MADISON - The Wisconsin Capitol Police are investigating a convicted felon focused on the 2020 election over possible stalking behavior toward the leader of the Wisconsin Elections Commission.
Peter Bernegger, a New London man and 2020 election denier, was served last month with a warning letter from the DOJ Division of Criminal Investigation notifying him his behavior toward Wisconsin Elections Commission administrator Meagan Wolfe and commission staff "could be interpreted as 'stalking'" under state law.
Bernegger once claimed without evidence that a "sect" of Milwaukee officials illegally printed ballots for Joe Biden in 2020 and has filed more than a dozen lawsuits against state and local election officials in recent years.
"Stalking can be described as intentionally engaging in a course of conduct directed at a specific person or persons that would cause a reasonable person under the same circumstances to suffer serious emotions distress such as feeling harassed, tormented or intimidated," the July 7 letter from Wisconsin Capitol Police Chief David Erwin wrote.
"Your behavior has induced such distress in Meagan Wolfe and others at the Wisconsin Elections Commission," Erwin wrote. "The Wisconsin State Capitol Police take this law very seriously."
Bernegger did not immediately respond to a request for an interview.
Bernegger, who was sent to federal prison after he was convicted of mail fraud and bank fraud in 2009, got support from some Wisconsin Republicans in the...
Welcome to Reality Check, NewsGuard’s nonpartisan newsletter that tracks the false claims and conspiracy theories that shape our world — and who’s behind them. A note to readers: We just scored a b...