Challenge Van Hollen's Staff

Update: Gov Doyle, Sheboygan DA criticize Van Hollen plan for agents at polling places

The Sheboygan County district attorney joined Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle today in denouncing plans by Republican Attorney General J.B.Van Hollen to assign about 50 criminal agents and state lawyers to monitor polls in 12 areas on Nov. 4.
Sheboygan County District Attorney Joe DeCocco, a Democrat, called Van Hollen's plan to use state agents and lawyers to monitor polls Tuesday a 'dog and pony' show. DeCocco said his search of state law 'did not locate any mandates of providing prosecutor coverage at polling sites, or any authority to do so.'
'The attorney general has no authority in this state to supervise elections,' Doyle told reporters. He again said the move by Van Hollen is part of a national effort by Republican Party leaders to 'try and raise questions' about the voting process - questions that they hope keep some voters from casting ballots.

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After voting, voters should find out who Van Hollen's attorneys general and special agents deployed to "ensure compliance with state laws governing elections," get their names, and ask them to explain their role and what actions they have taken that day.

Statement by Democratic Party of Wisconsin chair Joe Wineke:

After losing his hyper-partisan lawsuit against the Government Accountability Board, Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen is now so desperate to influence the election that he has resorted to sending state prosecutors to intimidate voters at the polls at the expense of Wisconsin taxpayers.

The U.S. Department of Justice has already decided that criminal prosecutors will not be used as election monitors this year, and it is irresponsible of Van Hollen to use state prosecutors in this way. This is nothing more than a shameless political stunt designed to appease Van Hollen's Republican Party bosses and manipulate the election in their favor by disenfranchising voters.

Van Hollen is using taxpayer resources to pull these agents away from their real jobs to investigate fabricated stories about widespread voter fraud. There is no widespread voter fraud in Wisconsin, as Republican U.S. Attorney Steve Biskupic has already confirmed following a thorough investigation.

The Democratic Party of Wisconsin will be working hard this Election Day to ensure that voters are able to cast their ballots in an environment free of discrimination, suppression or intimidation. On November 4, every qualified voter must be able to go to the polls and exercise their most basic American right.