Election Records Reprieve

The City of Milwaukee Election Commission met yesterday. Two related items of the agenda were of interest to me. One item was the status of the final report of the Joint Task Force investigation allegations of election fraud during the November 2, 2004 election. The second was the destruction of the extant, original election records from the November 2, 2004 election.

On the first matter (the final report from the Joint Task Force), the Executive Director, Susan Edman, reported to the commissioners that her contact in the Milwaukee Police Department believes the publication of the final report to be imminent. The detective related to Ms. Edman that his understanding is that completed reported is at the District Attorney's office and is awaiting sign off from the US Attorney, Steven Biskupic, and DA Chisholm. After that the FBI will also review the report prior to publication.

I personally have heard the report will be published "any day now" since December 2006. I will curb my enthusiasm regarding this agenda item, until the final report is actually published. But, is nice to know at least someone other than be would be interested in knowing what Biskupic, McCann, the MPD, and the FBI discovered.

On the second matter, I hd written previously to Ms. Edman and Commissioner Spindell that it would be good public policy to not destroy the original records which are the subject of the Joint Task Force report until after the report is published. Commissioner Spindell agreed and had this question added to the meeting agenda. At the meeting he argued for the retention of the original records and ballots. With the friendly amendment, from Chairman Campos, the commissioners unanimously agreed to retain the election records and original ballots of the November 2, 2004 election for a minimum of six months following the publication of the final report of the Joint Task Force.