Conservative Supreme Court candidate Brad Schimel says he doesn’t have any agenda to work with anyone, despite Elon Musk-affiliated groups spending millions on ads and mail backing Schimel.
Meanwhile, liberal Supreme Court candidate Susan Crawford slammed Schimel as the “most extreme candidate to ever run for this office” and knocked Musk’s efforts to back him.
The two made their remarks in separate appearances before the Wisconsin Counties Association. Crawford spoke on Tuesday, while Schimel appeared Wednesday.
“I’m following the law,” Schimel told reporters following his remarks. “I’m grateful for our supporters, but they’re getting nothing except me following the law period.”
Musk’s Building America’s Future has reported to the state spending more than $2 million on TV, online ads and mail backing Schimel. America PAC, another group with ties to Musk, has reported spending nearly $2.3 million, primarily on canvassing.
Schimel attacked Crawford for receiving $1 million “directly” from billionaire George Soros, saying that “these two things don’t compare,” without providing an explanation of the difference.
“I think he has very dangerous ideas for America,” Schimel said.
The billionaire gave the state Dem party $1 million before WisDems transferred $2 million to Crawford last month.
Tesla Inc., one of Musk’s companies, has sued Wisconsin for blocking it from opening dealerships in the state. Schimel said he wouldn’t promise to recuse himself if the case goes before the state Supreme Court. He said he’ll review the briefs when he sees the case and make a decision.
Schimel also said he was “not going to comment” on the 2020 Wisconsin Supreme Court decision that rejected Donald Trump’s effort to invalidate the 2020 election results.
“I didn’t read the briefs in that case,” Schimel said.“I didn’t review the arguments. I don’t know.”
During his speech to state county leaders, Schimel said he is not focused on partisan politics, and doesn’t believe that’s the role of justices.
“I think we’re making mistakes, and we need to go back to a court that’s objective, a court that doesn’t get headlines,” Schimel said. “And it’s boring when judges just follow the law. And I’m perfectly happy to be boring.”
During her address, Crawford charged Schimel has spent his career “focused on politics, partisanship and self-promotion.”
“We don’t need any of those things on the Wisconsin Supreme Court,” she said.
Crawford said Schimel has supported an 1849 law that was interpreted as banning nearly all abortions with no exceptions for rape or incest, charged he let thousands of rape test kits go untested for two years, and “wasted taxpayer money on right-wing causes.”
She said that includes suing to overturn the Affordable Care Act while serving as AG and refusing to join lawsuits against opioid manufacturers.
“Brad Schimel always has been and always will be more focused on his extreme agenda and his personal politics than his own state,” Crawford said.
Following her remarks, Crawford continued to slam Musk’s involvement in the race during an availability with reporters.
Crawford sought to differentiate the financial support from the wealthy donors by saying Musk is in the process of dismantling the federal government and is President Donald Trump’s right-hand man.
Republicans have knocked Crawford after Soros gave the state Dem Party $1 million and Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker $500,000 before WisDems transferred $2 million to her campaign last month.
Crawford took a dig at Musk for using the image of the wrong Susan Crawford in one digital ad his group ran in the race and said the fact he’s so closely tied to Trump should be concerning to Wisconsin voters.
Still, Crawford said she’s not running as the anti-Trump candidate.
“I’m running as the nonpartisan candidate that’s for fairness and impartiality on the Wisconsin Supreme Court,” she said, declining to weigh in on whether the April 1 results will be a referendum on the president’s agenda.
