The column below reflects the views of the author, and these opinions are neither endorsed nor supported by WisOpinion.com.
If published reports are correct on January 6th 2021 the day of the insurrection at the Capitol; an agent for President Trump contacted Johnson asking him to hand-deliver fraudulent election certificates from Michigan and Wisconsin to the Vice President.
Apparently Johnson directed his chief of staff Sean Riley to deliver the fake votes to Pence. When Riley contacted Pence’s office about the delivery the staffer asked “What is it?” “Alternate slate of electors for Michigan and Wisconsin” Riley replied. The Pence staffer told Riley: “Do not give that to him.”
It appears that Sen. Johnson knew that the documents Trump wanted delivered to Pence were fraudulent election certificates claiming Trump was the winner of the electoral votes in Michigan and Wisconsin. Johnson directed his chief of staff to carry out this action. Only when Pence’s’ staff emphatically directed Johnson’s office to not deliver the documents to Pence was the fake electors scheme halted.
Sen. Johnson has downplayed his role claiming this was only staff to staff conversation. It certainly appears that when Johnson directed his chief of staff to inform Pence’s office that they had a delivery of votes from Republicans in Michigan and Wisconsin who posed as fake presidential electors for Trump: that Johnson was a willing participant in the effort to overturn the 2020 election results.
Johnson gave up his moral and ethical compass by worshiping at the alter of political ambition. Wisconsin deserves, at the very least, ethical leadership from those we elect to represent us.
–Hanson, of Elkhorn, is a member of the Walworth County Democratic Party.
