Republicans on the Wisconsin Elections Commission refused to refer Harry Wait of Racine County, who admitted that he had fraudulently ordered absentee ballots, for criminal charges.

Madison, WI – Last night, Republican appointees on the Wisconsin Elections Commission refused to make a referral for criminal charges brought against Harry Wait of Racine County who admitted that he had fraudulently ordered the absentee ballots of 10 people, including Speaker Robin Vos and Racine Mayor Cory Mason, in order to prove that fraud is possible. State Senator Melissa Agard (D-Madison) released the following statement:

“For two years, the alt-right and ultra conservative agenda have been poisoning our democracy with claims of election fraud. Committing fraud is a serious offense, and anyone who does so must be held accountable.

“Our elections are free, fair, and secure. Harry Wait intentionally committed fraud to try to pedal extremist conspiracy theories. This isn’t patriotic, it’s dangerous. We have strict laws on this criminal behavior that we must enforce. By not pressing charges, we are opening the door to more instances of extremists trying to defraud our election.

“Harry Wait is the poster child for the Big Lie, and how we respond to this illegal, reprehensible behavior will set an example for other alt-right extremists. He has admitted to performing a crime. The conservative agenda has been maintaining claims of widespread fraud in our election, yet when we have a very clear example of an individual committing fraud, conservative officials try to dismiss it. Republicans are proving their hypocritical values yet again.”