The two leading candidates in the Wisconsin GOP primary for governor attended a GOP meeting where they proudly stood in front of a flag from a violent, anti-democratic group. Both Rebecca Kleefisch and Kevin Nicholson spoke in front of the Three Percenters flag, a right-wing militia group that advocates for the violent overthrow of American democracy.
Followers of the group have been charged for their involvement in the January 6th insurrection as well as the 2020 kidnapping plot against Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.
Neither Kleefisch nor Nicholson responded to requests for comment on their attendance at the event. Nicholson even posted a picture from the event where the flag is clearly visible in the background. Kleefisch also posted about the event on social media. Joel Kleefisch, her husband, has previously attended a meeting with the Three Percenters while he was a state legislator.
Throughout their campaigns for governor both Kleefisch and Nicholson have embraced dangerous, anti-democratic positions. Kleefisch previously backed Trump’s claim that the 2020 election was stolen and she supports conducting a “forensic audit” of the results. And both Kleefisch and Nicholson have earned the support of the Uihleins, a billionaire couple whose non-profit has spent millions bankrolling a number of “right-wing extremist organizations, including ones designated as hate groups.”
“Rebecca Kleefisch and Kevin Nicholson’s silence on attending an event that openly promoted a right-wing militant group speaks to just how extreme their toxic agendas are,” said DGA Senior Communications Advisor Christina Amestoy. “Both candidates must immediately apologize for their involvement in uplifting these dangerous principles that actively threaten the health and safety of our democracy. Wisconsinites won’t stand for this kind of extremism.”
