MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The Republican leader of the Wisconsin Assembly, who hired a former state Supreme Court justice to investigate the 2020 election, fired him Friday, three days after the lawmaker defeated a primary opponent who the investigator and former President Donald Trump had supported.
Michael Gableman’s firing ended a 14-month period that began when House Speaker Robin Vos hired him to look into the election under pressure from Trump. But as the investigation progressed under bipartisan criticism, Voss’ relationship with both Trump and Gableman soured.
Voss initially said he was “extremely confident” in Gableman’s abilities. Voss called Gableman an “embarrassment to himself” and the state after his election victory on Tuesday. Gableman, who repeated Trump’s lie that the 2020 presidential election was “stolen,” said Voss “never wanted a real investigation.”
“After many members of our group have contacted me over the past several days, it is not clear to me that we have only one choice in this matter, and that is to close the Office of the Special Counsel,” Voss said in a statement first released to The Associated Press in Friday.
Gableman’s did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment.
After Gableman’s performance drew bipartisan scorn, his firing generated bipartisan praise.
Britt Cudaback, a spokesman for Democratic Gov. Tony Evers, who has been highly critical of Gableman and the probe, responded to the firing with one word: “Finally.”
“It was a good decision. It would have been a better decision six months ago,” said Republican state Sen. Kathy Bernier, chairwoman of the Senate Select Committee, who added that she had “zero respect for Michael Gableman.”
One major rift between Voss and Gableman came when Gableman said in a report that lawmakers should consider decertifying the 2020 election, as Trump wants. Vos rejected this proposal, citing widespread legal opinions that it was unconstitutional and impossible to do.
Voss has repeatedly said the purpose of the investigation is not to overturn the 2020 election, a move Gableman later told Voss in private writing was impossible. Even Gableman’s own attorney told lawmakers that decertification was “nonsensical.”
Voss said people who continue to worry about the integrity of elections should focus on defeating Evers, who vetoed the changes wanted by Republicans. Republican gubernatorial candidate Tim Michels supports disbanding Wisconsin’s bipartisan election commission and said he would sign the bills pushed by Evers.
Michels counsel Chris Walker declined to comment on Gableman’s firing.
Vos hired Gableman to quell pressure he was feeling from those who believed Trump’s false claims about the 2020 election. President Joe Biden won Wisconsin by nearly 21,000 votes, a result that survived lawsuits, recounts, reviews , audits, and even Gableman’s own investigation.
Unhappy with Voss’ treatment of him, Gableman’s public comments critical of the speaker increased, as did Trump’s. In April, Gableman called for pressure on Voss to extend the former judge’s contract. Voss did — albeit at a pay cut from his original $11,000 a month. Voss suspended the investigation in May pending the resolution of ongoing lawsuits.
Their relationship reached a tipping point when both Trump and Gableman endorsed Vos’ primary opponent, leading to a tighter-than-expected race. Vos won by 260 votes. Voss said his victory showed lawmakers “shouldn’t go by whatever Donald Trump says.”
Gableman also faces legal troubles.
On Tuesday, a judge was to determine whether Gableman remains in contempt of court for failing to comply with the state’s open records law. District Judge Frank Remington accused Gableman of unprofessional and misogynistic behavior in a court appearance where he refused to answer questions and made sarcastic remarks about a female attorney.
Remington forwarded its contempt order to the commission, which disciplines attorneys, for possible further action, including suspension or revocation of Gableman’s law license. It is one of four open records lawsuits filed by the liberal watchdog group American Oversight. There are also two lawsuits related to the investigation itself, including one filed by Gableman, who wants to jail the mayors of Madison and Green Bay for not testifying in private as he wanted.
Attorneys’ fees awarded so far bring the total amount paid by taxpayers for the Gableman investigation to more than $1.1 million.
Gableman used the probe to boost his national profile. He delivered the prayer at a Trump rally in Wisconsin this month and has been a regular on conservative radio, including an appearance in which he disparaged Wisconsin’s chief election officer.
Gableman also faced criticism for sparse expense records, confusing emails, meetings with conspiracy theorists including MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell, and making basic mistakes, including numerous spelling mistakes. For example, in records released during the lawsuits, Gableman and his team routinely misspelled Voss as “Voss.”
Democratic state Sen. Melissa Agard said it was “way past time” Gableman was fired.
“I’m glad Speaker Vos stopped the bleeding on these tax dollars going to a bogus investigation,” she added.
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