‘So disgusting.’ U.S. representative speaks out against Tarrant elections chief finalist
U.S. Rep. Marc Veasey is speaking out against one of Tarrant County’s finalists for elections administrator.
Karen Wiseman of Fort Worth is one of three finalists for the job. Wiseman once sued the outgoing administrator over public records requests. Her case was dropped the day interviews for the job began, according to county court records.
During the midterm election cycle, Wiseman also put a letter in one Fort Worth voter’s mailbox asking if they had cast their ballot at a Stop Six vote center.
Wiseman wrote in the letter that she was a part of a group investigating the integrity of local elections, but did not identify which group she was with.
One expert told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram that it was unusual seeing a partisan candidate get this far in an interview process for a job where non-partisanship is the standard.
Now, Veasey says leaders in Tarrant County are getting “too comfortable.”
“Of course one of the finalist is openly racist and very comfortable accusing Black people in Stop 6 of stuffing ballot boxes!!!!” Veasey, a Fort Worth Democrat, wrote. “So disgusting that she even got this far!!! They getting too comfortable in Tarrant County govt.”
Wiseman did not return a phone call for comment Wednesday morning, nor did she respond to a text.
Besides Wiseman, the county’s election commission have chosen Clinton Ludwig from the county clerk’s office and Fred Crosley, who used to be Trinity Metro’s chief financial officer, as finalists. Nine candidates were interviewed this past Friday, and finalists will be interviewed again sometime this week.
Veasey and six other area Democrats penned a letter in May asking the U.S. Department of Justice to look into whether county judge Tim O’Hare and other GOP leaders had undermined minority voting rights.
On Monday, Justice Department officials agreed to meet with those Democrats to discuss the letter. A meeting date has not been set.
Veasey was not immediately available to comment Wednesday morning.
