“fraud, misrepresentation or misconduct”

By Jeff Simpson

That is what a 3 judge panel accused the Wisconsin republicans of engaging in, when looking into missing records in the Wisconsin redistricting case.

  It is appearing that AFTER they were ordered to turn over all files to the democrats, someone logged into the taxpayer owned computers and deleted hundreds of thousands of emails! 

New federal court filings allege that legislative aides appear to have deleted “hundreds of thousands” of files at “suspicious times” from state computers used by Republicans in redistricting.

The plaintiffs in a case that challenged the redistricting law are asking the Legislature or attorneys representing the state to start paying for the forensic investigation. They say the probe has racked up nearly $100,000 in costs so far, fueled largely by the complexity of restoring deleted files.

The filings are part of a post-trial investigation ordered by the three-judge federal panel that heard the redistricting case. A final report on the investigation is due May 10.

Finding that “fraud, misrepresentation or misconduct” likely occurred, the judges ordered a post-trial investigation into the missing records. In February, the panel ordered the state to turn over three redistricting computers that had been housed at the Madison office of the Michael, Best and Friedrich law firm.

 Predictably, the party of "personal responsibility"(yes, I know.  That is funny to me also) took none.  Scott Fitzgerald who will take any chance to ramble aimlessly on telling us how bad democrats are seems to have lost his tongue when it comes to fraud on his watch.  Robin Vos has forgotten anything that happened, and refers all questions to the Wisconsin taxpayer funded attorneys representing him in this misconduct.  

There were also two legislative aides and a lobbyist who were involved in this fraud on the Wisconsin taxpayer(their families must be so proud of them):

The computers were used by legislative aides Tad Ottman and Adam Foltz and consultant Joe Handrick. Ottman and Foltz work for Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald (R-Juneau), though Foltz worked for then-Assembly Speaker Jeff Fitzgerald (R-Horicon) at the time of redistricting. Handrick worked for lobbying and law firm Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren at the time he served as a redistricting consultant for the Legislature. Handrick, a former GOP representative, now works at the state Department of Workforce Development.

 For those scoring at home, a quick timeline of the events:

According to the filing, the first deletions came Jan. 6, 2012, just after attorneys for the state were ordered by the panel to turn over additional records in the case. The second deletions, on July 25, 2012, were made days after control of the Senate shifted to the Democrats as a result of recall elections in July 2012. (Republicans have since regained the majority in the Senate.)

“On July 18, 2012, after majority control of the state Senate shifted, the new majority leader (Democratic Sen. Mark Miller) requested Michael Best’s redistricting file,” the filing states.

“The following day (July 19), Michael Best agreed that it would make its redistricting file available for review. One week later (July 25), a user logged into the account of Tad Ottman, aide to state Senator Scott Fitzgerald — who just had been replaced as majority leader — deleted hundreds of thousands of redistricting files.

“The following week, Michael Best turned over its redistricting file to the new Senate majority leader (Miller).”

The republicans have sure ruined the name brand of Michael Best over these last two years!  It also amazes me that Ottman and Foltz still have jobs being funded by the taxpayers.  Is there not a fireable offense for the republicans? 

If you think fraud, directly defying court orders and deleting emails that the public have a right to know, then call these people up and let them know! 

Scott Fitzgerald -  (608) 266-5660 @senfitzgerald

Robin Vos -  @speakervos

Toll Free:  888-534-0063

Madison Office:  608-266-3387

Home Phone:  262-514-2597

Tad Ottman - tad.ottman@legis.wisconsin.gov

Adam Foltz -  adam.foltz@legis.wisconsin.gov 

Can both be reached at (608) 266-5660 Capitol 211 South

And even Joe Handrick, who was the "consultant" who helped consult that secrecy agreements, partisan redistricting and engaging in fraud was the way to go about representing the people of WI, has been rewarded with a nice cushy taxpayer funded state job and taxpayer funded state benefits in the Department of Workforce Development!

Joe can be reached at @joeminocqua or  (608) 267-8997

The Wisconsin Republican Party has no shame!   

The Imaginary Skills Gap

is getting so much play that Tony Evers even put out a press release today regarding it:

 The 2013-15 education budget proposal calls for the Department of Public Instruction to work with the state Department of Workforce Development and Wisconsin Technical College System (WTCS) to identify occupations with potential skilled worker shortages. The proposed budget would provide school districts with $1,000 for each student who graduated from high school with an industry-recognized credential for a high-need occupation. Accounting for students earning industry certificates would become part of the college and career readiness data point for School Report Cards

The problem with "potential skilled worker shortage" is that it just is not real. As Paul Krugman points out, and what everyone who has taken econ 101 knows, that the problem is not skills its pay and training:

If the righties were truly in favor of the free market, then free market principles would tell them that if they have a hard time filling specialist positions, then the company would have to raise the pay and work on an internal training program to meet their needs exactly.

Logic dictates that if you can not fill a job at $8/hr, there is a pay rate where you can start filling those jobs.   The problem that we have to overcome is the anti-business republican minority, led by our own Governor, who thinks certainty is part of the free market! 

 UGH  we have alot of work to do!