PolitiFact – GOP gubernatorial candidate Michels changes course on Wisconsin Election Commission

An endorsement from former President Donald Trump has been a game-changer in some Republican major contests – and a number of candidates for governor in Wisconsin angled for Trump’s blessing.

Ultimately, it went to enterprise proprietor Tim Michels, who was endorsed by Trump on June 2, 2022. Michels was a latecomer to the race, not becoming a member of till late April, and his nomination papers are being challenged by a Madison voter who, with assist from state Democrats, took the matter to the Wisconsin Elections Fee. 

There’s some irony to that.

When he entered the race, Michels supported reforming the fee. Now he desires to abolish it.

Republican lawmakers voted to create the fee in 2015 as a result of they believed its predecessor, the Authorities Accountability Board, was biased in opposition to them. Now Republicans have largely turned in opposition to the fee due to insurance policies authorised through the 2020 presidential election – which, in fact, Trump falsely claims he received in Wisconsin and elsewhere.

Has Michels flip-flopped on whether or not to disband the elections fee?

Let’s flip to our Flip-O-Meter. 

A reminder right here: We use our Flip-O-Meter to judge whether or not a politician has been constant over time. The Flip-O-Meter doesn’t study whether it is good coverage or politics to make any change.

Michels’ place on WEC Could 12

In a Could 12, 2022 information launch titled  “Michels First Blueprint: Restore Election Integrity On Day One,” Michels outlined his plan to reform the WEC.

“In my enterprise, we would like to try an issue and see what’s happening,” Michels mentioned within the information launch. “My plan is a recent begin, and permits us to herald or carry again people who find themselves able to get to work to repair our elections, not make the issue worse.” 

Among the many provisions of Michels’ blueprint was a plan to “dramatically reform WEC,” together with:

• Require all present commissioners and senior employees be terminated, and new appointments be made inside 30 days. 

• Require all employees to then reapply to work for the newly constituted Board.

• Repeal of all earlier election steerage and freezing the issuance of recent steerage pending full reorganization. 

• Require the chief director to face affirmation from the State Senate. 

• Prohibit re-hiring of any employees members that participated within the issuance of any formal steerage that did not adjust to present regulation, as has been decided by the Legislative Audit Bureau.

Clearly, at the moment, Michels was calling for holding the fee and implementing reform measures, not calling for its elimination. 

Michels’ place on WEC Could 26

Two weeks later, Michels reversed his stance and joined different Republicans in calling for the abolition of the WEC. Michels’ place shift got here days after he and different candidates for governor addressed delegates at a state Republican conference who known as for discarding the company. 

“Whereas this evolution could also be unusual in politics, I am not a politician,” he mentioned in an announcement reported by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “I’ve come to the conclusion the WEC will not be salvageable. To have non-elected officers overseeing the administration of elections has confirmed to be basically flawed.”

The Trump endorsement got here simply days after that.

Our ruling

On Could 12, 2022, Michels launched a blueprint calling for a plan to “dramatically reform” the Wisconsin Elections Fee. Two weeks later, after the state GOP conference and days earlier than a Trump endorsement, he reversed course and joined different Republicans in calling for its abolition. 

We contemplate this a whole change in place and fee it a Full Flop.