Group asks judge to find Wisconsin GOP leader in contempt

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MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A liberal group asked a judge on Friday to find Wisconsin Assembly Speaker Robin Vos in contempt of court for not following a November court order to turn over records about a secretive review of the 2020 election that Republicans have been conducting for months.

American Oversight, which sued to get the records, filed the motion for contempt in Dane County circuit court. Judge Valerie Bailey-Rihn on Nov. 5 gave Vos until Nov. 19 to turn over the records that were created between May and late August.

Vos has argued the group sued the wrong person because the records in question are held by the newly created Office of Special Counsel that Gableman oversees. He did not immediately return a message seeking comment on the latest court filing.

American Oversight is asking the judge to fine Vos $2,000 every day he does not produce the records.

Former state Supreme Court Justice Michael Gableman, who claimed without evidence last year that the presidential election was stolen, is leading the investigation ordered by Vos. President Joe Biden’s nearly 21,000 vote win over Donald Trump has withstood recounts and multiple court rulings. There was no widespread fraud.

Gableman updated lawmakers on the probe this week at a sometimes contentious hearing.