MADISON, Wis. – In his first TV advertisement, extreme politician Brad Schimel is attempting to rewrite his disturbing record of failing sexual assault victims, falsely claiming he cleared a backlog of untested sexual assault kits. In reality, Schimel tested only nine out of over 6,000 untested rape kits over two years from 2015 to 2017 — delaying justice for thousands of victims of sexual assault, including over 2,000 children.

“In the first ad of his far-right campaign for Supreme Court, extreme politician Brad Schimel is desperately trying to rewrite history and hide his record of delaying justice for sexual assault victims,” said spokesman Derrick Honeyman. “The facts are clear: Schimel only tested nine out of over 6,000 untested rape kits over two years, and he even tried to blame his own backlog on ‘victim choices.’ Brad Schimel may have been out of the spotlight since his 2018 campaign loss, but Wisconsinites haven’t forgotten his failures to protect sexual assault victims and his extreme record. This April, voters will reject him once again.”

Here are the facts for Brad Schimel:

  • This isn’t the first time Schimel has been caught in a pants-on-fire lie over rape kits. In a 2017 interview, Schimel said “there is no ‘backlog’ of untested rape kits in Wisconsin.” PolitiFact rated Schimel’s claim a Pants on Fire and “not only wrong but ridiculous.”
  • Brad Schimel only tested nine of over 6,000 untested rape kits during his first two years in office, delaying justice for victims of sexual assaults—including more than 2,000 children.
  • In despicable fashion, Schimel then tried to shift blame for his own backlog, blaming survivors of sexual assault and “victim choices” for the number of untested rape kits.