(The Center Square) – The top Republican in the Wisconsin Assembly says he expects criminal charges to be filed at some point over the push to recall him.
Assembly Speaker Robin Vos told reporters the problems with the Recall Vos petitions go beyond simple mistakes.
“When you sign that nomination paper form at the bottom, you are attesting – under penalty of law – that you circulated the name. Well, these people didn’t do it. So, it’s election fraud, plain and simple,” Vos said. “So, I would assume that if they’re serious about following the law, whoever would find it out would refer this for charges.”
Dozens of people have come forward to say their names are on a recall petition that they did not sign.
Prosecutors in Racine County have opened an investigation, and Vos said he expects criminal charges to come from somewhere.
Specifically, Vos said recall organizers were using out of state felons to collect their signatures. Wisconsin election law says felons cannot be part of the signature petition process.
“They broke the law in Wisconsin,” Vos added. “Whatever the DA does with that, or [Attorney General] Josh Kaul does with that is up to them.”
A group that supports Vos, the Wisconsinites for Liberty Fund, on Wednesday launched a website that allows people to search for their names on the recall petitions.
The group says that includes signatures from someone named Cyber Houdini, and Vos’ own forged signature.
Recall Vos organizers have repeatedly tried to shift the blame for their failures, even releasing a statement Monday that hints at a conspiracy.
“Recall Vos has faced deliberate obstacles intended to derail our efforts, orchestrated by those adept in manipulative political tactics. This sabotage involved recruiting individuals from outside Wisconsin to introduce fraudulent signatures, attempting to compromise our campaign’s credibility. While the orchestrator remains unidentified, we are dedicated to uncovering the truth in collaboration with law enforcement,” the group said in a statement.
No matter what criminal charges may be coming, the recall effort is certainly dead. The Elections Commission has said the Recall Vos effort is hundreds of votes short.
Vos said this recall may prompt some changes in how all recall elections are run in Wisconsin.
“I would love for us to take a full look at the entire way, so that again it’s focused on when somebody commits a crime – not that you have a political grudge or some kind of a score to settle – and that if you are going to have a process, it has to be complete, and minimize the opportunity for fraud,” Vos said.
