Gov. Scott Walker
Governor Scott Walker says it’s “unfortunate” that county clerks are being forced to do a recount that’s unlikely to change the outcome of the presidential race.
County clerks across the state this morning began the process of recounting the nearly three million votes cast in the presidential race. The recount was requested by Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein, who has argued it’s needed to ensure the integrity of the vote in Wisconsin and has raised $6.7 million to pursue those efforts in Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsylvania.
Asked about the recount during a stop in Seymour Thursday, Walker was blunt in his assessment of why it’s being done. “This is nothing more than a fundraising scheme for the Green Party,” Walker argued. “They’re using this to both raise money for the recount…and then they’ll create a long term mailing list that they’ll use for their own political functions.”
The governor said Stein is within her rights to ask for the recount, but noted clerks have other duties to focus on after a busy year, such as taking care of property tax bills. Walker said it “seems ridiculous,” but “we’ll go through the process, and I would anticipate the results will be nearly identical to what we all saw after the November 8th election.”
Affiliate WTAQ contributed to this report.