Milwaukee election worker under investigation for ballot fraud
Deputy director of Milwaukee Election Commission accused of requesting military ballots
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Updated: 5:56 PM CDT Nov 3, 2022
Milwaukee election worker under investigation for ballot fraud
Deputy director of Milwaukee Election Commission accused of requesting military ballots
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Updated: 5:56 PM CDT Nov 3, 2022
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NOW SEVERAL INVESTIGATIONS LAUNCHING. >> I WAS STUNNED. ABSOLUTELY STUNNED. MATT: TONIGHT NEW BOMBSHELL , ALLEGATIONS AGAINST THE NOW FORMER DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF MILWAUKEE’S ELECTION COMMISSION KIMBERLY ZAPATA. , FIRED WEDNESDAY AFTER CITY OFFICIALS SAY SHE USED THE PUBLIC MY VOTE WEBSITE TO REQUEST THREE MILITARY ABSENTEE BALLOTS USING FAKE NAMES AND SENDING THEM TO THE HOME OF STATE REPRESENTATIVE JANEL BRANDTJEN. THE MENOMONEE FALLS LAWMAKER FIRST REPORTED RECEIVING THE BALLOTS MONDAY, SHARING THESE PICTURES AND ASKING AUTHORITIES TO INVESTIGATE SAYING I BELIEVE , SOMEONE WAS TRYING TO POINT OUT HOW EASY IT IS TO GET MILITARY BALLOTS IN WISCONSIN. >> I WILL NOT ACCEPT, I WILL NOT TOLERATE AND I CERTAINLY WILL NOT DEFEND ANY MISREPRESENTATION BY A CITY OFFICIAL INVOLVED IN ELECTIONS. MATT: TONIGHT MILWAUKEE’S MAYOR , SAYS ZAPATA ADMITTED TO THE ACT AND HE IMMEDIATELY FIRED HER. IT’S UNCLEAR WHY ZAPATA PICKED BRANDTJEN, BUT SHE CHAIRS THE ASSEMBLY ELECTIONS COMMITTEE AND HAS LONG CRITICIZED THE STATE’S ABSENTEE BALLOT PROCESS, EVEN CALLING FOR WISCONSIN’S 2020 PRESIDENTIAL RESULTS TO BE DECERTIFIED. ZAPATA HAD WORKED FOR THE CITY’S ELECTION COMMISSION FOR SEVEN YEARS. HOW CAN YOU BE SURE AT THIS MOMENT SHE HAS DONE NOTHING ELSE IN THE PAST SEVEN YEARS OR THIS PAST ELECTION CYCLE? >> SO UP UNTIL THIS POINT WE HAVE NEVER HAD ANY INDICATION OF ANY TYPE OF VIOLATION OF WORK POLICES OR PROCEDURES. WE OF COURSE WILL BE TAKING AN EXTRA LOOK AT THAT. MATT: ZAPATA, WHO BECAME DEPUTY DIRECTOR THIS SUMMER WOULD HAVE , HELPED OVERSEE THE CITY’S CENTRAL COUNT LOCATION WHERE ABSENTEE BALLOTS ARE PROCESSED. HAS SHE HANDLED ANY ABSENTEE BALLOTS? CITY OFFICIALS TONIGHT ONLY ANSWERING A FEW QUESTIONS. PROSECUTORS NOW SAY SHE’LL LIKELY FACE CRIMINAL CHARGES IN THE COMING DAYS. TOYA: MATT JOINING US AGAIN IN THE NEWSROOM. CITY OFFICIALS TONIGHT SAY THEY BELIEVE ZAPATA WAS ATTEMPTING TO EXPOSE WHAT SHE SAW AS A PROBLEM. MATT: AND THAT’S WITH MILITARY BALLOTS. BY STATE LAW MILITARY VOTERS ARE , NOT REQUIRED TO REGISTERED TO VOTE AND THEY ARE EXEMPT FROM HAVING TO PROVIDE A PHOTO I
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Milwaukee election worker under investigation for ballot fraud
Deputy director of Milwaukee Election Commission accused of requesting military ballots
Share
Updated: 5:56 PM CDT Nov 3, 2022
The deputy director of the city of Milwaukee's Election Commission has been fired, accused of election fraud. Milwaukee city leaders say Kimberly Zapata used the public MyVote website to request three military absentee ballots using fake names and sent them to the home of state Rep. Janel Brandtjen.Mayor Cavalier Johnson says Zapata was forthcoming about her actions. "This has every appearance of being an egregious blatant violation of trust this matter is now in the hands of law enforcement," Mayor Cavalier Johnson said. City officials say they believe Zapata was attempting to expose what she saw as a problem with military ballots. By state law, military voters are not required to register to vote, and they are exempt from having to provide a photo ID.Earlier this week, Brandtjen shared pictures on social media of three military absentee ballots addressed to someone named "Holly" sent to her home. Brandtjen is also the chairwoman of the Assembly Elections Committee. WISN 12 News tried to contact Brandtjen, but the Menomonee Falls Republican did not respond to a request for an interview. She issued a statement Thursday saying, "Unlike Mayor Johnson, I have actually been working on providing Wisconsinites a safe and secure election process. We have uncovered so many issues that demand attention. I have been attacked by the liberal media, democrats who benefit from the system, and Republicans who don’t have the backbone to take on the issues, including Speaker Vos, who has referred to me as a conspiracy theorist. All of the while, we have uncovered massive amounts of election disparities and a statewide Election Commission that has undeniably broken the law on numerous occasions. It’s time we do the people’s business, and that includes the media and both parties taking part."On Monday, the Waukesha County sheriff announced it is investigating who sent the ballots. In a statement, the sheriff's office said: "None of the individuals reside or have resided at her address. This matter is currently under investigation with no additional information available at this time. The Waukesha County