Politics
Wisconsin district attorney pursuing investigation into mayor stealing absentee ballot drop box
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A Wisconsin district attorney said Thursday that her office is pursuing an investigation into the removal of an absentee ballot drop box by the mayor of Wausau.
Mayor Doug Diny removed the drop box, located outside of City Hall, on Sunday and distributed a picture of himself doing it while wearing worker’s gloves and a hard hat. Diny is a conservative opponent to drop boxes. He insists he did nothing wrong.
The drop box was locked and no ballots were in it. The city clerk notified Marathon County District Attorney Theresa Wetzsteon and she said in an email on Thursday that she is requesting an official investigation with the assistance of the Wisconsin Department of Justice.
Wetzsteon said she was waiting to hear back from DOJ on her request.
A spokesperson for DOJ did not immediately return a message Thursday.
Democratic Gov. Tony Evers weighed in on Thursday, calling the removal of the drop box “wrong.” Evers said it should be restored “immediately”:
“Drop box voting is safe, secure, and legal,” Evers posted on the social media platform X. “As elected officials, we should be working to make it easier—not harder—for every eligible Wisconsinite to cast their ballot. That’s democracy.”
The incident is the latest example in swing state Wisconsin of the fight over whether communities will allow absentee ballot drop boxes. The Wisconsin Supreme Court in July ruled that drop boxes are legal, but left it up to local communities to decide whether to use them.
walden
September 27, 2024 at 11:45 am
This is a perfect illustration of how petty and corrupt even local media has become.
Mayor Diny, a retired Army Major and a conservative, was elected mayor of Wausau.
Diny felt the ballot box placement was not properly authorized and also not secure so he moved it from outside City Hall to inside the building’s lobby. That is hardly “stealing” as described in the title to this article. Apparently the WIZM clubhouse dupes haven’t yet mastered the English language.
The corrupt media also constantly vomits unsubstantiated statements about how “safe and secure” ballot lockboxes are, yet here we have one guy in a suit able to move such a lockbox.
Ron Dent
September 28, 2024 at 3:28 pm
The mayor STOLE the ballot box and put it in his office not the lobby,he should be arrested for theft and election interference.
RHONDA L FELTON
September 30, 2024 at 10:09 am
Absolutely
William
September 30, 2024 at 8:16 am
Well if it was legal then he has nothing to worry about from the media. He will not be charged, heck even if he did something illegal he is a politician so he will just get scolded. At the end of the day he either had authority to move it or did not. Based on the clerk reporting him, it seems more likely than not that he did not have authority to move the box. Just so we are all aware if you are not authorized to move something, then even moving it a foot is illegal no matter your intent.
Garrett
September 28, 2024 at 8:12 am
It doesn’t matter that he was elected as mayor or that he served in our military you did hit the nail on the head when you said “he felt the ballot box placement was not properly authorized” how someone feels and the actions they take is the difference between the rule of law or achieving a felony conviction. Maybe he can patrol the handicapped parking and “feel like” they shouldn’t have parked there and move the car to a different parking lot. If you or me moved tampered with an official ballot box we would have been promptly arrested and charged with a felony.