New lawsuit launched over secret Vos impeachment investigation

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The Non-partisan watchdog group American Oversight announced Wednesday it had filed a complaint with the Dane County District Attorney’s office alleging the new impeachment investigation recently announced by Assembly Speaker Robin Vos violates Wisconsin’s Open Meetings Law.

This is not the first time Vos’ conduct has attracted legal action from open government watchdogs. In 2022, Vos was found to have violated Wisconsin open records law after failing to respond in a timely fashion to requests for records related to Mike Gableman’s “sham” investigation of the 2020 election. Vos’ violation of the law cost taxpayers more than $100,000 in legal fees, according to a written statement from the Wisconsin Democratic Party.

In response, Democratic Party of Wisconsin Communications Director Joe Oslund released the following statement:

“Once again, Robin Vos appears to have run afoul of Wisconsin law in his rush to convene a secret impeachment investigation targeting a sitting state Supreme Court justice. For Robin Vos to announce the formation of this investigation, but refuse to name the investigators or lay out exactly what they are doing is absurd—and, apparently, illegal. Wisconsinites deserve to know exactly who is involved in this investigation, and how they are assisting Robin Vos in his quest to overturn their votes and undo our democracy.”

In response, Vos told the Wisconsin Law Journal, “This complaint is without merit and shows how desperate the left is to change the subject away from the more important issue of the recusal of Justice Protasiewicz.”

This story has been updated.