An audio clip released Saturday revealed Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen's announcement to delegates at the Republican National Convention of his promise to prevent state voter fraud.
The clip was recorded just days before Van Hollen filed a lawsuit against the Government Accountability Board for its failure to examine voter registration accuracy.
Several groups have opposed the lawsuit, claiming it would disenfranchise voters, and the GAB motioned Monday to dismiss the case.
According to Alec Loftus, communications director for the Democratic Party of Wisconsin, Van Hollen previously stated he had not discussed the voter registration lawsuit with any Republican Party leaders prior to filing it.
This new audio proves that he was not telling the truth when he made this statement,"" Loftus said in a statement.
Loftus said he believes the clip reveals Van Hollen's commitment to the Republican Party and his motive to help Republican presidential candidate John McCain through his position as attorney general.
Kevin St. John, special assistant to Van Hollen, said the statement did not reveal Van Hollen's lawsuit was politically motivated, but rather was an expression of his long-term goal of preventing voter fraud.
""There is nothing in the speech which is a conversation with anyone about strategizing a lawsuit against the GAB,"" St. John said in a statement.
According to St. John, Van Hollen sent a letter last August to the GAB asking it to re-evaluate voter registrations and suggested the possibility of a lawsuit if no action was taken.
Van Hollen also worked with Milwaukee District Attorney John Chisholm before filling the lawsuit to create the Milwaukee Election Fraud Task Force to investigate and prosecute electoral fraud when appropriate, St. John said.
Kirsten Kukowski, communications director for the Republican Party of Wisconsin, said every illegal vote cast is unfair to legal voters, adding that Van Hollen has pledged to prevent voter fraud since before he was elected in 2006.
According to Loftus, voter fraud is not prevalent in Wisconsin.
