Wisconsin Republicans ask Green Bay mayor to quit over election report

GREEN BAY, Wis. - Republican Wisconsin lawmakers called Tuesday for Green Bay's Democratic mayor to resign following a report on a conservative website alleging he ceded authority for running the election to a paid consultant with ties to Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg.

Mayor Eric Genrich did not immediately respond to requests for comment about the calls for him to resign. But his office forcefully denied all claims of wrongdoing raised in the story that appeared on the Wisconsin Spotlight website.

City attorneys reviewed all of the claims and determined they were "completely without merit," the statement from Genrich's office said.

The story came a day before the Republican-controlled Assembly Campaigns and Elections Committee held an invite-only hearing on the election. Brown County’s former clerk testified.

"I just felt like it put a taint on the integrity of the election because I come to find out later he had access to all four keys, access to the election location several days prior to the election," said Sandy Juno.

Michael Spitzer-Rubenstein from the group "National Vote at Home Institute" had previously worked for Democratic campaigns. The city considered him an advisor.

On Oct. 7, he asked Green Bay’s clerk: "Can we help with curing absentee ballots that are missing a signature or witness signature/address? We have a process map that we’ve worked out with Milwaukee for their process."

An open records request revealed the e-mails, which the conservative website Wisconsin Spotlight published. One document says of Green Bay’s central count: "Do not unlock grand ballroom until Michael Spitzer-Rubenstein requests." City leaders called him an "election grant mentor."

Green Bay used a $1.6 million grant from the Center for Tech and Civic Life, a nonprofit funded by Zuckerberg to help with the election.

"We've got to trust our elections with individuals who work for a municipality, not with outside people who have a political agenda," said Senator Roger Roth (R-Appleton). "That is why I think because of that violation of trust and integrity, it's incumbent on the mayor to resign."

"That assertion that just because someone has access to ballots does not mean that person impacts ballots or votes at all," said Rep. Kristina Shelton (D-Green Bay. "I think it's important to remember this report comes from an extreme right-wing organization that is run by a former Republican Assembly member."

Grant money also went to Kenosha, Madison, Racine and Milwaukee. The Center for Tech and Civic life's $2 million donation to Milwaukee helped the city buy absentee ballot dropboxes for every Milwaukee Public Library.

In the Green Bay e-mails, Spitzer-Rubenstein mentions Milwaukee several times. He wrote in one message: "I’m helping Milwaukee assign inspectors to Central Count stations as well as polling places…" In another, he attached a document called "Central Count Procedures (Final)" with the note "Here's what we helped Milwaukee create."

Milwaukee’s Election Director Claire Woodall-Vogg said she couldn’t do an interview today, but that she "I remained in control of all election administration decisions and functions for the City of Milwaukee since July of last year."

Republicans have introduced a number of bills to reform elections, including that the Wisconsin Elections Commission equally distribute outside money across the state.

Attorney General Josh Kaul's spokeswoman, Gillian Drummond, says: "Anyone who has evidence of any alleged election impropriety should provide that information to law enforcement and/or the Wisconsin Election Commission so those agencies can assess that evidence and coordinate an appropriate response."

"The Wisconsin Department of Justice is available to assist with or participate in a response to such an allegation, but the role that DOJ would play, if any, would depend on the specific evidence and circumstances of the case," Drummond said in an email statement.

The City of Green Bay released a long statement pushing back on the conservative site's allegation that Democratic activists infiltrated the city's election.

"The article published by the Wisconsin Spotlight makes egregious and false accusations about the integrity of the November election. The City’s conduct of elections in 2020 has been heavily scrutinized, including being the subject of numerous records requests, news articles, and lawsuits. In each case, the City’s actions have been upheld. These allegations are completely without merit."

The statement says the city followed the law, that city staff exclusvely adminstered the election, and that consultants did not have care or custody of ballots.

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