Republicans sent ‘Wisconsin voter alert’ complete with emergency tones during real severe weather event

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By Steve Schuster

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As the wind whistled in excess of 60 mph, the night sky lit up like it was the Fourth of July Friday night in Wisconsin and Northern Illinois. Real tornado sirens sounded, one person was killed and dozens of others were injured when a roof collapsed at a concert venue in Northern Illinois. Amid the chaos, destruction of property and loss of life, Wisconsin Republicans took it upon themselves to broadcast fake weather alerts via SMS text messages telling Wisconsin voters not to elect liberal Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Janet Protasiewicz April 4. The Republican fake weather alert went out Friday afternoon just as several parts of Wisconsin were placed under Tornado Watches which in some areas were upgraded to Tornado Warnings.

The video’s disclaimer identifies the Republican Party of Wisconsin and Friends of Justice Daniel Kelly as responsible for the broadcast.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that “The text message included a video that used alert tones and a scratchy radio voice found on official emergency alerts aired on television and radio. The screen read, “*** Emergency Alert System ***” and “Wisconsin Voter Alert” on the backdrop of differently colored bars that sometimes appears on screen when TV programming is interrupted. After three beeps, a voice says, “This is a State of Wisconsin voter alert. Attention citizens: our Second Amendment rights are under attack by Judge Janet Protasiewicz.”

In response, The Democratic Party of Wisconsin issued a statement.

“For the Republican Party of Wisconsin to send this fake emergency alert on behalf of Dan Kelly at a time when many Wisconsinites are under the first Tornado Watch of the season is abhorrent, dangerous, and profoundly irresponsible,” said Democratic Party of Wisconsin Executive Director Devin Remiker.

“We’re calling on Wisconsin GOP Chair Brian Schimming and Dan Kelly to cease and desist further dissemination of this video via SMS or any other mediums, and to refrain from any further plans to broadcast this message via television or radio. We also call on the FCC to investigate this potentially illegal abuse of the Emergency Alert System and hold those responsible for this reckless broadcast accountable.”

The fake weather alerts came out just as Wisconsin television stations pulled “false” Kelly campaign ads.

The Wisconsin Law Journal is looking into whether this violated any Wisconsin Laws.