Dane County Judge Rules State Republican Lawmakers Don't Have the Authority to Remove State's Top Election Official

Monday, January 15th, 2024 -- 12:01 PM

(Jessie Opoien, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel) Republican lawmakers do not have the authority to remove or replace the state's top election official, and the Wisconsin Elections Commission has no duty to do so, a Dane County judge ruled Friday.

According to Jessie Opoien with the Milwaukee Jouranl Sentinel, Dane County Circuit Judge Ann Peacock ruled that Wisconsin Elections Commission administrator Meagan Wolfe is legally holding over in her position in a decision blocking Republican legislative leaders from taking actions to oust her. The decision follows an October order temporarily blocking them from doing so.

"The Legislature has fanned the hyper-partisan flames by engaging in several high-profile unequivocal official acts to purportedly remove Administrator Wolfe without publicly disclosing for months that their acts were 'symbolic' rather than supported by the law," Peacock wrote. "That lack of transparency and their willingness to attempt actions contrary to the law are precisely the reasons why a permanent injunction is appropriate in this case."

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