Matthew DeFour

No, Mr. President. Wisconsin’s voter roll figures aren’t a sign of ‘fraud waiting to happen’ People on Wisconsin’s inactive list aren’t eligible to vote, but their records stay on file indefinitely — a practice that actually helps reduce the likelihood of fraud, election officials say.…

No, Mr. President. Wisconsin’s voter roll figures aren’t a sign of ‘fraud waiting to happen’ wisconsinwatch.org/2026/01/wisc...

Wisconsin Supreme Court elections have drawn an ‘obscene’ amount of spending. Here’s why and what can be done about it. Loose campaign finance laws, lax recusal rules, a purple electorate and even the spring election cycle all help explain why high court races have become so expensive.

Wisconsin Supreme Court elections have drawn an ‘obscene’ amount of spending. Here’s why and what can be done about it. wisconsinwatch.org/2025/12/wisc...

‘They are squeezing everybody in this park to death’: Owners of manufactured homes get little protection as private equity moves in Wisconsin regulators rarely inspect parks and allow many to go unlicensed — all while frustrations simmer with unresponsive landlords.

Great work from @addiecostello.bsky.social shedding light on an overlooked problem in Wisconsin!

‘They are squeezing everybody in this park to death’: Owners of manufactured homes get little protection as private equity moves in wisconsinwatch.org/2025/09/wisc...

Wisconsin judge under investigation for jailing man over dispute with courthouse employee Nothing so far has come of a state criminal probe into Outagamie Circuit Court Judge Mark McGinnis, who has been a controversial figure since elected in 2005.

Here's the original story from @wisconsinwatch.org in January 2024. At the time the case had been open at DOJ for more than a year. The special prosecutor was appointed in March 2024. wisconsinwatch.org/2024/01/wisc...

Wisconsin judge will resign, won’t face criminal charges for jailing cement contractor Outagamie County Judge Mark McGinnis acknowledged through an attorney that he could have handled the matter differently

BREAKING: Wisconsin judge will resign, won’t face criminal charges for jailing cement contractor wisconsinwatch.org/2025/08/wisc...

Is Wisconsin facing a structural deficit in the 2027-29 state budget? Yes. The state is spending more than it is taking in, and the Legislative Fiscal Bureau projects the state is on pace to have a -$1.4 billion general fund deficit by June 30, 2029.

How's this for a quick turnaround? The LFB published its update on the state's finances today and we were ready to include the info in this fact brief.

Is Wisconsin facing a structural deficit in the 2027-29 state budget? wisconsinwatch.org/2025/08/is-w...

Video: life, death and resilience at Wonderfarm The view from a small Dane County farm affected by Trump administration cuts to the Local Food Purchase Assistance program.

Video: life, death and resilience at Wonderfarm wisconsinwatch.org/2025/07/wisc...

‘Harder to rebuild than it is to destroy’: AmeriCorps regroups in Wisconsin after judge restores funding that Trump cut Leaders of member organizations discuss what’s next for AmeriCorps in an uncertain future.

Powerful storytelling from Trisha Young and @wisconsinwatch.org

‘Harder to rebuild than it is to destroy’: AmeriCorps regroups in Wisconsin after judge restores funding that Trump cut wisconsinwatch.org/2025/06/wisc...

Michael Gableman's career shows how court went hyper political The former Wisconsin Supreme Court justice was a loyal Republican with a history of ethical complaints that went unpunished until now.

@tomkertschernews.bsky.social uncovered a lot of new details about Michael Gableman's career, including an incident at the 2016 RNC.

Wisconsin’s Supreme Court has become hyper political. The rise and fall of Michael Gableman’s career shows how that happened. wisconsinwatch.org/2025/04/wisc...

The court is where the power to effect change in the lives of real people is now concentrated. If those entrusted with power act against the will of the people, the voters will remind them next time at the ballot box.

At Wisconsin Watch, we will continue to scrutinize the Wisconsin Supreme Court closely, as we have since liberals took control in 2023.

The state Supreme Court’s liberal majority is now entrenched until at least 2028 and has the power to ensure abortion is legal, teachers have the same union rights as police officers, polluters clean up hazardous chemicals and congressional maps reflect the state’s 50/50 partisan divide.

But the 10-point win for liberal Dane County Judge Susan Crawford also reflected an ongoing counterswing to the overreach of the state’s 2010 Republican takeover.

