MILWAUKEE — The campaign of Judge Jill Karofsky has filed a complaint with the Wisconsin Elections Commission, as Dan Kelly’s allies continue to air a discredited ad that was labeled “Pants on Fire” by PolitiFact last week.
The ads, currently being aired by Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce and the Republican State Leadership Committee, falsely claim Karofsky was responsible for negotiating a plea deal in State of Wisconsin v. Donald A. Worley, Dane County Circuit Court Case No. 1999-CF-396. In reality, Karofsky made no appearances in this case until over a year after the plea agreement was made and the defendant was sentenced.
In their investigation of the claims last week, PolitiFact Wisconsin wrote, “Karofsky didn’t touch the case until more than a year after the plea agreement reducing the charges and the sentencing imposing no jail time. The ad is based on sloppy research that misunderstood the meaning of the online case records. We rate this claim Pants on Fire.”
On Friday, the Karofsky campaign sent cease and desist letters to both groups and has provided documentation proving Karofsky was not assigned to the Worley case during the initial trial and plea agreement. Despite this documentation, both groups have continued airing this attack.
“Dan Kelly’s allies have had days to correct this disgusting, slanderous and patently false attack on Judge Karofsky, but they’ve chosen to continue lying to the people of Wisconsin,” said Karofsky Campaign Manager Tyler Hendricks. “With just days until the election, the Wisconsin Ethics Commission needs to take immediate action to stop special interests from interfering with this election.”
Read the full ethics complaint here.
