MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Bipartisan Wisconsin elections officials have rejected a claim that private grants which helped cities run their elections during the coronavirus pandemic were illegal.
The state Elections Commission’s rejection Wednesday follows similar rulings by three courts in the last year which dismissed claims that the grants were illegal.
The commission’s decision involves $8.8 million in grants made by the Center for Tech and Civic Life to Wisconsin’s five largest cities, including Milwaukee, Madison, Green Bay, Racine and Kenosha.
The center is largely funded by Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan. Conservatives who have questioned the grants have said it was improper for most of the grant money to go to communities that have large populations of Democrats.
