Group claims ringleader of “WI-5” unlawfully invited private interests to manipulate elections
RACINE, WISCONSIN, UNITED STATES, April 22, 2021 /EINPresswire.com/ — The Amistad Project, the leading election integrity watchdog, filed a complaint today with the Wisconsin Election Commission on behalf of five Racine residents alleging that city officials accepted outside conditions on the 2020 elections without legislative approval and allowed private activists to exercise unlawful authority in order to benefit one presidential candidate.
The complaint notes that Racine played an integral role in allowing outside interference in Wisconsin’s elections, accepting a $100,000 grant from the leftist Center for Tech and Civic Life (CTCL) to recruit Madison, Kenosha, Green Bay, and Milwaukee to jointly request additional funding. The so-called “Wisconsin 5” subsequently received over $6 million in grants that imposed strict conditions on election processes, such as mandating the number of ballot drop boxes and requiring outreach targeting certain voter demographics.
“These grant agreements contained provisions saying that if the cities didn’t abide by the terms, they would be obligated to give the money back to CTCL,” said Erick Kaardal, the Amistad Project attorney who is filing the complaint. “This resulted in a two-tiered election system in Wisconsin – most cities conducted their elections according to established state election laws, while the Wisconsin Five abided by the terms set forth by CTCL.”
CTCL, which received $400 million from Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, distributed similar grants to Democrat-leaning cities in other swing states, as well. While the grants were ostensibly intended to ensure “safe” elections amidst the pandemic, many of the conditions – such as targeted outreach to “voters of color” and private “curing” of defective absentee ballots – had nothing to do with public health and were clearly intended to increase turnout of left-leaning voters in urban areas.
“CTCL created a ‘shadow government’ without oversight or accountability – they deliberately bypassed municipal clerks, who have the legal responsibility to manage elections, and got partisan mayors to approve their grant conditions” said Amistad Project Director Phill Kline. “It’s impossible for the public to have confidence in the election process when private interests are able to dictate the rules and exercise authority that actually belongs to public officials.”
According to the complaint, the National Vote at Home Institute (NVAHI), The Elections Group, the Center for Civic Design, and other leftist nonprofits played a direct role in implementing the CTCL conditions, offering to recruit poll workers, design absentee ballot envelopes, and use sophisticated geofencing techniques to micro-target certain voters.
“As a necessary first step toward restoring transparency, accountability, and public confidence in the electoral system, CTCL, the NVAHI, Mark Zuckerberg, and the cities that entered into cooperative arrangements with them must disclose all communications they had concerning the 2020 elections for public scrutiny,” Kline insisted.
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Jillian Anderson
ProActive
media@proactivecommunications.com