Stress over threats drove former Milwaukee elections official to request fake ballots, attorney says

By TODD RICHMOND
Associated Press

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A former Milwaukee elections official charged with fraudulently ordering three military absentee ballots under fake names and sending them to a Republican lawmaker who embraced election conspiracy theories told investigators she wanted to draw attention to real shortcomings in the elections system. Kimberly Zapata is on trial on multiple charges, including felony misconduct in public. Prosecutors on Tuesday played a recording of an interview she gave to investigators in which she says she was tired of being harassed by election conspiracists. She said she sent the ballots to Rep. Janel Brandtjen because Brandtjen had been the most vocal about election conspiracies.