Ron Johnson aide asked felon convicted of fraud for opinion

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Ron Johnson’s reelection campaign’s top aide asked for advice about Democrats’ campaign activities from a convicted felon who once claimed without evidence that a “sect” of Milwaukee officials illegally printed ballots for Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential election, reported the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. 

Records obtained by The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and released under Wisconsin’s public records law show Johnson’s deputy chief of staff emailed Peter Bernegger in October 2022, asking whether a getout- the-vote operation aimed at Black residents was legal.

Bernegger was convicted of fraud, according to the article.

The program in question was described as including a “‘Protect our vote’ black SUV with a picture of Congressional Black Caucus leader John Lewis on its side.” The driver said “these vans are all over the city, they had a caravan on Sunday and they’re trying to ‘get everyone to register to vote,'” according to an email from Julie Leschke in Johnson’s office to Bernegger. Leschke asked Bernegger if he was aware of the effort and whether it was legal, The Journal Sentinel reported.

Sen. Johnson told the Wisconsin Law Journal that “My staff regularly responds to constituents regarding a variety of different matters. Peter Bernegger has never advised my office on election matters.”