Sheriff’s Department is working with the Waukesha County District Attorney’s Office in this investigation." Zapata has been with the Election Commission for about seven years. She became deputy director in July and would have helped oversee the city's central count location where absentee ballots are processed."So up until this point we have never had any indication of any type of violation of work polices or procedures. We of course will be taking an extra look at that," Milwaukee Election Commission Executive Director Claire Woodall-Vogg said. A group of Milwaukee Common Council members responded by saying, "We applaud Mayor Johnson’s decision to terminate the employment of Kimberly Zapata, now former deputy director of the Election Commission." The Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office is reviewing the allegations and expects charges to be filed in the coming days. As of Thursday afternoon, the Wisconsin Department of Justice has not been asked to intervene. WISN 12 News reporter Kent Wainscott went to Zapata's home Thursday. "Kimberly, can we talk to you? Kimberly, can we talk to you? Kimberly, will you take a second and speak with us?" Wainscott said.She drove off without stopping.Late Thursday afternoon, her lawyer sent Wainscott a statement saying simply, "We will litigate this in the courtroom, not the media."
MILWAUKEE —
The deputy director of the city of Milwaukee's Election Commission has been fired, accused of election fraud.
Milwaukee city leaders say Kimberly Zapata used the public MyVote website to request three military absentee ballots using fake names and sent them to the home of state Rep. Janel Brandtjen.
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Mayor Cavalier Johnson says Zapata was forthcoming about her actions.
"This has every appearance of being an egregious blatant violation of trust this matter is now in the hands of law enforcement," Mayor Cavalier Johnson said.
City officials say they believe Zapata was attempting to expose what she saw as a problem with military ballots.
By state law, military voters are not required to register to vote, and they are exempt from having to provide a photo ID.
Earlier this week, Brandtjen shared pictures on social media of three military absentee ballots addressed to someone named "Holly" sent to her home. Brandtjen is also the chairwoman of the Assembly Elections Committee.
WISN 12 News tried to contact Brandtjen, but the Menomonee Falls Republican did not respond to a request for an interview.
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She issued a statement Thursday saying, "Unlike Mayor Johnson, I have actually been working on providing Wisconsinites a safe and secure election process. We have uncovered so many issues that demand attention. I have been attacked by the liberal media, democrats who benefit from the system, and Republicans who don’t have the backbone to take on the issues, including Speaker Vos, who has referred to me as a conspiracy theorist. All of the while, we have uncovered massive amounts of election disparities and a statewide Election Commission that has undeniably broken the law on numerous occasions. It’s time we do the people’s business, and that includes the media and both parties taking part."
On Monday, the Waukesha County sheriff announced it is investigating who sent the ballots.
In a statement, the sheriff's office said:
"None of the individuals reside or have resided at her address. This matter is currently under investigation with no additional information available at this time. The Waukesha County Sheriff’s Department is working with the Waukesha County District Attorney’s Office in this investigation."
Zapata has been with the Election Commission for about seven years. She became deputy director in July and would have helped oversee the city's central count location where absentee ballots are processed.
"So up until this point we have never had any indication of any type of violation of work polices or procedures. We of course will be taking an extra look at that," Milwaukee Election Commission Executive Director Claire Woodall-Vogg said.
A group of Milwaukee Common Council members responded by saying, "We applaud Mayor Johnson’s decision to terminate the employment of Kimberly Zapata, now former deputy director of the Election Commission."
The Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office is reviewing the allegations and expects charges to be filed in the coming days.
As of Thursday afternoon, the Wisconsin Department of Justice has not been asked to intervene.
WISN 12 News reporter Kent Wainscott went to Zapata's home Thursday.
"Kimberly, can we talk to you? Kimberly, can we talk to you? Kimberly, will you take a second and speak with us?" Wainscott said.
She drove off without stopping.
Late Thursday afternoon, her lawyer sent Wainscott a statement saying simply, "We will litigate this in the courtroom, not the media."
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