Republicans use audit of Wisconsin state elections board to call for overhaul

MADISON, Wis. — An audit critical of the nonpartisan board that oversees ethics and elections in Wisconsin fueled calls Friday from Republicans to dismantle it, while Democrats said no such dramatic changes were needed.

The Government Accountability Board, unlike the widely panned Ethics and Elections boards that preceded it, is comprised of nonpartisan former judges. It handles both ethics and elections issues and has drawn the ire of both Democrats and Republicans over the years on a variety of issues.

Recent criticism focused on the board's decision to approve an investigation into alleged campaign finance violations by Gov. Scott Walker's recall committee in 2012 and more than two dozen conservative groups.

While the long-anticipated report pointed out a variety of problems, auditors did not recommend that the 6-year-old board be overhauled or dismantled. In fact, auditors suggested ways the Legislature could increase its authority over elections and improve its operations.

Still, that didn't stop Republicans who have been beating the drum to do away with the board to use the audit as further evidence to back up their position.

"The audit is another illustration of why we must change the GAB," Republican Assembly Speaker Robin Vos said in a statement. Vos has said he wants to oust the board's director, Kevin Kennedy, and possibly replace the board or lessen the influence of staff. Republican Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald said last month he was looking into returning to a partisan model.

"We have long known that the GAB has exhibited some troubling inconsistencies in its oversight of election law and ethics requirements in Wisconsin in recent years," Fitzgerald said in a statement. "This audit affirms those concerns."

Democrats, and Kennedy, rushed to the board's defense.

"This audit should not be used as a reason to dismantle this agency for partisan purposes," Assembly Democratic Minority Leader Peter Barca said in a statement.

Kennedy said that while the audit raised concerns, it did not target any of the core duties or performance of the board and its staff.

"By every objective measure that has been published since the board's inception, Wisconsin is a national leader in clean, fair and open elections, ethics, campaign finances and lobbying," he said in a statement.

The audit said that board staff did not consistently follow a penalty schedule for enforcing campaign finance, lobbying and code of ethics laws; did not conduct 16 reviews required by law over a four-year period to identify felons who may have voted illegally; and did not put in place written procedures for considering complaints.

The audit recommends that the board improve how voter registration records are maintained, improve oversight of campaign finance, ethics and lobbying laws, and improve their procedures for considering complaints.