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Categories: Ethical Government, Judicial Ethics, One Wisconsin Now - The "tOWN Hall"
The slime machine behind the infamous and racist Mike Gableman “Willie Horton” ad has a new benefactor – Jefferson County Judge Randy Koschnick.
Darrin Schmitz, who continues to serve as a Gableman mouthpiece on the numerous on-going ethics investigations of the newest Supreme Court Justice, was the first to let reporters know Koschnick was gearing up to challenge current Wisconsin Supreme Court Chief Justice Shirley Abrahamson.
Considering the assault Schmitz led against then-Justice Louis Butler, due to Butler’s service as a public defender, it curious Koschnick would want him around. Some of the gems offered by Schmitz earlier in the year impugning Butler’s public defender work include:
Darrin Schmitz: “Butler and his supporters are trying to distract voters from the fact Louis Butler worked to put sex offenders and rapists back on the street. …His work as a criminal defense lawyer is a matter of public record. In fact, Butler recently said, ‘I’m proud of the work I've done.’ “Now, Butler and his allies want to hide the fact that his record includes using an 11-year-old rape victim’s virginity against her in court in an effort to free her rapist. That's the real Louis Butler record, and it's one his supporters know could cost him the election.” (Wisconsin State Journal, 3/28/08)
Darrin Schmitz: “The ad is factual and that’s why Louis Butler doesn't like it. If Butler’s proud of his work defending sex offenders like Reuben Lee Mitchell, why is he running from his own record?” (Capital Times, 3/20/08)
Darrin Schmitz: “The majority of Wisconsin sheriffs and district attorneys have endorsed Judge Gableman, due in part to Louis Butler’s record of tying the hands of law enforcement and siding with criminals.” (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 3/19/08)
Darrin Schmitz: “The ad is factual and points to the stark contrasts in the candidates’ professional experiences and backgrounds. …Judge Gableman is a former prosecutor, while Louis Butler is a former criminal defense lawyer.” (Associated Press, 3/18/08)
It will be interesting to see how tough-on-crime Schmitz reconciles these statements with Koschnick’s work for such notables as convicted cop killer Ted Oswald.
When asked by a reporter Monday about this glaring contradiction, Koschnick offered an inauspicious defense:
“There are only so many consultants and I’ve been talking to a number of different people. I’m still assembling a staff, in fact.”
He added: “I’ll do the best I can to assemble people that I trust that share my general judicial philosophy and that’ll share my values as far as clean campaigning is concerned.”
To those looking for higher ethical standards for our judiciary and judges like Koschnick, this is troubling to say the least.
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There is not such a big shortage of consultants in Wisconsin that he had to resort to hiring Willie Horton. There are always plenty of people looking for work in a spring race. So Koschnick goes with misleading statements right out of the box.
It's a conscious decision to run a smashmouth, gutter campaign, "clean campaign pledge" or not.