Judge dismisses liberal watchdog's claims that Wisconsin impeachment panel violated open meeting law

kAms2?6 r@F?EJ r:C4F:E yF586 uC2?< #6>:?8E@? HC@E6 :? 9:D CF=:?8 E92E p>6C:42? ~G6CD:89E 7:=65 :ED 4=2:>D AC6>2EFC6=J 2?5 D9@F=5 92G6 8:G6? s:DEC:4E pEE@C?6J xD>26= ~K2??6 >@C6 E:>6 E@ 564:56 H96E96C E@ =2F?49 9:D @H? =2HDF:E] #6>:?8E@? 2==@H65 E96 8C@FA E@ 4@?E:?F6 D66<:?8 C64@C5D 7C@> E96 A2?6=[ 9@H6G6C]k^Am

kAm#6AF3=:42? pDD6>3=J $A62<6C #@3:? '@D 2D<65 7@C>6C DE2E6 $FAC6>6 r@FCE ;FDE:46D s2G:5 !C@DD6C[ !2E #@886?D24< 2?5 y@? (:=4@I :? $6AE6>36C E@ 25G:D6 @? H96E96C k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^H:D4@?D:?\C65:DEC:4E:?8\AC@E2D:6H:4K\:>A6249>6?E\C64FD2=\3ce``dh235`bega5c7c_5e54h566`b25Qm:>A6249:?8 4FCC6?E yFDE:46 y2?6E !C@E2D:6H:4Kk^2m H@F=5 36 ;FDE:7:65]k^Am

kAm!C@E2D:6H:4K :D 2 >6>36C @7 E96 4@FCEVD 7@FC\;FDE:46 =:36C2= >2;@C:EJ] #6AF3=:42?D 2C6 7FC:@FD H:E9 96C 27E6C D96 564=2C65 @? E96 42>A2:8? EC2:= =2DE J62C E92E E96 {68:D=2EFC6VD v~!\5C2H? 5:DEC:4E 3@F?52C:6D 2C6 “C:8865]” %96 9:89 4@FCE :D k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^H:D4@?D:?\C65:DEC:4E:?8\86CCJ>2?56C:?8\a_ac\6=64E:@?\_ddah`562_6eh`e5a3e3b`b`db7b`635Qm4FCC6?E=J 4@?D:56C:?8 2 492==6?86 E@ E96 3@F?52C:6Dk^2m E92E 4@F=5 7@C46 =2H>2<6CD E@ C65C2H E96 >2AD 29625 @7 E96 a_ac 6=64E:@?D[ A@E6?E:2==J 4@DE:?8 #6AF3=:42?D =68:D=2E:G6 D62ED ?6IE D6DD:@?] %96 v~! 2C8F6D !C@E2D:6H:4KVD 42>A2:8? C6>2C<D :?5:42E6 D96 92D AC6;F5865 E96 42D6]k^Am

kAmk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^H:D4@?D:?\DFAC6>6\4@FCE\:>A6249>6?E\C65:DEC:4E:?8\64b34_g72`h2535h7`3ch2fbdh3hc772Qm!C@DD6C 2?5 (:=4@I 3@E9 25G:D65k^2m '@D :? ~4E@36C E92E !C@E2D:6H:4KVD 42>A2:8? C6>2C<D 5@?VE C:D6 E@ 2? :>A624923=6 @776?D6] k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^H:D4@?D:?\DFAC6>6\4@FCE\:>A6249>6?E\`_b46`c_c65`gafhh45dh`f5bgfg2d`7QmxEVD F?4=62C H96C6 #@886?D24< DE2?5Dk^2mj D96 92D ?@E C6DA@?565 E@ >6DD286D]k^Am

kAmp>6C:42? ~G6CD:89E 2D<65 ~K2??6 E@ :?G6DE:82E6 H96E96C E96 ;FDE:46D H6C6 H@C<:?8 2D 2 8@G6C?>6?E 6?E:EJ 2?5 2D DF49 925 G:@=2E65 E96 DE2E6VD @A6? >66E:?8D =2H 3J @A6C2E:?8 :? D64C6E] u:G6 52JD 27E6C 7:=:?8 E96 C6BF6DE E96 8C@FA k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^H:D4@?D:?\DFAC6>6\4@FCE\:>A6249>6?E\A2?6=\=2HDF:E\64ah6bf2527e`55f2hch`dah4gc3_h4gQm7:=65 2 =2HDF:Ek^2m 2==68:?8 E96 ;FDE:46D G:@=2E65 E96 =2H 2?5 56>2?5:?8 C64@C5D C6=2E65 E@ E96:C H@C<]k^Am

kAm'@D 7:=65 2 >@E:@? E@ 5:D>:DD E96 @A6? >66E:?8 G:@=2E:@? 4=2:>D[ 2C8F:?8 E92E F?56C DE2E6 =2H p>6C:42? ~G6CD:89E 925 E@ 8:G6 ~K2??6 a_ 52JD E@ C67FD6 @C 72:= E@ =2F?49 2? :?G6DE:82E:@?] ~K2??6 5:5 ?6:E96C[ 244@C5:?8 E@ 4@FCE 5@4F>6?ED]k^Am

kAm#6>:?8E@? HC@E6 :? 9:D CF=:?8 %F6D52J E92E E96 A2?6= @7 7@C>6C ;FDE:46D H2D 2 8@G6C?>6?E2= 3@5J 4C62E65 3J @C56C @7 E96 pDD6>3=J DA62<6C 2?5 ?@3@5J 5:DAFE6D E92E E96 A2?6= >6E :? D64C6E] qFE p>6C:42? ~G6CD:89E 72:=65 E@ 8:G6 ~K2??6 E96 E:>6 2==@EE65 F?56C =2H E@ C67FD6 E@ :?G6DE:82E6 2?5 E96C67@C6 H2D 32CC65 7C@> 7:=:?8 2 =2HDF:E[ #6>:?8E@? 7@F?5]k^Am

kAm%96 CF=:?8 =62G6D :?E24E E96 8C@FAVD C64@C5 56>2?5D] '@D[ !C@DD6C 2?5 (:=4@I 92G6 EFC?65 @G6C E9@FD2?5D @7 A286D @7 5@4F>6?ED D@ 72C] #6>:?8E@? @? }@G] `_ 82G6 #@886?D24< k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^H:D4@?D:?\DFAC6>6\4@FCE\:>A6249>6?E\h65227aed2ge57hagcc2_4dfca45aba2Qmb_ 52JD E@ AC@5F46 96C C64@C5Dk^2m]k^Am

kAmp>6C:42? ~G6CD:89E tI64FE:G6 s:C64E@C w62E96C $2HJ6C D2:5 :? 2 DE2E6>6?E E92E 56DA:E6 #6>:?8E@?VD CF=:?8 %F6D52J E96 =2HDF:E DE:== C6DF=E65 :? 5@4F>6?ED 86EE:?8 C6=62D65 E@ E96 AF3=:4 “E92E @E96CH:D6 >:89E 92G6 C6>2:?65 D9C@F565 :? 52C<?6DD]”k^Am

kAmpD 7@C E96 @A6? >66E:?8 4=2:>D[ D96 D2:5 E96 8C@FA H:== 36 4@?D:56C:?8 2AA6==2E6 @AE:@?D]k^Am