Wisconsin Assembly’s Vos says Biden president, but won’t disavow conspiracy theories

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The Wisconsin Assembly’s top Republican is refusing to say claims that Joe Biden stole the 2020 presidential election are merely conspiracy theories.

Speaker Robin Vos said that many people legitimately believe Republican Donald Trump was cheated out of the presidency.

“I think people put ideas forward, sometimes they are proven to be true, sometimes they are not proven to be true, but I wouldn’t say they are conspiracy theories,” Vos told WDJT-TV in an interview that aired Thursday.

Asked if he believes Biden stole the election, Vos only said that Biden is the president.

Vos hired former state Supreme Court Justice Michael Gableman earlier this year to investigate the 2020 election in Wisconsin with a taxpayer-funded budget of $670,000.

Gableman has taken intense criticism from Democrats for hiring partisan assistants but Vos defended him, saying he wants people who will ask questions and do research working on the probe.

Vos went on to say he believes Gableman’s team should conduct their interviews behind closed doors, comparing the probe to a criminal investigation when police refuse to release details until their work is complete.

Gableman is not a prosecutor or a detective and has no arrest or charging powers but Vos still said investigations shouldn’t be conducted in public.