As expected, legal action quickly followed a vote on the status of Wisconsin’s elections administrator. The Wisconsin State Senate voted 22-11 along partisan lines Thursday to not accept the appointment of Wisconsin Elections Commission Administrator Meagan Wolfe – with Republicans effectively attempting to fire her from the position.
Democrats argued the action was not properly before the chamber and that Wolfe may remain in the post.
Democratic Attorney General Josh Kaul agreed and said Republicans were out of order because Wolfe didn’t need to be reappointed. “There is in fact no appointment, the Commission was clear that there is no appointment. And more importantly, Wisconsin law is clear that there’s no appointment because the votes of four commissioners in favor of an appointment were required.”
Kaul filed a lawsuit in Dane County Court, asking a judge to rule the Senate action invalid and to prohibit appointment of an interim administrator.
Democrats argued that a recent state supreme court ruling that allowed a Republican appointee to the Natural Resources Board to stay on past the term of his office also applies to Wolfe. Kaul said the Senate has no power to reject her.
Wolfe said she won’t leave her position unless ordered to by a court. “The Senate’s vote today to remove me is not a referendum on the job I do, but rather a reaction to not achieving the political outcome they desire,” she said Thursday.
“It’s unfortunate that political pressures have forced a group of our lawmakers to embrace unfounded rumors about my leadership, my role on the commission, and our system of elections.”