The Sconi

Judicial integrity is a central issue in the Wisconsin Supreme Court race, with early voting already underway for the April 1 election. Susan Crawford, a candidate backed by the Wisconsin Democratic Party, is facing backlash from grassroots groups who claim she is circulating potentially false statements.

Justin Gavery, president of Fair Elections Wisconsin, has addressed a letter to Crawford highlighting potential violations of ethics codes. "Past statements by the Crawford campaign on crime, voter suppression, abortion, and rape are not accurate," Gavery said. He emphasized that candidates must "avoid even the appearance of impropriety."

Gavery specifically pointed out inaccuracies in Crawford's claims about her opponent Brad Schimel's stance on abortion and voter suppression. "Schimel has not taken a position on abortion," Gavery said. He also criticized Crawford's connection between Wisconsin’s voter ID law and voter suppression as false.

Wisconsin election law attorney Dan Eastman commented on Crawford’s stance against voter ID laws. "We don’t expect our Supreme Court to overthrow the law created by our democratic process," Eastman said.

The current liberal majority in the 7-member Wisconsin Supreme Court came after Janet Protasiewicz's election in 2023, supported largely by out-of-state donations. Gavery notes that Crawford benefits from similar funding sources including George Soros and other Democrat mega-donors.

Gavery expressed concern over judicial races being influenced by out-of-state donors and emphasized the importance of impartiality in judicial conduct. "We need to get back to a place where judges act impartially," he said.

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