Kimberly Zapata, former deputy director of the Milwaukee Election Commission, was found guilty of election fraud after obtaining military absentee ballots through her work laptop in 2022.
The jury also found Zapata guilty of misconduct in public office. The election official then sent the ballots to the home of Rep. Janel Brandtjen, a Republican state lawmaker, who was calling for decertification of Biden’s victory in Wisconsin.
Active military personnel are not required to register to vote or provide photo identification to acquire absentee ballots in Wisconsin.
Zapata requested the fake military absentee ballots through the My Vote Wisconsin website on the morning of Oct. 25, 2022. Meanwhile, clerks in Menomonee Falls, Shorewood, and South Milwaukee mailed the ballots without double-checking the information. Zapata accessed Brandtjen’s home address by logging in using her municipal login credentials.
Rep. Brandtjen received the ballots addressed to Holly Brandtjen, Holly Jones, and Holly Adams. After receiving them, the lawmaker contacted authorities and the media.
