Assembly Republicans have voted to remove state Rep. Bill Kramer (R-Waukesha) as majority leader, electing retiring Rep. Pat Strachota (R-West Bend) to replace him for the remainder of this session.
Nobody spoke up on behalf of Kramer at today’s leadership vote, which was called soon after allegations surfaced that Kramer sexually harassed two women on a fundraising trip to Washington D.C. Assembly Republicans said the vote to remove Kramer as Majority Leader was unanimous.
Speaker Robin Vos told reporters afterward that several people witnessed Kramer’s behavior in Washington.
Stay informed on the latest news
Sign up for WPR’s email newsletter.
“I was not there, so I don’t know how many,” Vos said, “but I have had numerous people say that they saw it: both legislators, others who were at the event, lobbyists. It was not an action that occurred in private.”
Kramer was not at today’s leadership vote. He checked himself into a treatment center on Saturday. Vos says Kramer was impaired during one of the alleged incidents.
Vos said there were no plans to censure Kramer. He said he hoped Kramer would not seek reelection.
“Of course, if Representative Kramer comes back, there are other actions we will have to take to guarantee the safety of anybody who has concerns,” Vos said. “I have had people — more than just the victims that had the allegations reported to me — there are others who also have concerns about their own safety. So we will do whatever it takes to guarantee that no one — man, woman, staffer, lobbyist, citizen — has to deal with this situation again.”
Replacing Kramer will be Rep. Pat Strachota, who becomes the state Assembly’s first ever female majority leader. Her election is largely symbolic, as Strachota is leaving the Legislature at the end of this session.
Wisconsin Public Radio, © Copyright 2024, Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System and Wisconsin Educational Communications Board.
