The executive director of the Milwaukee Board of Elections is currently out of office, just one week after one of his former colleagues on the board was found guilty of election fraud.
On Monday, Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson (D) announced the firing of Claire Woodall, also known as Claire Woodall-Vogg, as the commission’s executive director. However, there appear to be different explanations for Mr Johnson’s decision to sack her.
Monday before noon, ABC News The mayor’s press secretary, Jeff Fleming, cited “issues that have raised concerns within the Board of Elections office and city government” as the reason for her firing, according to the report. indicated that it had nothing to do with the mayor’s election management methods.
of milwaukee journal sentinel Then, around 2:30 p.m., the city reported that Mayor Johnson denied firing Woodall, claiming that Woodall had offered her another position but she didn’t seem willing to accept. He refused to say whether she lost her job for “any wrongdoing,” the newspaper said.
“A dedicated public servant passionate about combating voter suppression.”
Mr. Johnson initially named Mr. Woodall to the position of executive director. summer At the time, Johnson called Woodall a “dedicated public servant who is passionate about quelling voter suppression, overcoming the barriers voters face, and ensuring everyone in our city has free and fair access to elections.” ”
After the controversial 2020 presidential election, Woodall claimed to have received numerous threats to her safety, and two years ago announced that she would work remotely if Milwaukee hosted the 2024 Republican National Convention. He even claimed that. intention.
“If MKE were to host the RNC, you would find me working remotely out of state for the week so I wouldn’t be hung in the town square like someone threatened to do,” she said. Ta. reportedly he wrote on the social media platform then known as Twitter. A few days later, she deleted her Twitter account.
Woodall has now left the Milwaukee Board of Elections, and Johnson has appointed Deputy Director Paulina Gutierrez to fill the vacancy. “Paulina’s integrity and ability are the perfect fit for this job,” Johnson said in a statement. “She will lead the department at a critical juncture where public scrutiny of the department’s work will greatly increase.” “I have confidence in her, and she will ensure that her department has the resources it needs to accomplish her mission.”
Mr. Gutierrez has been appointed deputy director for just over a year. For her to assume her executive director role, the Milwaukee City Council must approve her nomination.
Neither Woodall nor Gutierrez responded to ABC News’ requests for comment.
The news about Woodall comes just a week after former Milwaukee Board of Elections Deputy Director Kimberly Zapata was sentenced on four charges related to her conduct while in office.
As Blaze News previously reported, Zapata was convicted in March of one count of felony misconduct in public office and three misdemeanor counts of election fraud. Zapata requested an absentee ballot for non-military members and sent it to Republican state Rep. Janelle Blancchen, who has publicly questioned Joe Biden’s 2020 win in Wisconsin. He was sentenced to probation and fined $3,000.
Kimberly Zapata Found Guilty in Milwaukee Ballot Fraud Case | Kimberly Zapata FOX6 News Milwaukeeyoutube.be
Zapata did not deny sending fraudulent ballots. Rather, she acknowledged, she considers herself a “whistleblower” who sought to expose serious flaws in the state’s election procedures.
”[Rep. Brandtjen] “This is the most vocal election-frauding politician I know,” Zapata said to explain his actions. [about the 2020 election] into something actually real. ”
Woodall seemed to agree with Zapata’s argument, but not the way she presented it. Before Zapata’s sentencing, Woodall wrote: [Zapata] Her actions were rooted in very real security vulnerabilities that state law created and continues to create. ”
Woodall also said that the accusations against Zapata had affected him, saying, “After Kim’s conduct came to light, as the executive director of the Electoral Commission, I felt sorry for my colleagues, employees, and the people I served. “We faced severe skepticism and criticism from the Japanese people,” he said.
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