Evers seeks removal of 2nd official from case
Attorney argues Spindell made up mind already
MADISON - Democratic Gov. Tony Evers is seeking the removal of a second Republican election official from a case that will decide whether Evers properly handled the state’s presidential results.
The filing by Evers adds a twist in a politically fraught case that has already led to one Republican member of the state Elections Commission stepping aside.
The case before the commission is not about whether Joe Biden defeated Donald Trump. Biden’s victory has already been confirmed by state and federal courts. But the case will determine whether Evers and election officials were right to make that finding when they did and will guide how presidential results are finalized in the future.
In the latest development, an attorney for Evers asked that Commissioner Bob Spindell be taken off the case. Spindell joined a group of Republicans in December who claimed to be the state’s rightful members of the Electoral College even though Biden had narrowly won the state.
Evers’ attorney, Jeffrey Mandell, argued in his filing that Spindell’s participation in that meeting showed that he had already reached the conclusion Evers had not properly named the state’s electors.
“If he believed that Wisconsin’s Presidential Electors had been validly ascertained, he would not have participated in that meeting, because there would be no reason to do so,” Mandell wrote.
In addition to serving as Evers’ attorney, Mandell leads Law Forward, a nonprofit law firm focused on voting issues. Law Forward recently filed complaints with the Elections Commission and Milwaukee County district attorney’s office against Spindell and the other Republicans for holding their meeting, alleging they had engaged in fraud.
The commission’s plan to review that complaint also means Spindell should step aside from the case involving Evers, Mandell argued.
Spindell said Thursday he would review the situation with an attorney to decide what to do.
Dean Knudson, a Republican on the commission, filed complaints in December against Evers and Meagan Wolfe, the commission’s nonpartisan director, over how the state finalized the presidential results.
Knudson contended the commission should have had a chance to weigh in on how to handle the election results before the commission’s Democratic chairwoman, Ann Jacobs, confirmed them. Evers signed off on the slate of electors shortly after Jacobs made her determination.
In responses to Knudson’s complaints, Evers and Wolfe have said they handled the results properly.
Knudson last week said he would not participate in deciding the cases because he brought them. That leaves the six-member commission with a 3-2 Democratic majority for the cases. If Spindell were to step aside, that would give the Democrats a 3-1 advantage.
Johnson is expected to be a top target for Democrats during the 2022 elections if he decides to run for reelection. Those running for the seat include Democrats Tom Nelson and Alex Lasry.
Asked about Lindeen’s obituary, Johnson spokesman Ben Voelkel said, “Our best wishes and sincerest condolences are with her loved ones on their loss.”
But Lindeen may be the first person to take on Johnson in an obituary.
Carol, a longtime Madison resident, always had an independent streak. She was a political independent who once voted for Richard Nixon and liked John McCain, but “was still more of a Democrat,” Laurie said.
Carol was born in Troy, New York, and spent her childhood summers in Kennebunkport, Maine. She attended Bradley University and married Lance Lindeen, living in Champaign, Ilinois, and St. Louis before settling in Madison in 1969.
Carol Lindeen was known for her impeccable fashion sense, her daughter said, and worked for years at Jan Byce’s Boutique at Hilldale Mall.
She had legendary bridge parties and enjoyed “Badgers hockey games, book clubs, and evenings on the town at the Wonder Bar, Smoky’s, and always Parthenon Gyros,” at least when she wasn’t shuttling her children “to gymnastics, soccer, volleyball, and hockey, or leading Brownie, Girl Scout, and PTA meetings.”
She also went to see her daughter’s band, Zuzu’s Petals.
“She used to stand on tables at the UW Student Union and at O’Cayz Corral in Madison snapping pictures at Zuzu’s Petals shows and embarrassing me,” Laurie said. “In the old vernacular, she was a swell dame. She was fun. She was funny. I mean, she was cooler than me.”
Carol Lindeen is survived by her daughters, Laurie Lindeen (Jim Diem), Megan Lindeen (Peter Natzke) and Hillary Benson (Dirk); and son, Lance Christopher (Karen); niece, Brittaney Smith (Chris Kane); nephew, Kirk Smith (Robin); and grandchildren, Casey, Johnny, Jack, Ryan, Cassidy, Grace, Lila, and Scarlet; greatgrandson, Caleb; and many cousins.
Laurie said that she’s gotten “a little blowback” over the obituary, but kept thinking of their last conversation.
“She said, ‘I wish I would have done more’ when we were watching him,” Laurie added. “So I just had to put that in.”