Kenosha County District Attorney Robert Jambois removed himself today from the investigation of bribery at a Democratic-sponsored bingo party due to a conflict of interest, according to Chris Lato, a spokesman for the Republican Party of Wisconsin.
The RPW called for the prosecutor's removal from the investigation after stating Jambois is a member of the steering committee for the Jim Doyle for Governor campaign. Democratic campaign organizer Angela Arrington and Doyle supporter Frank Santapaolo also attended the event, according to Lato.
Lato said a new attorney has been assigned to the case.
The RPW charged the Doyle campaign with bribing mentally disabled voters at a Kenosha health care facility with pastries, soda and money in exchange for votes.
\Food changed hands here where absentee ballots were laid out to vote. That is a felony,"" said Lato. ""Bob Jambois did the right thing by stepping aside.""
Democratic Party of Wisconsin spokesman Thad Nation said the DPW would participate in any investigation, but dismissed allegations that Doyle had prior knowledge of the bingo party or that the event was illegal in any way.
""The facility provided the soda. The cost per person of kringle [pastry] was four cents,"" Nation said, adding that the bingo games were restricted to a maximum winning of 75 cents. ""The maximum per person was 80 cents.""
The RPW claimed that the Doyle campaign gave gifts of more than $1 to voters, which is illegal according to Wisconsin state law. Also, the RPW charged that someone at the facility told patients of the health care facility that they could vote during the bingo party.
Lato refused to comment on Democratic allegations that Santapaolo ran similar events for U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Janesville.
