Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson has announced that a top election official has been fired over voter fraud allegations.
On Thursday, Johnson said Milwaukee Election Commission Deputy Director Kimberly Zapata was allegedly caught fraudulently requesting military absentee ballots and sending them to a Wisconsin state representative.
Johnson said Zapata sought “fictitious military ballots” from a state election website and had those ballots sent to a Menomonee Falls Republican lawmaker.
State Rep. Janel Brandtjen, who received the ballots from Zapata, was not involved in the scheme.
The mayor said Zapata claims to have done this to expose a vulnerability in state law.
Johnson said: “I will not accept, I will not tolerate, and I certainly will not defend any misrepresentation by a city official involved in elections.
“It does not matter that this might have been an effort to expose a vulnerability that state law created.
“It does not matter that this alleged crime did not take place at work.
“It does not matter that City of Milwaukee ballots were not part of this.
“Nor does it matter that there was no attempt to vote illegally or tamper with election results.”
On Monday, Brandtjen alerted law enforcement that someone had sent military ballots in the names of people who don’t exist to her home in what Brandtjen believed was an effort to alert her to how easy it is to commit vote fraud using military ballots.
— Dan O’Donnell (@DanODonnellShow) November 3, 2022
Rep. Brandtjen said:
“I believe someone was trying to point out how easy it is to get military ballots in Wisconsin.
“Registration for military ballots is not required, so a fictitious name and birthdate is all that is required to obtain a military ballot online.
“I think it’s sad that people feel they have to break the law to get the attention of the legislature,” he said.
Dan O’Donnell reported:
“On Monday, Brandtjen alerted law enforcement that someone had sent military ballots in the names of people who don’t exist to her home in what Brandtjen believed was an effort to alert her to how easy it is to commit vote fraud using military ballots.
“Milwaukee Elections Commission Director Claire Woodall-Vogg says she believes that Zapata was attempting to point out that military ballots can be requested and sent out without a photo ID or even voter registration through the public website.”
Milwaukee Elections Commission Director Claire Woodall-Vogg says she believes that Zapata was attempting to point out that military ballots can be requested and sent out without a photo ID or even voter registration through the public https://t.co/D6Nnq5tHWd website.
— Dan O’Donnell (@DanODonnellShow) November 3, 2022
