The former deputy director of the Wisconsin Elections Commission was found guilty of election fraud and misconduct earlier this week and faces several years in prison.
A jury took about five hours Wednesday to find Kimberly Zapata, 47, a former deputy director of the Milwaukee Board of Elections, guilty. All 4 rates: One count of felony misconduct in public office and three misdemeanor counts of election fraud.
Prosecutors say in October 2022, Zapata created three fake military personnel using fake names and Social Security numbers, taking advantage of a Wisconsin law that does not require military personnel to register to vote or register to vote. requested absentee ballots on their behalf. He must present a photo ID when he requests an absentee ballot.
After the absentee ballot was approved, Zapata appears to have it delivered to the home of Republican state Rep. Janelle Blancchen in the Milwaukee suburb of Menomonee Falls. When Mr. Blancchen received the unsolicited ballot, he notified the following: authoritiesand Zapata was later fired.
defense didn’t fight They acknowledged these facts, but argued that Zapata’s motive for requesting the ballots was to prove her innocence. Attorney Daniel Adams argued that Zapata was a “whistleblower” who sought to expose serious flaws in the state’s election procedures.
“She … showed in her actions the truth about what was going on — imperfect actions, but truthful actions,” Adams argued in court.
Adams also claimed that Zapata intentionally sent a ballot to Blancchen, a Republican who questioned Joe Biden’s 2020 election victory in Wisconsin.
”[Brandtjen] “This is the most vocal election-frauding politician I know,” Zapata said at one point, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, “and when she heard this, she stopped. I thought it would take the focus away from these outrageous conspiracy theories and something that’s really real. ”
“She’s not a whistleblower,” Assistant District Attorney Matthew Westphal countered. “She’s not exposing her information. She’s committing election fraud. People who break the law as a society when there are multiple legal avenues to raise similar concerns. cannot be tolerated.”
The jury seemed to agree, meaning Zapata could be sentenced to up to five years in prison. She and her attorney declined to comment after her sentencing.
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