Chris Lange, FISM News
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Milwaukee Republican Rep. Janel Brandtjen said that an election official who mailed her fake military ballots may have been attempting to make a point about an election loophole.
Kimberly Zapata, the deputy director of the Milwaukee Election Commission, was fired for allegedly using fictitious names to obtain military ballots and sending them to Brandtjen’s office, Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson announced on Thursday.
“I will not accept, I will not tolerate, and I certainly will not defend any misrepresentation by a city official involved in elections,” Johnson said in one of several tweets on the subject, calling Zapata’s actions “an egregious and blatant violation of trust.”
Johnson said that Zapata had been “forthcoming” about the incident and that his office found “no attempt to vote illegally or tamper with election results” at a press conference Thursday, as reported by a Milwaukee Fox News affiliate.
Rep. Brandtjen issued a statement on Monday suggesting that the ballots were sent to her to make a point.
“I believe someone was trying to point out how easy it is to get military ballots in Wisconsin,” she wrote. “Registration for military ballots is not required, so a fictitious name and birthdate is all that is required to obtain a military ballot online,” she continued, though she condemned Zapata’s actions.
“Feeling shocked about this situation is an understatement because it demonstrates stolen valor from those who protect this nation. I think it’s sad that people feel they have to break the law to get the attention of the legislature.”
Johnson dismissed the conjecture.
“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,” he tweeted.
Wisconsin features two closely-watched midterm contests, both of which are designated as “toss-ups” in several election polls. Republican gubernatorial candidate Tim Michels leads Democratic Gov. Tony Evers by one percentage point in new polling from Emerson College/The Hill, which also has GOP Sen. Ron Johnson with a four-point edge over Democratic challenger Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes.
This article was partially informed by The Washington Examiner, New York Post, and Fox News reports.