A Wisconsin 'fake elector' works for Ron Johnson's re-election campaign

One of Wisconsin's "fake electors" has been working as a paid staffer for Sen. Ron Johnson’s re-election campaign.

Alexa Henning, a spokeswoman for Johnson, R-Wis., confirmed to NBC News Wednesday the campaign's employment of Pam Travis, one of 10 Wisconsin Republicans who signed bogus paperwork claiming to be an elector backing then-President Donald Trump in an alleged plot to overturn the 2020 presidential election.

Travis’ LinkedIn page indicates she's worked for Johnson since March, and Federal Election Commission financial reports show the campaign has paid her just over $10,200 since April, as well as more than $3,500 in reimbursements for mileage costs between May and July.

Travis, an active member of the Wisconsin GOP, is serving as the vice chair of the 7th Congressional District.

“She is a grassroots staffer answering phones,” Henning said in a text message. “This is being blown way out of proportion.”

The news was first reported by the The American Independent and the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Johnson recently distanced himself from the elector scheme amid scrutiny over his connection with the plot. The House committee investigating Jan. 6 revealed to the public this year that a top aide to Johnson had contacted an aide to then-Vice President Mike Pence about delivering documents from alternate electors from Wisconsin and Michigan. The Pence aide shut down the request.

“My involvement in that attempt to deliver spanned the course of a couple seconds,” Johnson told WISN News, a Wisconsin television station, this month.

Tom Nelson, a Democratic Outagamie County executive who had run in the GOP Senate primary in Wisconsin before dropping out and backing Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes, took issue with the Johnson campaign downplaying Travis’ employment.

“They should be in prison," Nelson said of the 2020 false electors, referring to the role they played in trying to overturn the election. “Instead, they are on Ron Johnson’s payroll.”

In a separate statement later Wednesday, Henning said, “Pam Travis is a dedicated volunteer who has been active in the Republican Party grassroots for years and we are proud to have her on the team.” She also characterized the criticism from “Barnes supporters” as “baseless attacks against a private citizen.”

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com