By Carmine Sabia - February 20, 2022

Assembly Republicans in Wisconsin are looking to put election officials behind bars as part of their review of the 2020 election.

On Friday they looked to jail the state Elections Commission chairwoman, Ann Jacobs, Racine Mayor Cory Mason and other officials, The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reported.

The court filing marked the latest shift in approach for Michael Gableman, a former state Supreme Court justice who is leading the review for the Republicans. Three days ago, he abandoned far-reaching subpoenas he issued in January to the immigrant rights group Voces de la Frontera Action.

A month ago an attorney working with Gableman told a judge he was hoping to avoid trying to jail the mayors of Madison and Green Bay.

But on Friday Gableman intensified his efforts, telling Waukesha County Circuit Judge Ralph Ramirez he should incarcerate those mayors and others if they don’t sit for interviews with him behind closed doors.

Recounts and court rulings have verified that President Joe Biden won the state by 21,000 votes, but the Republicans in the assembly still have questions about the election.

Those targeted by the most recent filing include Jacobs, Mason, Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway, Green Bay Mayor Eric Genrich, Madison and Green Bay city clerks, two Milwaukee workers and information technology employees who work for the state Department of Administration and the Elections Commission.

“After saying he wanted to arrest me, then saying he didn’t, Gableman once again is asking the courts to arrest me and eight other public officials,” the Madison mayor said. “It’s an awfully bold move for someone we don’t even know is authorized to conduct an investigation.”

In January, Gableman, who is leading the investigation into the state’s 2020 elections, accused two mayors of a “cover-up” and stonewalling the investigation.

While testifying before the Wisconsin Committee on Campaign and Elections, Gableman threatened to subpoena former Facebook employee Michael Spitzer Rubenstein to testify.

Gableman also warned that he may jail two Wisconsin Democratic Mayors if they continue to avoid his interview . . .

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