Madison, Wisconsin - The Republican-led attempt to impeach Wisconsin Elections Commission Administrator Meagan Wolfe, a nonpartisan top elections official, is being labeled as nothing more than "a big show for the cameras" and will not be given serious consideration, according to Assembly's GOP Majority Leader Tyler August.

Several Republican lawmakers, including the State Senate President, have called for the impeachment of Meagan Wolfe over her handling of the 2020 election, which was won by President Joe Biden. However, the Senate's vote in October to fire Wolfe was later acknowledged as symbolic and lacking legal effect.

In the Assembly, State Representative Janel Brandtjen introduced a resolution to impeach Wolfe, which as of now has only garnered five co-sponsors in addition to Brandtjen. To pass, the resolution would require a minimum of 50 votes.

Brandtjen's attempts to trigger a vote on her proposal were denied, with August citing insufficient support both within the Assembly committee and among the chamber's majority. August argued that if Brandtjen can gather enough support, the measure can be brought forward for a vote, but noted that currently she lacks the necessary backing. He criticized the proposal as a distraction from more pressing issues, accusing Brandtjen of seeking attention rather than focusing on substantive matters.

Republican Representative David Steffen, who chairs the committee where the resolution is currently languishing, recently signed onto the measure. This development suggests the possibility of scheduling a public hearing for the proposal, although Steffen has not offered any comment in response to inquiries.

Fellow Republican lawmakers have criticized the conduct of State Representative Kevin Petersen, who presided over the session when Brandtjen was ignored. Representative Scott Allen, a co-signer of the impeachment resolution, accused Petersen of abusing his power and demanded an apology or resignation. Petersen refused to apologize, asserting that he will not tolerate disrespect while presiding over debates.

Despite the stagnation of the impeachment effort, there are ongoing calls by Republicans for the replacement of Meagan Wolfe. However, Wolfe has stated her intent to remain in her position at least until the November election.

Assembly Speaker Robin Vos has become the target of a recall campaign initiated by supporters of former President Donald Trump, partly due to his opposition to the impeachment of Wolfe. In November, Trump publicized a news release from Representative Brandtjen on his social media platform criticizing Vos for not taking stronger action to remove Wolfe from her position.

According to the impeachment rules in the Assembly, state officials can only be impeached for corrupt conduct in office or for committing a crime or misdemeanor. If the Assembly were to vote in favor of impeachment, the case would proceed to a Senate trial, where a two-thirds majority vote would be required for conviction.

While Meagan Wolfe serves as the administrator of elections, it is the more than 1,800 local clerks who are responsible for running elections in the crucial swing state. The bipartisan board that she oversees consists of an equal number of Republicans and Democrats.

Brandtjen and other supporters of the impeachment claim had previously sought the decertification of Biden's 2020 victory. However, multiple audits, recounts, reviews, and legal challenges have all upheld Biden's win, with a margin of nearly 21,000 votes in Wisconsin.