Democrats push resolution to end Vos/Gableman  ‘sham’ election review

Assembly Democrats are fed up with Michael Gableman. They are fed up with Speaker Robin Vos dragging out an investigation into the 2020 presidential election that courts and audits found to be secure and accurate. They are fed up with taxpayers being on the hook for $676,000, if not more, to fund what they see as not just a worthless endeavor — but one that is seriously harming democracy.

“Since Donald Trump lost, Republican elected officials in Wisconsin have pushed the Big Lie, launched multiple bad faith investigations, and continuously undermined our election officials and our democracy,” said Rep. Gordon Hintz (D-Oshkosh) in a statement. “These are no longer fringe ideas in the GOP. They are now mainstream in the Republican Party. Wisconsinites should know where their legislators stand.”

On Wednesday, four Assembly Democrats repeatedly used the word “sham” as they announced a resolution to immediately terminate the investigation. Along with Hintz, the authors are Reps. Mark Spreitzer (D-Beloit),  Lisa Subeck (D-Madison) and Jodi Emerson (D-Eau Claire).

In addition to canceling the Vos/Gableman investigation, the measure would  terminate every employee immediately. Recently Vos announced that he plans to again extend its timeline now until the end of February. It is a near certainty that Republican legislators will stop the resolution from advancing to a vote.

The resolution also seeks to reaffirm the results of the 2020 presidential election and denounce former President Donald Trump and the Wisconsin Republicans working with him to “throw out the votes of Wisconsin citizens.”

“It is crystal clear that the far-right extremists who are lying about our elections and pushing conspiracy theories would love nothing more than to continue to waste taxpayer money lining the pockets of their friends and political allies,” said Spreitzer in a statement. “This must stop.”

Spreitzer stated that the “Office of Special Counsel” (the name Vos gave to Gableman’s team) has been “overrun with political operatives and conspiracy theorists,” and is doing harm to state and local election officials who are under attack from “an avalanche of innuendo and lies being thrown at them by Republicans.”

“It is time for Donald Trump and the far right to accept that he lost, and it is time for the State Assembly to stop wasting taxpayer money on a politically motivated sham,” Spreitzer said.