The Wisconsin Officer of Special Counsel’s Justice Michael Gableman explained the parameters of the Wisconsin election investigation in a video released Monday. Gableman stated that he works directly for “the people of Wisconsin,” saying that “the rich and the powerful have all the representation they need. I am here to make sure the same is true for everyone.”
According to Gableman, they have already “met with witnesses and made the request for the preservation of possible evidence.”
He said, “The purpose of the investigation is to determine what was supposed to happen in our elections and what did happen, to see what went well, as well as to see what might’ve gone badly.”
Gableman continued, “If things did go wrong, we will submit recommendations for how problems should be addressed so that voters can have complete confidence in all of our elections going forward. This investigation will be guided by a search for the truth and not by political priorities and political timetables.”
He also shared that evidence has already begun to arise suggesting unlawful behavior. Gableman said, “Some evidence has been produced previously that shows that some election officials acted unilaterally in deciding not to follow established state law. We will request from those officials and others with potential knowledge of unlawful actions, and will compel them if necessary, to produce documents and testimony that will allow the public to gain a comprehensive understanding of how their elections were managed.”
The responsibility to prove that the elections were conducted with fairness and inclusivity is on the government and on the “private for profit interests that did work for the government,” Gableman said.
Gableman clarified that the investigation is not about overturning the results of the 2020 elections. “This is not an election contest. We are not challenging the results of the 2020 election. Rather, we are holding government officials accountable to the public for their actions surrounding the elections.”
Wisconsin election officials have “a duty to the people” of Wisconsin to be “forthcoming” during the investigation, Gableman said.
The investigators are prepared to use the powers of the special counsel to “compel answers to these questions.” Gableman also said that they are open to receiving input from all sources “regardless of the biases from some sources,” saying that the investigation will “test other information we receive against other evidence.” He said it would be “foolish to prejudge evidence by prejudice against individuals.”
He reiterated that the investigation will be solely guided by “facts, not personality.”
Gableman also cautioned against speaking about the “internal workings” of the investigation, saying, “Speaking about the internal workings of an investigation is reckless and irresponsible. It can put witnesses and whistleblowers at risk of retaliation.”
He also explained that the definition of each forensic audit is “created by those that control that forensic audit.” Gableman said that the Wisconsin Office of Special Counsel is conducting “a full investigation in order to get to the truth of what happened in our 2020 election” and that the investigation “may include a vigorous and comprehensive audit, if the facts that are discovered justify such a course of action.”
Gableman said that if Wisconsin citizens have concerns about the results of the 2020 election they “want to hear about them.” He also said, “Conversely, if you believe the election went perfectly and have evidence to that effect, we want to see it.”
He said that when the Office of Special Counsel has information to “share with the public” they will do so through a “logical and responsible method such as press releases, news conferences, or videos.” He said that they will not be disclosing “investigative matters until the time is appropriate.”
Gableman finished by saying, “My job as Special Counsel is to gather all relevant information, and while I will draw my own conclusions, my goal is to put everything I know before you, the citizen, so that you can make up your own mind. An obstruction of this office is an obstruction of you.”
– – –
Hayley Tschetter is a reporter with The Minnesota Sun and The Wisconsin Daily Star | Star News Network. Follow Hayley on Twitter or like her Facebook page. Send news tips to [email protected].
