MADISON, Wis. — The state agency tasked with overseeing attorney ethics in Wisconsin filed a complaint on Tuesday against former state Supreme Court Justice Michael Gableman.
Gableman was hired by Republicans to lead an investigation into the 2020 presidential election after former President Donald Trump made baseless claims that the election was stolen from him. His review cost taxpayers more than $2.5 million, uncovered no evidence of widespread fraud and led to lengthy legal fights over Gableman’s failure to comply with open records laws.
In the complaint filed Tuesday, the Office of Lawyer Regulation accuses Gableman of making false claims in legal documents and public testimony, behaving disruptively in a court hearing, questioning a judge’s integrity, making derogatory comments about an opposing attorney, violating Wisconsin’s open records laws, and breaking his obligations to former clients.
Gableman did not immediately respond to a message on Tuesday requesting comment.
Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, one of the state’s top Republicans, hired Gableman in June 2021 to look into the results of the 2020 election. Gableman’s push to decertify the 2020 presidential election in Wisconsin and willingness to embrace election lies told by Trump and his allies made him a figurehead of the state’s election denialism movement.
Watch: Complaint alleges misconduct by former justice who led 2020 election review
President Joe Biden’s win in Wisconsin in 2020 has been upheld by multiple reviews, lawsuits and recounts.
Vos fired Gableman 14 months after the investigation began, calling him an “embarrassment.”
During his investigation, Gableman subpoenaed the mayors of Green Bay and Madison for election-related documents and testimony. He then asked a judge to order the arrests of both mayors when they did not comply.
In one of several open records lawsuits filed against Gableman after he refused to turn over records from his investigation, a Dane County judge held Gableman in contempt of court for refusing to comply with an order. The same judge also accused Gableman of making misogynistic comments about an opposing attorney.
After being fired by Vos, Gableman campaigned for Vos’ primary opponent in the 2022 midterm and helped lead an effort to recall Vos earlier this year. The Office of Lawyer Regulation complaint against Gableman accuses him of improperly revealing details about his representation of Vos while campaigning against him, violating his duty as an attorney.
The complaint asks the Wisconsin Supreme Court, which is controlled by liberal justices, to discipline Gableman as they deem appropriate.
Read the entire complaint against Gableman below:
Michael Gableman complaint by TMJ4 News on Scribd
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