Judicial regulators in Wisconsin have initiated a formal complaint against a former state Supreme Court justice, who was contracted by Republicans to lead an investigation into the controversial 2020 election. This move comes as accusations have surfaced against Michael Gableman for breaching multiple legal conduct standards.

The complaint, filed by the Office of Lawyer Regulation, alleges that Gableman made deceptive statements, disrupted court proceedings, questioned the integrity of a sitting judge, and made inappropriate comments about the opposing legal counsel. Furthermore, it claims he violated laws pertaining to open records and improperly disclosed information regarding his representation of Assembly Speaker Robin Vos during the course of the investigation, particularly while simultaneously advocating for a recall effort against Vos.

Gableman was hired in June 2021 at the expense of taxpayers by Assembly Speaker Vos to probe into unsubstantiated claims alleging that Joe Biden had somehow managed to steal the election from then-President Donald Trump. Numerous investigations and recounts have consistently confirmed the legitimacy of Biden’s victory.

The inquiry was placed on pause in April 2022, and Gableman was dismissed from his role in August of the same year after failing to uncover any evidence supporting Trump’s unfounded assertions regarding election fraud.

The complaint requests that appropriate sanctions be imposed on Gableman by the state Supreme Court, which currently has a 4-3 liberal majority. Gableman has not yet responded to requests for comments regarding the complaint.