A GOP state lawmaker blames aide for tweet calling voter ID opponents 'true racists'

Patrick Marley | Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

MADISON - A tweet quickly deleted Tuesday from the account of a white GOP lawmaker suggested one of Wisconsin's two African-American senators was a racist for her opposition to the state's voter ID law.

Rep. Thomas Weatherson (R-Caledonia) said he did not know about the tweet issued under his name until after it was deleted and a reporter asked about it.

Weatherston called the tweet racist, said he didn't agree with it and suggested his aide, Keith Best, had posted it under his name without his knowledge.

"I never would have said something like that," said Weatherston, who is not seeking re-election. "I don't agree with what it said."

The episode started when Sen. Lena Taylor (D-Milwaukee) tweeted a link to an article from TheRoot.com about purging voter rolls. In her Twitter message, Taylor wrote, "Voter suppression is one of the most overlooked issues in America."

In response, a tweet from Weatherston's account said: "Those claiming that minorities are not smart enough to follow voting rules with a Photo ID are the true racists."

The tweet was deleted soon afterward.

In a statement, Taylor held Weatherston responsible for the tweet.

"Rep. Weatherston assumed that the only reason a minority individual wouldn’t vote, would be because of stupidity or inability to follow the law," she said in her statement.

“Maybe next time he comments on one of my posts Rep. Weatherston should take a second to read the article I share. There’s no ID needed, and he won’t have to work nearly as hard to scramble and delete his ill-thought comments.”

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Weatherston said he planned to talk to Best about what happened and it was too soon to say whether he would discipline him.

"We're going to have a little talk, I guess," Weatherston said.

I have been informed that a racist remark was on my Twitter account earlier today. I can assure you it did NOT come from me and I am working to resolve this issue. Starting with changing my password. My sincere apologies if anyone was offended. — Thomas Weatherston (@RepWeatherston) July 24, 2018

Best could not be reached late Tuesday to give his version of events.

Weatherston said he had not used his Twitter account for two or three days. Soon after talking to a reporter, he tweeted, "I have been informed that a racist remark was on my Twitter account earlier today. I can assure you it did NOT come from me and I am working to resolve this issue. Starting with changing my password. My sincere apologies if anyone was offended."

Voter suppression is one of the most overlooked issues in America. Let’s get this straight, it wasn’t a disconnect with the middle class that led to 2016’s outcome. It was a disconnect with a core value that this country was built on, the right to vote. https://t.co/0i5tuSPXbZ — Sen. Lena C. Taylor (@SenTaylor) July 24, 2018

Democrats expressed frustration over the matter.

"Clearly, we need to give (whoever sent the tweet) a definition of what racism is if he's calling a person of color racist," Rep. David Crowley (D-Milwaukee) said.

He said the sender of the tweet doesn't seem to understand the challenges some people — including the poor, college students and the elderly — face in getting IDs.

"It doesn't just affect African-Americans only," Crowley said. "For him to automatically assume it's about racism or racist laws shows he's missing the ballpark."

Rep. David Bowen (D-Milwaukee) said the tweet came after Republicans were "caging children and siding with white supremacists."

"Republicans will have to do much better ... if they want to shed the reputation they've earned in recent years," Bowen said.