735&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><div class=\"post_content\">\n<div class=\"aplayer_app\" data-source=\"https:\/\/vs1.youmaker.com\/assets\/2023\/0628\/8f15a68c-1aa4-4f8b-b322-f60dea32d45c\/audio.mp3?length=3518829&#038;duration=293\"><\/div>\n<\/p>\n<p>The strategic abstentions of the three Democrats on the Wisconsin Elections Commission (WEC) resulted in the failure of a motion to reappoint embattled WEC Administrator Meagan Wolfe to a second four-year term.<\/p>\n<p>Wolfe has been the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/democrat-abstentions-temporarily-block-reappointment-of-wisconsin-elections-chief\/\" title=\"Wisconsin Elections Chief's Reappointment Delayed by Democrat Abstentions.\">highest-ranking state elections official<\/a> since 2018. She has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/democratic-senator-rips-kamala-harris-over-interview-i-couldnt-believe-it-not-a-way-of-working-together\/\" title=\"Democratic Senator Rips Kamala Harris Over Interview: \u2018I Couldn\u2019t Believe It,\u2019 \u2018Not A Way Of Working Together\u2019\">drawn criticism<\/a> for her administering of the 2020 presidential and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/donald-trump-jr-outlines-future-of-maga-movement\/\" title=\"Donald Trump Jr. outlines future of MAGA movement\">2022 midterm elections<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>All three Republicans on the Commission voted to reappoint Wolfe.<\/p>\n<p>The votes of four of the Commission\u2019s six members are required to reappoint Wolfe and forward her appointment to the state Senate for its advice and consent, so the motion died.<\/p>\n<p>The special meeting was held on the afternoon of June 27, just three days before Wolfe\u2019s term expires on July 1. The motion to reappoint was the only business on the agenda.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Wolfe\u2019s Performance Praised<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Before the vote, the Democrats were joined by all three Republicans in praising Wolfe\u2019s performance, and all said they wanted her to have another term.<\/p>\n<p>Democrat commissioner Ann Jacobs said of Wolfe, \u201cShe is the best person to lead the Commission going forward.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_4013651\" style=\"width: 600px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/img.theepochtimes.com\/assets\/uploads\/2021\/09\/23\/Wisconsin_State_Capitol_in_Madison-1200x760.jpg\"><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><noscript><\/noscript><\/figcaption><\/a><br \/>\n\t\tThe Wisconsin State Capitol in Madison, Wisconsin. (Carol M. Highsmith via Wikimedia Commons\/Public Domain)<br \/>\n\t<\/figure>\n<p>Jacobs also said that the Senate should \u201cpromise to appoint Meagan Wolfe.\u201d Yet Jacobs told the Commission that she must abstain from voting to reappoint her.<\/p>\n<p>Before his abstention, Democrat commissioner Joseph Czarnezki stated that Wolfe was \u201cmore than qualified and should remain in the position.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Dilatory Tactics Explained<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>The Democrats\u2019 parliamentary maneuver of abstention thwarted the Commission\u2019s Republican members\u2019 desire to reappoint Wolfe.<\/p>\n<p>Fearful of the likelihood of the GOP supermajority in the Senate declining to confirm Wolfe\u2019s reappointment, Democrat commissioner Mark Thomsen candidly explained the political reasoning behind the abstention tactic, saying, \u201cWe won\u2019t let the Senate do what we wouldn\u2019t do ourselves.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Thomsen, Czarnezki, and Jacobs also offered a legal theory to justify their actions. They contended that because there was \u201cno vacancy\u201d at the moment in the position, the WEC had no authority to make an appointment.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Legal Precedent?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>They said their position was based on Kaul v Prehn, a case decided by the Wisconsin Supreme Court on June 29, 2022.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_3499782\" style=\"width: 600px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/img.theepochtimes.com\/assets\/uploads\/2020\/09\/14\/Wisconsin_Supreme_Court_-_DSC03163.jpg\"><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><noscript><\/noscript><\/figcaption><\/a><br \/>\n\t\tInterior view of the Wisconsin Supreme Court courtroom, inside the Wisconsin State Capitol building, Madison, Wisconsin, on July 24, 2013. (CCO 1.0 via Wikipedia)<br \/>\n\t<\/figure>\n<p>The decision held that the expiration of the term of an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/disgruntled-nra-donors-push-to-oust-lapierre\/\" title=\"Disgruntled NRA Donors Push to Oust\u00a0LaPierre\u00a0\">appointed official<\/a> does not create a vacancy and that the incumbent may continue to serve as a \u201choldover\u201d until confirmed by the state Senate.<\/p>\n<p>However, that case dealt with positions filled by appointment of the governor with the consent of the Senate, while the WEC administrator is appointed by the Wisconsin Elections Commission with the consent of the Senate.<\/p>\n<p>It appears it will be left up to the courts to determine if the Prehn decision is relevant to Wolfe\u2019s situation.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Keeping Wolfe Around for 2024<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>The Democrats asserted that because there is no vacancy, there can be no appointment and, therefore, no submission to the Senate for confirmation, an argument that may prove to be nothing more than a tactic to keep Wolfe in office a little longer.<\/p>\n<p>Wisconsin law states, \u201cIf a vacancy occurs in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/sen-inhofe-to-epa-nominee-radhika-fox-if-you-dont-behave-im-going-to-talk-to-your-daddy\/\" title=\"Sen. Inhofe To EPA Nominee Radhika Fox: \u2018If You Don\u2019t Behave, I\u2019m Going To Talk To Your Daddy\u2019\">administrator position<\/a>, the commission shall appoint a<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The three Democrats on the Wisconsin Elections Commission (WEC) strategically abstained, causing the motion to reappoint Meagan Wolfe as WEC Administrator to fail. Wolfe, who has been the top state elections official since 2018, faced criticism for her handling of the 2020 presidential and 2022 elections.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":369,"featured_media":1959736,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[543],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1959735","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-epoch-times"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1959735","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/369"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1959735"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1959735\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1959736"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1959735"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1959735"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1959735"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}