MADISON, Wis. — Judge Brad Schimel is on the campaign trail joking he has to, “invest in knee pads, to crawl around begging people” in his chase for campaign cash, according to a news report today. But according to A Better Wisconsin Together Deputy Director Mike Browne, Schimel’s record of taking actions in office to benefit his campaign contributors is no laughing matter.
“When it comes to our courts, people expect that those we’ve entrusted to be in charge will give everyone a fair shake, not tip the scales to benefit campaign donors or special interests,” Browne commented. “Throughout his career Brad Schimel’s actions suggest he’s been willing to put his political ambitions before what’s best for people.”
Among the instances of Schimel’s shady behavior when it comes to campaign cash, Browne noted he:
- Once wrote that politicians using their office and powers to benefit their campaign contributors was, “the essence of representative government” [Wisconsin State Journal, 6/11/14; The Capital Times, 6/11/14]
- Signed off on a plea from a child pornography defendant after taking campaign cash from their lawyer; [Wisconsin Watch, 1/24/25; State of Wisconsin vs. Andrew M Lambrecht, Waukesha County Case Number 2013CF650]
- Used his office to support a lawsuit after meeting with a lobbyist for a group that supported his campaign; [WPR, 10/13/14; One Wisconsin Now press release, 5/13/17; WisDOJ press release, 1/8/15]
- Ignored established policy and rules to issue an official office opinion praised by groups that spent millions of dollars supporting his election. [PBS Wisconsin, 2/11/16; Wisconsin State Journal, 5/10/16; Wisconsin Democracy Campaign, 5/11/16]
Browne concluded, “There’s no other way to say it: Brad Schimel’s record is downright shady when it comes to what he’ll do for campaign cash.”
