Wisconsin Speaker of the House Robin Vos said on Tuesday documents pertaining to the ongoing election investigation will not be released yet. An open records lawsuit was filed by American Oversight, a liberal group that disagrees with the investigation.
Vos said in an interview with Wisconsin Public Radio that handing over the documents for public perusal right now would be like police sharing details of a murder investigation.
Vos said, “They do not put out for public display, for everyone to read, who they’re talking to and who they’re investigating, giving an advantage to people who actually committed the crime to avoid prosecution.”
Vos continued, “That’s exactly what would happen if we decided to put all the documents out and that’s why liberals are asking for them. They want to try to torpedo our investigation.”
The head investigator of the election in Wisconsin, former Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Michael Gableman released a statement following the lawsuit saying, “It is important to keep in mind that this Office is conducting an active investigation, and so must balance our desire to operate with transparency alongside our obligation to preserve the integrity of the investigative process. We will comply with all open records statutes and operate in accordance with both the letter and spirit of Wisconsin’s open records law.”
Gableman was hired by Vos to conduct an election investigation in Wisconsin, which included subpoenaing several of the state’s largest cities and their leadership.
The Wisconsin Daily Star reported, “According to a press release from Gableman and the Office of Special Counsel, mayoral officials in Racine, Madison, and Kenosha have ‘all agreed to participate in interviews and share documents, data, and communications requested.’”
American Oversight filed a second lawsuit specifically asking for records in Vos’ possession. The first lawsuit’s hearing is set to take place on November 5.
Austin Evers, the executive director of American Oversight, allegedly called Vos’ comments “disappointing.”
“The law clearly says that records of Speaker Vos’ ‘investigation’ belong to the public, and he should comply with his obligation to release them,” Evans said in a statement.
Gableman also wanted to remind American Oversight that The Office of Special Counsel was only established about a month ago so they are still “reviewing and evaluating” requests.
Gableman said, “The Office of Special Counsel responded to American Oversight’s open records request on October 7, pledging to provide a substantive response ‘in all prudential speed.’ We explained that this Office was only officially established 37 days ago, and is still in the process of reviewing and evaluating requests for public records.”
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Hayley Tschetter is a reporter with The Minnesota Sun and The Wisconsin Daily Star | Star News Network. Follow Hayley on Twitter or like her Facebook page. Send news tips to [email protected].
Photo “Rep. Robin Vos” by Wisconsin State Representative Robin Vos. “Photo “Vote here’ by Tony Webster CC BY 2.0.
