MADISON, Wis. – The state Legislature has spent $160,000-plus to fight lawsuits stemming from a Republican-ordered investigation of the 2020 election. Investigative reporter Mitchell Schmidt of the Wisconsin State Journal obtained invoices through an open records request that detail payments to attorneys who represented the Legislature and House Speaker Robin Vos. To date the Legislature thus far has paid more than $141,000 to defend against a lawsuit filed by the Wisconsin Elections Commission. Another $18,000-plus was spent toto defend against three other lawsuits seeking public records related to the investigation. The lawsuits began with former state Supreme Court Justice Michael Gableman demanding election returns on behalf of ex-President Donald Trump.
