Trial of former Milwaukee election official charged with illegally requesting ballots begins

MILWAUKEE (AP) — The attorney for a former Milwaukee elections official charged with fraudulently ordering three military absentee ballots under fake names and sending them to a Republican lawmaker who embraced election conspiracy theories argued at the opening of her trial that she is a whistleblower and not a criminal. Kimberly Zapata is on trial on charges of misconduct in public office, a felony, and three misdemeanor counts of making a false statement to obtain an absentee ballot. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports that in opening statements Monday in Milwaukee County Circuit Court, Zapata’s defense attorney Daniel Adams told the jury that she committed no crime.