MILWAUKEE, Wis. – Judge Janet Protasiewicz’s campaign for Wisconsin Supreme Court has sent letters to TV stations across the state airing false ads by Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce and Fair Courts America, following a report this morning showing they contain false information and revictimized a crime victim by harassing her and twisting her words.
Groups associated with Dan Kelly’s campaign repeatedly harassed the victim in a 2019 case asking her to participate in their false and misleading TV ads. The group said these ads were “going to run whether she approved or not,” and continued to send her messages, including the first ad, after she refused to participate.
The victim told reporters the ads “immediately took my breath away,” and she “wondered if there was any thought put into the human beings behind the cases.” An advocate for sexual assault victims also said, “There are human beings that are affected by these stories, by these cases being brought up again, and that’s very tiring for survivors, in particular for survivors of sexual assault.”
The letter, which was sent by the campaign’s attorneys, states: “Judge Protasiewicz did not ignore or fail the victim. In fact, the victim requested that the court remove its no-contact order for the purpose of restorative justice, with which Judge Protasiewicz complied. Moreover, Judge Protasiewicz did not let the defendant off easy. The victim stated in her impact statement that she would support any sentence that the court decided to hand down. While Judge Protasiewicz indicated that she made her own sentencing decision, she also stated that she took into account the victim being quite understanding and caring about the defendant and his family.”
The full letter sent to stations is available here.
“Dan Kelly and his right-wing allies have made up disgusting lies about Judge Janet Protasiewicz to scare voters and hide her record of protecting public safety and holding people accountable. While Dan Kelly has been silent about the disturbing actions of his supporters and the false information they’re spreading, broadcasters have a duty to pull these false and harassing ads from the air immediately,” said Janet for Justice spokesperson Sam Roecker.“Judge Janet Protasiewicz has spent three decades protecting victim rights, upholding our laws, and improving public safety.”
