Amid ongoing debates over the handling of election ballots, Wisconsin Election Commission Chair Don Millis has called on state Attorney General Josh Kaul to advocate for the destruction of more than 250,000 absentee ballots from Milwaukee’s 2020 election. This request follows a series of FBI interviews with local officials, echoing actions taken in Georgia where ballots were seized earlier in the year due to former President Donald Trump’s unfounded claims of election fraud.
Millis, a Republican, expressed his concerns during a Sunday interview on WISN 12’s “UpFront,” highlighting that the FBI has been exposed to “various conspiracy theories” regarding Milwaukee’s 2020 election results. He stated that the federal agents have been presented with evidence indicating no wrongdoing in the ballot counting process.
The FBI’s apparent task of compiling a report for federal authorities has raised Millis’s frustration. He emphasized the need to destroy the “265,000 absentee ballots” stored in Milwaukee, citing the importance of preserving voter privacy. “No one is entitled to see those,” he insisted, referring to the principle of a secret ballot as enshrined in the U.S. Constitution.
According to Wisconsin state law, ballots can be destroyed after 22 months post-election. Millis alluded to a “litigation hold” on these ballots but did not provide further details. This hold is linked to ongoing lawsuits against Milwaukee’s election commission, initiated by activist Peter Bernegger, who previously faced penalties for filing baseless voter fraud claims.
While Milwaukee County has engaged external legal support due to the FBI probe, Millis urged Attorney General Kaul, a Democrat, to take action to maintain the confidentiality of the ballots, suggesting that state-level intervention could expedite the process.
Fellow Republican Calls for Federal Review
Contrasting Millis’s position, fellow Wisconsin Election Commission member Bob Spindell believes the federal government should examine the ballots. He described concerns over privacy as exaggerated, noting that Milwaukee voters predominantly support Democratic candidates. “I think that’s a red herring, and I think the FBI should take a look at these,” Spindell remarked, advocating for cooperation with federal investigations.
Spindell also suggested sharing voter registration lists with federal authorities to verify and remove non-citizen entries. This proposal comes as the U.S. Department of Justice appeals a case seeking unredacted voter registration data, following a recent dismissal by a federal judge.
Milwaukee Mayor Criticizes Federal Inquiries
Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson criticized the federal focus on the city’s 2020 election procedures, labeling it part of Trump’s “vanity project.” Johnson argued that the scrutiny is politically motivated, targeting states where Trump was defeated. “This is a vanity project,” he stated, dismissing the investigations as an unnecessary attempt to challenge a settled election outcome.
Johnson invited Republican Congressman Tom Tiffany, who supports the FBI’s involvement, to discuss concerns directly with city election officials, emphasizing open dialogue over partisan conflict.