Musk’s attempts to use million-dollar giveaways and pay people $100 to vote for Sch… <ahem>, I mean, sign a petition against activist judges, likely turned off more voters than it turned on.

To put that in perspective, before the 2023 Wisconsin Supreme Court race set the previous spending record north of $50 million, the record was a 2004 Illinois Supreme Court race that cost $15 million.

There’s no doubt this election became a referendum on Elon Musk, the unelected centibillionaire running the Trump administration’s dismantling of the federal bureaucracy. Musk poured more than $20 million into a race likely to double the previous spending record on a state Supreme Court race.

But Tuesday’s Wisconsin Supreme Court election reminded us of a very important lesson about our democracy: The people are the most important guardrail. When the people don’t like what those in power are doing, they have the real power to rise up — at the ballot box — and demand change.

The first two months of the second Trump administration — with cuts to congressionally approved spending, pardons for rioters convicted of beating police officers, mass firings of civil servants and deportations of legal residents — have created the sense that all guardrails of democracy are gone.

Here's my take on the election from our Wednesday Report newsletter:

Since last November’s election there has been a gloom over liberal Madison.

What Susan Crawford’s Wisconsin Supreme Court win means The Dane County Circuit Court judge’s victory guarantees that liberals will control the court until at least 2028.

Here’s what Susan Crawford’s state Supreme Court win means for Wisconsin wisconsinwatch.org/2025/04/here...

There were many signs that Susan Crawford was on track to win this election, but when it became a referendum on Elon Musk there was really no amount of money that could change the outcome. People are literally burning Teslas in the streets.

Are cash giveaways from Elon Musk’s PAC ahead of election legal? Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul said he would take action against Elon Musk’s latest giveaway, which Musk deleted.

A reader asked whether something Elon Musk did was illegal. We got sidetracked checking whether another thing he did was illegal. Both answers here:

Are the cash giveaways from Elon Musk’s America PAC ahead of the April 1 Wisconsin Supreme Court election legal? wisconsinwatch.org/2025/03/wisc...

YouTube video by Wisconsin Watch What's at stake in Wisconsin's April 1 Supreme Court election?

If you missed my conversation with Wisconsin statehouse reporter Jack Kelly about next Tuesday's #wisupremecourt race, you can watch it here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6gg...

Wisconsin man's testimony about gender-affirming care went viral Retired Milwaukee prison maintenance worker Larry Jones sat through seven hours of committee testimony before changing his mind.

There's a great story behind this @wisconsinwatch.org story behind the story. Hallie Claflin found Larry by cold-calling names in the phone book!

'Just plain old Larry': A Wisconsin man's testimony about gender-affirming care went viral. Here's his story. wisconsinwatch.org/2025/03/wisc...

Why the Wisconsin Supreme Court election matters Wisconsin Watch statehouse reporter Jack Kelly answers your questions about the Wisconsin Supreme Court election.

Join the discussion next Wednesday about the April 1 election!

Live event: What’s at stake in the Wisconsin Supreme Court election? wisconsinwatch.org/2025/03/wisc...

What an honor for @phoebepetrovic.bsky.social to be a finalist for the prestigious Toner Prize for National Reporting in her first year as a ProPublica Local Reporting Network fellow. We are so grateful for @propublica.org supporting local nonprofit journalists! newhouse.syracuse.edu/centers/robi...

Republican uses GOAT Committee power to probe diversity efforts Rep. Shae Sortwell sent requests for information about DEI activities to multiple Democratic cities, but the committee hasn’t even met yet.

Scoop from Jack Kelly @wisconsinwatch.bsky.social on the latest effort to channel Trump/DOGE energy in Wisconsin.

Republican uses GOAT Committee authority to investigate local government diversity efforts wisconsinwatch.org/2025/02/wisc...

UPDATE: Children’s Wisconsin hospital reinstates gender-affirming care for trans teen after canceling in wake of Trump’s executive order The order is being challenged in court as illegal and unconstitutional.

UPDATE: Children’s Wisconsin hospital reinstates gender-affirming care for trans teen after canceling in wake of Trump’s executive order wisconsinwatch.org/2025/02/wisc...

BREAKING:

A unanimous Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled that the swing state’s nonpartisan top elections official, who has been targeted for removal by Republican lawmakers over the 2020 presidential election, can remain in her post despite not being reappointed and confirmed by the state Senate.

This is the first documented report of a Wisconsin clinic halting gender affirming care in the wake of Trump’s executive order ⬇️ the hospital has not responded to requests from me or a state representative