The Office of Lawyer Regulation plans to call Assembly Speaker Robin Vos as a witness in its disciplinary case against Michael Gableman over the former justice’s conduct.
The agency filed its preliminary witness list in its case against Gableman, who’s accused of 10 violations of the state codes for attorney conduct. That includes the allegation that Gableman signed his original contract with Vos to review the 2020 election under false pretenses and later inappropriately detailed conversations with the speaker and his staff, calling it a breach of attorney-client privilege.
The list also includes Gableman, who’s described as an adverse witness.
The speaker’s office didn’t immediately return a request Thursday for comment on his inclusion. Vos previously told WISN’s “UpFront” that he hopes Gableman is disbarred for his conduct during the review.
The 75-page complaint, filed in November, includes counts related to Gableman’s effort to compel the mayors of Green Bay and Madison to appear at his private office for depositions and to turn over documents. That effort included filing petitions in Waukesha County Circuit Court seeking to have the mayors jailed if they didn’t comply with the subpoena.
OLR accused Gableman of including false statements in those petitions, such as falsely accusing the mayors of having failed to appear at a deposition and omitting key information about discussions to comply with the subpoenas.
The preliminary witness list includes Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway and Green Bay Mayor Eric Genrich, as well as other officials from their cities.
Others on the list include Law Forward attorney Jeff Mandell, who filed a complaint accusing Gableman of violating attorney conduct standards, and Madison lawyer Christa Westerberg.
The counts include OLR’s accusation that Gableman disrespected a Dane County judge and Westerberg in a hearing over an open records lawsuit against his Office of Special Counsel. Judge Frank Remington, who referred Gableman to OLR for his conduct, is listed as a potential witness.
Former Gableman aide Zakory Niemierowicz is also on the list to testify about how Gableman conducted the office and his pursuit of records from local officials.
The attorney representing OLR also indicated he may call Vos Chief of Staff Jenny Toftness, the speaker’s former general counsel Steve Fawcett and Assembly Chief Clerk Ted Blazel if needed to establish facts that the agency currently doesn’t believe will be contested.
Gableman’s disciplinary hearing is scheduled to start June 9. His attorney declined comment on the witness list, saying only it speaks for itself.
