Wisconsin Elections Official Fired, Accused of Fraudulently Sending Military Absentee Ballots to Election-Denying GOP Legislator

An elections official in Wisconsin has been fired — and criminal charges are likely — after she was accused of fraudulently requesting absentee ballots to send to an election-denying state lawmaker.

Kimberly Zapata, the deputy director of the Milwaukee Election Commission, was fired, Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson announced in a surprise press conference Thursday, according to a report by MSNBC.

MSNBC correspondent Shaquille Brewster told anchor Chris Jansing that the district attorney’s office was saying this was now a criminal matter and charges were likely in the coming days.

Zapata has claimed her actions were an “attempt to expose the vulnerability in the state’s election law,” Brewster said, and she allegedly requested military absentee ballots using the state website on her own time, and had them mailed to a Republican state legislator who has promoted baseless claims of fraud in the 2020 election. Zapata’s personal political affiliation has not been confirmed.

Mayor Johnson fired Zapata and revoked her access to the office and state computer systems as soon as her actions were discovered, Brewster reported, and emphasized that the investigation so far was not showing any impacts on absentee voting or any existing vote count in Milwaukee.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel had more details on the story, identifying the GOP lawmaker to whom Zapata reportedly mailed the ballots as State Rep. Janet Brandtjen, who represents part of the Milwaukee suburbs in Waukesha County. Brandtjen, who chairs the State House Committee on elections, has held multiple hearings promoting debunked claims and conspiracy theories about the 2020 election.

“This has every appearance of being an egregious and blatant violation of trust,” Johnson said about Zapata’s alleged actions. “Election integrity is absolutely integral. It’s absolutely essential.”

According to the mayor, he learned on Wednesday that Zapata had “apparently sought fictitious military ballots” for three different women with the first name of Holly and had them mailed to Brandtjen’s home. Military voters in Wisconsin are not required to register to vote before an election and do not have to provide photo ID or other identification to vote by mail.

Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm issued a statement saying that his office was reviewing the allegations against Zapata and prosecutors “expect charges to be filed in the coming days.” A source in the D.A.’s office told the Journal Sentinel that the charges being considered include malfeasance in office, a felony, and illegally requesting a ballot, a misdemeanor.

Watch the video above, via MSNBC.

Have a tip for us? tips@mediaite.com