Kimberly Zapata, aged 47, faced legal charges in November for her alleged involvement in misconduct in public office and election fraud. Following the investigation, the jury reached a decision yesterday, finding her guilty of all four counts, as reported by The Associated Press.
Zapata could potentially be sentenced to up to five years in prison, according to the AP. The final decision will be made on May 2.
In October 2022, Zapata held the role of deputy director at the Milwaukee Election Commission. Utilizing her work-issued laptop, she obtained three military absentee ballots under false identities and Social Security numbers. In her capacity, she was responsible for overseeing the tallying of absentee ballots in Milwaukee.
State Rep. Janel Brandtjen (R), who chairs the Assembly elections committee and has expressed her support for overturning the 2020 presidential election results, had the additional ballots sent to her home, according to Zapata.
The mayor discovered that Zapata had requested extra ballots, resulting in her termination.
During the two-day trial, Zapata’s attorney contended that she viewed herself as a whistleblower and had no intention of causing harm. Assistant District Attorney Matthew Westphal countered this by asserting that Zapata was not a whistleblower, but rather, she was engaging in election fraud.
Wisconsin, a crucial swing state, played a decisive role in electing President Biden in 2020, with a margin of less than 21,000 votes. Former President Trump relentlessly targeted the state and made several attempts to contest the election results.
