Election Fraud Cases

Kimberly Zapata

Kimberly Zapata, the former Milwaukee Election Commission Deputy Director, was charged by the state with one felony count of misconduct in public office and 3 misdemeanor counts of absentee ballot fraud after requesting military absentee ballots under false names and sending them to a Wisconsin state legislator's home during the 2022 election.  Military voters do not have to show a voter ID and Zapata claimed she was a whistleblower trying to expose vulnerabilities in the election system.  She used Wisconsin's online voter registration website to request the military absentee ballots and had them sent to the home of Rep. Janel Brandtien (R-Menomoneee Falls). Upon receiving the ballots, Brandtien contacted authorities and the media, and Zapata was fired from her position on the Milwaukee Election Commission. Zapata was found guilty by a jury of all charges and sentenced to 9 months’ imprisonment (which was stayed pending successful completion of 12 months of probation), ordered to complete 120 hours of community service, and ordered to pay $5,657 in fines, assessments, and court costs.

Source: herit.ag/465UAKx , herit.ag/3LpwMYF , herit.ag/3WBrXlv , herit.ag/3Lv6cx2

Robbyn Tafoya

Robbyn Tafoya of Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, was charged by the state in Waukesha County with one misdemeanor count of absentee ballot election fraud for voting twice in the fall 2020 primary election. She requested, signed, and returned two absentee ballots in the summer of 2020. She pleaded no contest to the charge, was assessed fines and fees totaling $544, and was ordered to reimburse the state $1,635 for the cost of her attorney.

Source: herit.ag/4cL7Run , herit.ag/4f40aBd

Lisa Campion

Lisa Campion of Manitowoc County was charged by the state with illegal voting  in the 2020 General Election in the Town of Two Rivers despite being ineligible since she was a convicted felon who was still on probation. Campion also voted in a different town from the one named in the registration address she provided.  This was discovered during a vote felon audit by the Wisconsin Elections Commission. She pleaded no contest to one count of falsifying voter registration, a misdemeanor, and was ordered to pay $1,083 in fines, court costs, and surcharges.

Source: herit.ag/3YO5HCS , herit.ag/3IhscL7 , herit.ag/3YLLVIl

John A. Harter

John Harter was charged by the state in Waukesha County with falsifying voter registration after falsely claiming his residential address on school board candidacy forms. Harter who was running for school board for the Hartland-Lakeside school district, falsely declared his residence at his father's house in Delafield despite living in the neighboring town of Brookfield, which is not in the school district. Harter pleaded guilty to 3 counts of falsifying voter registration and was sentenced to 30 days in jail (subject to work release during the day, referred to in Wisconsin as Huber release), fined $3,026, and assessed $400 in court costs.

Source: herit.ag/45SvqhF , herit.ag/3sZwT70

Donald Holz

Donald Holz of Fond du Lac was charged with one felony count of illegal voting after he voted in the 2020 general election despite having a prior felony conviction, which prohibited him from participating in elections. He pleaded no contest to the charge and was sentenced to 10 days in jail, fined $500, and ordered to pay court costs.  

Source: https://herit.ag/3c7CZu1

Jed Dietenberger

Jed Dietenberger was charged by the state with one felony count of illegal voting during a mayoral election and the 2020 presidential primary election. He was accused of registering and voting despite being a convicted felon, and therefore ineligible. Dietenberger pleaded no contest, and was adjudicated guilty, to the charge, and was ordered to pay $815 in fines and court costs. 

Source: https://herit.ag/3rxM1Ve, https://herit.ag/3e4QprI

Christine Daikawa

Christine Daikawa was charged with absentee ballot fraud (a misdemeanor) and attempting to impersonate an elector (a felony) after submitting her dead partner's ballot during the 2020 general election. Daikawa pleaded no contest, and was adjudicated guilty, to both charges and was sentenced to 30 days for the misdemeanor charge and 60 days for the felony which will be served consecutively and ordered to pay $961 in court costs. 

Source: https://herit.ag/3RCOetk, https://herit.ag/3Cy05EF

Sam Wells

Sam Wells was charged by the state with one felony count of election fraud registration after registering a P.O. Box in Fond du Lac County as his residential address, despite not living in that county during the 2020 General Election. He pleaded no contest to one misdemeanor count of falsifying voter registration after the district attorney reduced the charge. Wells was assessed fines and court costs of $831.

Source: https://herit.ag/3X3tq1y , https://herit.ag/3XcJqhC

Jamie Wells

Jamie Wells was charged by the state with one felony count of election fraud registration after registering a P.O. Box in Fond du Lac County as her residential address, despite not living in that county during the 2020 General Election. She pleaded no contest to one misdemeanor count of falsifying voter registration after the district attorney reduced the charge. Wells was assessed a fine of $300 plus court costs.

Source: https://herit.ag/3GPD5SH, https://herit.ag/3XnvcdN

Mary Gebert

Mary Gebert, clerk for the town of Bergen in Marathon County, Wisconsin, was charged with one felony count of misconduct in public office, one felony count of election official destroying poll list, and one misdemeanor count of resisting or obstructing an officer during the 2020 General Election. Following the election, poll workers were unable to find one of the voter numbers, which they needed to match for accuracy. Gebert signed a random person's name without their knowledge to allegedly resolve the discrepancy. However, the person had moved out of Bergen and had voted in his or her new jurisdiction. Gebert pleaded guilty to one felony count of election official destroying poll list in exchange for dismissal of the other charges and was sentenced to two years of probation, fined $1,000, assessed $788 in court costs, and ordered not to participate in the administration or polling of any election.

Source: https://herit.ag/3tcPPPX, https://herit.ag/46qeQFS

Michael Ray Overall

Michael Ray Overall was charged by the state in St. Croix County with illegal voting, election registration fraud, registering to vote in more than one place, and voting more than once, all felonies, after voting twice in the 2020 General Election. He voted once in person in Beloit, a town in Rock County, and again by absentee ballot in St. Croix County. He was found guilty by a jury of all the charges and ordered to pay a penalty of $4,711.90 plus post-judgment interest and engage in 80 hours of community service.

Source: https://herit.ag/3EYuqfY, https://herit.ag/3RIR6IF

Jeffrey Testroete

Jeffrey Testroete was charged by the state in Fond du Lac County with one misdemeanor count of election fraud-falsifying voter registration after registering a UPS store as his residential address during the 2020 General Election. Testroete entered into a pretrial diversion program for three months and his charges will be dismissed if he successfully completes the program.

Source: https://herit.ag/3F2daq6, https://herit.ag/3ZUuKWR

Lawrence Klug

Lawrence Klug, was charged with one felony count of providing false information to an election official for casting a vote while not residing in Fond du Lac County during the 2020 general election. He used the address of a UPS Store for his voter registration. He was convicted of one misdemeanor charge of falsifying voter registration and fined $500 in court costs.

Source: https://herit.ag/3SV6oIC

Markeis Carter

Carter was charged by the state in Fond du Lac County with one felony count of election fraud registration and one misdemeanor count of falsifying voter registration after registering a UPS store as his residential address during the 2020 General Election. Carter entered into a pretrial diversion program for two months and his charges will be dismissed if he successfully completes the program.

Source: https://herit.ag/3LMgFVA, https://herit.ag/3QkURmo

Chad Armstrong

Chad Armstrong, a convicted felon on probation, voted in the 2018 election despite being ineligible. He was charged with felony election fraud but pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor. He was sentenced to five days in jail.

Source: bit.ly/37HfjaT