Brad Schimel Wants TV Ad Exposing Deals for Sex Criminals When He Was District Attorney Pulled From Airwaves
Previously Ignored Pleas of Family of Victims to Have Special Interest Backers at WMC Ad Pulled in State Supreme Court Election
MADISON, Wis. — Brad Schimel did nothing as Attorney General to help the family of victims of child sex assault when they pleaded publicly with the corporate lobby the Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce (WMC) to pull their state Supreme court race ad. The ad from WMC included identifying information about the victims. But according to media reports, now that Schimel is the subject of campaign ads noting his failures, he is trying to get the spots taken off the air.
“It seems Brad Schimel only cares about a victim if he thinks it’s himself,” said One Wisconsin Now Executive Director Scot Ross. “Schimel is trying to bully television stations into taking down an ad calling him out for sex criminals getting light sentences in cases he oversaw as Waukesha County District Attorney. But when the family of child sex abuse victims pleaded publicly for Schimel’s special interest pals to take down their appalling ad he wanted nothing to do with it.”
In their desperation to elect their favored candidate to the Wisconsin Supreme Court, the big corporate lobby produced an ad that included identifying information about the victims of childhood sexual abuse. They spent $1 million to air it in every media market of the state. The distraught family of the victims privately contacted and then publicly pleaded with the WMC to take the ad down, a request the WMC refused.
Schimel, who as Attorney General also oversees the Office of Crime Victim Services, took no action on behalf of the family to stop the ad.
Ross noted that Schimel is currently benefiting from WMC advertising on his behalf. The corporate special interests with whom Schimel has oft supported in his official capacity as Attorney General are repaying him with television advertising praising him.
In addition, the Republican Attorneys General Association (RAGA), a recipient of significant contributions from big pharmaceutical companies like those Schimel refuses to hold accountable in court for their part in the opioid crisis, is paying for advertising on his behalf.