This is completely unsurprising.
Assembly Speaker Robin Vos and other Republican leaders backed off Thursday from trying to remove from office Rep. Bill Kramer, who is accused of sexual assault.
Vos, of Rochester, said earlier this week that aides were researching expelling the Waukesha Republican from the Legislature if he did not resign. But after Vos consulted with other Assembly leaders Thursday, they decided not to pursue removing him from office because they did not want to interfere with the criminal case against him, Vos spokeswoman Kit Beyer said.
They called on Kramer to immediately resign and noted his constituents could attempt to recall him from office. Recalling officials takes months, and Kramer has already announced he will not seek re-election in November.
Kramer’s attorney, Jim Gatzke, said Kramer would not step down from office. He said he did not believe lawmakers had the authority to remove him because it would violate his constitutional right to due process and thought “clear-thinking, levelheaded people” had prevailed by deciding not to try to oust him.
In addition to the pending sexual assault charges against him, Rep. Kramer is also alleged to have sexually harassed at least two women while in Washington, D.C. for a GOP fundraiser.
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