Assembly leader punishes GOP lawmaker for election conspiracy theories

MADISON, Wis. (CBS 58) -- The Republican leader of the state Assembly is punishing a member from his own party for making repeat false statements that former President Donald Trump won in Wisconsin and is trying to reclaim Wisconsin's electoral votes.

Assembly Speaker Robin Vos removed the only staffer from Rep. Timothy Ramthun's office after he spread multiple conspiracy theories about the 2020 election.

For example, Ramthun claimed Vos helped attorneys for Hilary Clinton authorize the use of absentee ballot drop boxes, according to Vos.

Ramthun is one of the most conservative members of the state Assembly and recently proposed a resolution seeking to reclaim Wisconsin's 10 electoral votes, a move that is not possible.

Vos told reporters on Thursday that no one in his caucus supports Ramthun's move to rescind the state's election votes.

"Every lawyer that we have worked with in Wisconsin says we cannot undo the 2020 elections," said Vos. "You know, Representative Ramthun has that belief. That's his right, but what we're focusing on is not the past."

During his comments, Vos also defended the ongoing election investigation his office launched in August.

The taxpayer-funded review is being led by retired Supreme Court Justice Michael Gableman.

"We have said over and over that our election review is only to add and figure out the way that there were issues in 2020 going forward," Vos said.

The discipline by Vos now leaves Ramthun without any staff to help answer calls, emails and constituents' questions.

The move was supported by Assembly Republican leadership.

“We support Speaker Vos’ actions. No matter how much Rep. Ramthun and his staffer believe what they are saying is true, it does not make it so. Sending out communications full of lies is doing disservice to all voters. With so much information to parse through on the internet and in traditional media, we all must do a better job of listening and communicating," Republican leadership said in a statement.

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