Wisconsin Democrats launch effort to defend Protasiewicz from impeachment talk

Wisconsin Democrats announced late Tuesday a $4 million plan to target Republican lawmakers who talk about impeaching Supreme Court Justice Janet Protasiewicz.

The announcement came in a closed-media call by Wisconsin Democratic Party.

WisPolitics quotes Wisconsin Democratic Party Chairman Ben Wikler as saying “The anti-democratic, unconstitutional threat to impeach Janet Protasiewicz would constitute a political disaster for the Republican Party and for our system of government at large.”

Some Republicans are talking about impeaching Protasiewicz for what she said about Wisconsin’s political maps and abortion law during her run for the Supreme Court last spring.

Protasiewicz called the maps “rigged” and “unfair.”

Republicans say Protasiewicz prejudiced herself with those comments.

On Tuesday, Protasiewicz released a letter from the Wisconsin Judicial Commission that explains the commission’s decision to dismiss those formal claims against her.

“At its recent meeting, the commission considered several complaints alleging that you violated Supreme Court Rule 60.06(3)(b) and other related provisions of the Code of Judicial Conduct as a candidate for Supreme Court justice, by making statements of your personal views concerning several contentious political issues during your campaign,” the Commission wrote. “Please be advised that the commission dismissed these complaints without action and that commission proceedings are confidential pursuant to state law.”

Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, said the Judicial Commission’s letter simply means Protasiewicz won’t be punished.

Vos said the commission didn’t say anything about Protasiewicz’s ability to fairly hear cases on redistricting or abortion.

“The Judicial Commission’s memo, released today, only muddies the waters,” Vos said in a statement. “The judicial commission decided Justice Protasiewicz could not be sanctioned for what she said on the campaign trail. The commission did not address whether she can sit on a case after accepting $10 million in campaign funds from the Democrat Party – the interested party in the redistricting case. Nor did they address whether she may sit on a case having made commitments for how she would rule that are inconsistent with the obligation to be impartial.”

Sen. Chris Larson, D-Milwaukee, accused Vos and other Republicans of targeting Protasiewicz and/or playing politics.

“It turns out the ridiculous allegations made by Wisconsin Republicans against Justice Protasiewicz – made to justify attempts to silence her – have already been dismissed by a state judiciary disciplinary panel. They will stop at nothing to try to hold on to power, voters be damned,” Larson said on social media Tuesday.