Wisconsin Democracy Campaign reports:
A circuit court judge ruled yesterday that the state Elections Board’s director did not have the authority to sign a $13.9 million contract with the global outsourcing firm Accenture to create a statewide voter registration list, but nevertheless upheld the contract on the grounds that the board retroactively approved the contract – more than a month after the contract was challenged legally.
What’s even weirder about the ruling is that it upholds a contract that neither Accenture nor the Elections Board seem intent on honoring. Accenture already has called for renegotiation of the terms of the agreement to push back deadlines the company can’t meet, increase payments from the state for some work, and eliminate several contractual obligations that the company says are no longer necessary. The Elections Board’s director agrees the contract needs to be rewritten and says he won’t rule out paying Accenture more.
