The Wisconsin Assembly Republican leader who hired a former state Supreme Court justice to investigate the 2020 election fired him Friday, three days after the lawmaker beat a primary opponent whom the investigator and former President Donald Trump had endorsed. The firing of Michael Gableman capped a 14-month ride that began when Assembly Speaker Robin Vos hired him to look into the election under pressure from Trump. But as the probe progressed under bipartisan criticism, Vos’ relationship soured with both Trump and Gableman. Vos initially said he was “supremely confident” in Gableman’s abilities. After his election win Tuesday, Vos called Gableman an “embarrassment to himself” and to the state. Gableman, who has repeated Trump’s lie that the 2020 presidential election was “stolen,” has said that Vos “never wanted a real investigation.” “After having many members of our caucus reach out to me over the past several days, it is beyond clear to me that we only have one choice in this matter, and that’s to close the Office of Special Counsel,” Vos said in a statement issued first to The Associated Press on Friday. Gableman’s did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment. After Gableman’s work drew bipartisan scorn, his firing generated bipartisan praise. Britt Cudaback, spokesperson for Democratic Gov. Tony Evers who has been highly critical of the Gableman and the probe, reacted to the firing with one word: “Finally.” “It was a good decision. It would have been a better decision six months ago,” said Republican state Sen. Kathy Bernier, chair of the Senate elections committee, who went on to add that she has “zero respect, for Michael Gableman.” One major fissure between Vos and Gableman came when Gableman said in a report that lawmakers should consider decertifying the 2020 election, as Trump wants. Vos rejected that suggestion, citing widespread legal opinions that it is both unconstitutional and impossible to do. Vos had repeatedly said the goal of the probe was not to overturn the 2020 election, a move Gableman later told Vos privately in writing was impossible. Even Gableman’s own attorney told lawmakers that decertification was “pointless.” Vos said people with ongoing concerns about election integrity should focus on defeating Evers, who vetoed changes Republicans wanted. Republican gubernatorial candidate Tim Michels supports disbanding the bipartisan Wisconsin Elections Commission and has said he would have signed the bills Evers vetoed. Michels’ adviser Chris Walker declined to comment on Gableman’s firing. Vos hired Gableman to quell pressure he was feeling from those who believed Trump’s false claims about the 2020 election. President Joe Biden won Wisconsin by nearly 21,000 votes, an outcome that’s survived lawsuits, recounts, reviews, audits and even Gableman’s own investigation. Unhappy with how he was treated by Vos, Gableman’s public comments critical of the speaker increased as did Trump’s. In April, Gableman called for pressure to be put on Vos to extend the former justice’s contract. Vos did so — albeit with a pay cut from his initial $11,000 a month. Vos put the investigation hold in May, pending resolution of ongoing lawsuits. Their relationship reached a tipping point when both Trump and Gableman endorsed Vos’ primary opponent, leading to a tighter-than-expected race. Vos eked out with a 260-vote win. Vos said his victory showed lawmakers “don’t have to be a lapdog to whatever Donald […]

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