Accountability Board may investigate Democratic lawmaker

Talk about it

The state’s Government Accountability Board says it might investigate an anonymous complaint against Sen. Spencer Coggs, D-Milwaukee.

It said Coggs forged signatures on his nomination papers.

Yesterday, Coggs asked the board to find out who filed the complaint and punish the person for filing a frivolous action.

Board director Kevin Kennedy said he thought the complaint came from Coggs’ primary opponent, Nicholas Cosey – and a former lawmaker who’s backing him, Sen. Tom Reynolds, R-West Allis.

The accountability board ruled that Cosey did not have enough valid signatures himself. So Coggs will be unopposed this fall.

Also, the board voted to keep Assembly Democrat Pedro Colon of Milwaukee on the ballot, saying he had enough valid signatures.

Primary challenger Laura Manriquez said Colon’s papers had names of people from outside his district.

She also asked District Attorney John Chisholm to investigate.

But because he has worked with Colon, Chisholm referred the complaint to the state Justice Department.

The elections’ panel also dropped a complaint against Rep. Jeffrey Mursau, R-Crivitz.

John Fox of Niagara said Mursau got some of his signatures from outside his district – but the board said he still had enough valid ones.

The board also ruled that three other legislative challengers did not have enough valid signatures.

Tags: wisconsin, news, anonymous, complaint, coggs