Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers has come under scrutiny for his use of an alternative state email account under the name of late Hall of Fame baseball player Warren Spahn. The conservative outlet Wisconsin Right Now broke the story on Sunday, revealing that Evers had been using the email address "warren.spahn@wisconsin.gov" to discuss public business with top-level Cabinet appointees and others.

Evers' spokesperson, Britt Cudaback, defended the use of the alias email address, stating that it is a common practice for dignitaries in the state of Wisconsin to have alias email addresses for digital security purposes. Cudaback also pointed out that this practice has been in place for at least the last decade, including during former Governor Walker's administration.

However, Bill Lueders, president of the Wisconsin Freedom of Information Council, expressed concern over the use of what he referred to as "phantom email addresses." Lueders admitted that he had never heard of this practice before and questioned its legality. He emphasized that if these email addresses are used for public business, they should be subject to the records law.

Cudaback responded to the concerns by assuring that responsive emails requested under the state open records law are always released in accordance with the law, regardless of which account they are sent from. She also mentioned that the Evers administration routinely redacts all identifiers of non-public email addresses in their open records request responses. This is done to protect officials' ability to communicate and work efficiently, she explained.

Wisconsin Right Now sought to obtain all communications to and from "warren.spahn@wisconsin.gov" from 2018 to September 2023. However, the governor's office rejected the request as being too broad, stating that over 17,000 emails were found. The Department of Administration did provide the outlet with more than 30 pages of emails, which revealed exchanges between Evers, Cabinet secretaries, and others. In one email dated May 7, 2020, Evers mentioned a box of highly toxic "mechanical solvent" that had mistakenly been delivered to the governor's residence, expressing uncertainty about what to do with it.

It is worth noting that Evers has publicly expressed his admiration for Milwaukee baseball and Warren Spahn. In February, he announced a plan to fund renovations to the Milwaukee Brewers stadium and shared his personal connection to the team. He reminisced about watching baseball in Milwaukee since the County Stadium days and recalled having the opportunity to witness Warren Spahn's 300th-career game.

Warren Spahn, a former Milwaukee Braves pitcher, was elected to the baseball Hall of Fame in 1973. He played 21 seasons in the major leagues, including from 1953 to 1964 in Milwaukee, and was an All-Star 17 times. Spahn passed away in 2003, leaving behind a lasting legacy in the world of baseball.