One Wisconsin Now Files Ethics Complaint Against Robin Vos, Bob Ziegelbauer over Free Legal Fees

MADISON, Wis. — State Reps. Robin Vos (R-Burlington) Bob Ziegelbauer (I-Manitowoc) violated state ethic laws by accepting free legal counsel related to their efforts to join a lawsuit over the state’s Jim Crow-era voter identification legislation, according to a complaint filed today by One Wisconsin Now with the state’s Government Accountability Board.

“The ethics line is bright and shining and in their zeal to deny legal voters access to the franchise, Robin Vos and Bob Ziegelbauer utterly ignored it,” said Scot Ross, One Wisconsin Now Executive Director. “If these fees aren’t being donated, then someone is paying for Vos and Ziegelbauer and they need to come clean immediately about who is paying the bills.”

Media reports late last week showed Vos and Ziegelbauer sought to intervene in the legal case against the state’s voter identification law. Two lawyers filed on behalf of the duo, including a lawyer from Michael Best & Frederich and a private-practice attorney from Washington, DC. MBF is also the firm that provided scandal-plagued Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Mike Gableman with free legal advice that also resulted in ethics complaints. MBF has received over $400,000 in fees for assisting Vos and the Republicans in the drawing of the state’s redistricting maps.