Wisconsin-Report

neighborhood.’ […] Friday marks Americans for Prosperity-Wisconsin’s 4th official field office opening in Wisconsin, with
others up and running in Sheboygan, Wauwatosa, and La Crosse. […] The Delafield office grand opening is open to the public
and will be held at 2725 Hillside Dr. Unit C in Delafield. Speakers will begin at 5 p.m.” [Americans for Prosperity, 4/25/16]
• AFP Said It Would “Announce Several More Office Openings In The Coming Weeks,” With The Intent “To
Facilitate A Permanent Presence By AFP In These Communities.” According to a post on the Americans for
Prosperity website, “Friday marks Americans for Prosperity-Wisconsin’s 4th official field office opening in Wisconsin,
with others up and running in Sheboygan, Wauwatosa, and La Crosse. AFP will announce several more office
openings in the coming weeks. These openings are intended to facilitate a permanent presence by AFP in these
communities.” [Americans for Prosperity, 4/25/16]
AFP-WI UTILIZED UNSCRUPULOUS TACTICS IN PURSUIT OF THEIR GOALS
During 2011 Recall Elections, AFP Mailed Voters Absentee Ballots With The Wrong Date. According to Politico, “The
conservative third-party group Americans for Prosperity said absentee ballot applications sent to Wisconsin voters this
weekend with the wrong election date were the result of a ‘printing mistake.’ ‘The date on the ballot application was meant
solely for the elections held on Aug. 16. Due to a mistake during printing, all applications were sent out with the Aug. 11 date,’
said AFP-Wisconsin state Director Matt Seaholm. ‘Americans for Prosperity-Wisconsin did not intend to print the incorrect
absentee deadline or confuse voters in any way.’ The fliers from the advocacy group informed voters they should return
ballots to their city clerk before Aug. 11 — even though the next election day is Aug. 9. The upcoming recall elections of six
Republican state senators could flip control of the state Senate, as Republicans currently hold just a 19-14 majority in the
chamber.” [Politico, 8/2/11]
A Recorded Tape Of A Wisconsin Tea Party Organizer Described Plans To Coordinate With Americans for
Prosperity’s Wisconsin Branch To Challenge Mailed Voter Registrations. According to National Journal, “In
Wisconsin, a liberal watchdog group has asked state and federal officials to investigate after it unearthed another surreptitiously
recorded tape, this one featuring a state tea party activist describing an elaborate plan to mail out thousands of postcards to
targeted voters and challenge the registrations of those returned as undeliverable. On the tape, state tea party organizer Tim
Dake described plans to work with the state GOP and the Wisconsin branch of Americans for Prosperity, a secretive
conservative group underwritten in part by Koch Industries. Americans for Prosperity organizers in Washington and
Wisconsin did not return calls and e-mails seeking comment.” [The National Journal, 10/18/10]
In 2010, “AFP Discussed A ‘Voter Caging’ Scheme With The Wisconsin GOP And Tea Party Activists” Targeting
Minority And Student Voters. According to MSNBC, “AFP is also alleged to have played an active role in helping
Republicans suppress the vote. According to a report by One Wisconsin Now, a liberal group, in 2010, AFP discussed a ‘voter
caging’ scheme with the Wisconsin GOP and tea party activists, in which a mailer was to be sent to minority and student
voters, telling them they had to confirm their voter registration. Any mailers returned as undeliverable were then to be used by
tea party volunteers to challenge the eligibility of voters at the polls. AFP’s Wisconsin director said at the time the effort aimed
to combat voter fraud. It’s not clear how much of it was put into practice.” [MSNBC.com, 9/29/14]
• AFP, The Republican Party Of Wisconsin, And Tea Party Organizations Planned To Manipulate Voters
And Make Them Ineligible To Vote On Election Day. According to One Wisconsin Now, “According to the
statements made on the recordings, Dake lays out the plans, detailing contact between himself and Reince Preibus, the
Republican Party of Wisconsin Chair and Mark Block, state director of Americans for Prosperity-Wisconsin: The
Republican Party of Wisconsin will use its ‘Voter Vault’ state-wide voter file to compile a list of minority and student
voters in targeted Wisconsin communities. Americans for Prosperity will use this list to send mail to these voters
indicating the voter must call and confirm their registration information, and telling them if they do not call the
number provided they could be removed from the voter lists. The Tea Party organizations will recruit and place
individuals as official poll workers in selected municipalities in order to be able to make the challenges as official poll
workers. On Election Day, these organizations will then ‘make use’ of any postcards that are returned as undeliverable
to challenge voters at the polls, utilizing law enforcement, as well as attorneys trained and provided by the RPW, to
support their challenges.” [One Wisconsin Now, 9/19/10]
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