‘Seems strange’: Judge baffled during contempt proceeding for Wisconsin GOP’s audit

The lack of record-keeping by those in charge of the Wisconsin GOP's investigations into election fraud is causing problems.

"A judge expressed bafflement Thursday that Assembly Speaker Robin Vos had turned over so few documents about a Republican review of the 2020 election," the Milwaukee Journal Sentinelreported Thursday. "She said she didn't understand how Vos could have found so few documents for a review of the election that has lasted months, has a taxpayer-funded budget of $676,000 and has included travel to Arizona. The election review is being conducted by former state Supreme Court Justice Michael Gableman."

Judge Valerie Bailey-Rihn held the hearing after the liberal group American Oversight petitioned the court to hold Vos in contempt for failing to comply with open records law.

"Does he not have any itinerary and did he not have any work product for what he did out in Arizona while he was there?" the judge asked. "It seems strange to me that this could be going on for three months (as of August) with I think one if not more attorneys working on this and they did nothing. They provided nothing? They don't even have a copy of the receipt showing that they paid for their plane tickets?"

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American Oversight says there's smoking gun proof that Vos failed to respond to its document request.

"Vos attorney Ronald Stadler said Vos' team searched the records of Vos and Gableman and turned over everything it found that was responsive to American Oversight's requests. American Oversight attorney Christa Westerberg questioned that claim, noting Gableman in response to a separate records request had turned over an email that Vos also should have produced. Stadler said he didn't know why that email had not been found by Vos' team," the newspaper reported.

While Vos is facing scrutiny over whether he's keeping Wisconsin citizens apprised of his actions, he traveled to Alabama in August to personally brief Trump.

"This past weekend, it was an honor to be invited to travel by private plane with President Trump and top staff to attend his rally in Alabama. I provided him details about our robust efforts in Wisconsin to restore full integrity and trust in elections," Vos posted to Facebook. "I explained to President Trump about the current forensic audit we are performing and told him we will do whatever it takes to help Justice Gableman also uncover reports of systematic fraud."

In the opening moments of his rally speech, Trump repeated his lie of a "rigged election" and denied being the one undermining democracy during a 90-minute rant.

A hearing has been scheduled for Jan. 24. American Bridge is asking the judge to fine Vos $2,000 per day until he complies.