Second recall effort launched against Robin Vos

A second recall attempt has been launched against Wisconsin Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, the effort driven by the same organizers who appear to have fallen short of signatures in their first attempt to remove the powerful Republican from office. 

Burlington resident Matthew Snorek filed paperwork with the Wisconsin Elections Commission Wednesday. It states Vos “should be recalled for his tacit support of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), a “lack of election integrity” and “flagrant disrespect for his own constituents by calling them ‘whack-jobs, morons and idiots.’” 

The insults from Vos were directed at Snorek and others behind their first recall attempt, which started in January.

According to the WEC, signed petitions for the new recall effort would be due no later than May 28.

An attorney representing the initial Recall Vos campaign has filed a lawsuit in Dane County Circuit Court aimed at buying more time for the group to respond to Vos challenging numerous signatures. A status hearing for that case is scheduled for Friday morning. 

A staffer working for Vos told WPR they don’t expect to release any comments about the second recall attempt at this time. 

While Snorek delivered around 11,000 signatures to the WEC on March 12 in the first recall effort, an initial review by agency attorneys determined there weren’t enough valid signatures from people living within Vos’ 63rd Assembly District.

That 63rd, along with all other Republican-drawn state Assembly and Senate districts were declared unconstitutional by the Wisconsin Supreme Court’s liberal majority in December. New maps were passed by GOP lawmakers and signed into law by Democratic Governor Tony Evers in February, but those maps don’t go into effect until the fall general election.

The WEC has asked the Wisconsin Supreme Court which maps it should use “for any recall or special election.” A decision could be coming soon.

Attorneys for Vos filed a challenge to numerous signatures March 21, while claiming the submissions from Snorek are “plagued with fraud and criminality.” They included affidavits from people who said they were misled by petition circulators about what they were signing. The challenge also claimed “at least three minors had their names fraudulently added to the recall petitions.”