Van Hollen Held Backroom Meeting at Convention with
RPW Chair, Promised DOJ Action Before Filing GAB Lawsuit
MADISON – Newly released audio reveals that Attorney General JB Van Hollen promised delegates at the Republican National Convention that they “would be hearing much more from the Department of Justice,” and “the lawyers of the state of Wisconsin,” just days before he used his state office to file a politically motivated lawsuit against the Government Accountability Board.
Listen to the audio from September 4, which was recently released and posted on WisPolitics.com: http://www.wispolitics.com/1006/080904vanhollen.mp3
In addition, recent news reports have also confirmed that Van Hollen participated in a backroom meeting at the National Convention with the RPW Chair just days before filing suit against the GAB. According to the Wisconsin State Journal, RPW Chair Reince Priebus expressed his frustration with the GAB to Van Hollen during a small group meeting at the Convention. (Source: WSJ 9.23.08)
“It is unconscionable that the chief law enforcement officer of the state would conduct backroom deals at the Republican National Convention and then use his state office to carry out the bidding of his GOP bosses,” said Joe Wineke, Chair of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin.
“If JB Van Hollen is claiming this lawsuit isn’t political, then why did he discuss it with the RPW Chair at a partisan political convention and then send signals to fellow Republicans that he was mobilizing the Department of Justice to take action?,” asked Wineke.
Wineke said Van Hollen’s contacts with the RPW Chair and his comments about mobilizing the DOJ prove that he was not telling the truth when he stated, “There was no discussion with anybody involved in leadership with the Republican Party (or the McCain Campaign) about this lawsuit before it was brought.” (Source: MJS, 9.18.08)
Despite being widely ripped in the editorial pages for his ethical shortcomings and penchant for distorting the truth, Van Hollen still appears to have the full support of the GOP bosses who are desperate to sway the state of
According to the latest WisPolitics Political Stock Report, “the Republican AG’s lawsuit against the Government Accountability Board over double checking voter registrations was a big hit with the conservative base of the GOP.”
