New contract reached for Republican Wisconsin election probe

Listen to this article

By SCOTT BAUER
Associated Press

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin’s Republican Assembly speaker has signed a new contract with Michael Gableman, the former state Supreme Court justice he hired to investigate the 2020 election, Gableman’s attorney told a judge on Tuesday.

The signed deal between Gableman and Assembly Speaker Robin Vos would be filed with the court by the end of the day, attorney James Bopp told the judge.

Gableman released his latest report last week and told lawmakers then that he was in talks with Vos to extend his contract that had expired on Dec. 31. Bopp did not say in court how long the contract extension would last, if more taxpayer money would be paid to Gableman or if there were any limits on what Gableman’s investigation could cover going forward.

The original contract was for $676,000 in taxpayer money to pay for the investigation.

Gableman’s investigation has faced bipartisan criticism and calls for it to be shut down. Gableman said in presenting his latest report that the Republican-controlled Legislature should look into decertifying President Joe Biden’s win in Wisconsin, a move that GOP leaders have said they won’t make and that nonpartisan attorneys have said was unconstitutional.

Dane County Circuit Judge Frank Remington heard oral arguments Tuesday in a case brought by the liberal watchdog group American Oversight seeking records related to the investigation. Remington ruled last week that Vos and Gableman denied or delayed access to the records.

Remington said that existence of a new contract would not affect his ruling in the open records case.

Remington was expected to rule Tuesday whether to put his ruling on hold, and not release the 700 pages of records Gableman provided, while the promised appeals to his ruling are pending.

American Oversight attorney Christa Westerberg argued that the records should be released immediately. She also questioned whether Gableman has provided all of the records requested.

Bopp argued that the records should be withheld because the investigation is ongoing. Releasing the documents would reveal details about the probe and alert those who may be targeted, which would impede Gableman’s work, Bopp said.

Westerberg pointed to public comments Gableman has been making about his investigation, including before Wisconsin Republican Party gatherings and on national TV on Monday night, to argue that the records should be disclosed.

American Oversight has filed three lawsuits seeking records related to the investigation. There are two other pending lawsuits related to subpoenas Gableman issued to state and local elections officials and the mayors of Madison and Green Bay.