Boots & Sabers

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Tag: Brad Schimel

Walker Appoints Schimel as Judge

Good move.

Gov. Scott Walker is appointing outgoing AG Brad Schimel to a vacancy on the Waukesha County Circuit Court.

The move comes a day after Schimel formally conceded the AG’s race to Dem rival Josh Kaul, who won by 17,190 votes. Schimel took the weekend to considered whether to seek a recount, but decided against requesting one.

“Brad Schimel has diligently served the State of Wisconsin as attorney general and the citizens of Waukesha County as district attorney,” Walker said. “Schimel has shown a commitment to the rule of law and the State of Wisconsin. He will continue to faithfully serve our state as Waukesha County Circuit Court judge.”

Keep Wisconsin moving forward

Here is my full column that ran in the Washington County Daily News yesterday.

Early voting has been underway in Wisconsin for several weeks, but the end of the election season is rapidly approaching. Nov. 6 is the final day to vote. As a free people, we have the hardearned right to set the course of our public affairs for years to come. We must choose wisely.

There are many important choices on the ballot, but the three at the top of the ballot are paramount for the future of our state. Brad Schimel is asking for a second term as Wisconsin’s attorney general and he has earned it.

In his first term, Schimel has launched programs to support victims of domestic abuse and violent crime, fought the opioid abuse epidemic, supported local law enforcement, fixed the rape kit backlog that he inherited and much more. Schimel has led the Department of Justice as it should be run — as a no nonsense, law and order shop.

This stands in stark contrast to what his opponent, Josh Kaul, wants to do with the office. Kaul is part of the massive liberal effort, spearheaded by former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, to elect rabid activists as attorneys general across the nation. Their objective is to use the power of the office of attorney general to wage liberal havoc against their enemies. For the sake of law and order, Wisconsin must reelect Attorney General Brad Schimel.

State Sen. Leah Vukmir is challenging U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin. This race is a contrast in work ethic as well as ideology. Baldwin is completing her first term and one struggles to come up with a single accomplishment to her name. Backbenching inaction has been the hallmark of Baldwin’s entire political career. In almost six years as Wisconsin’s junior senator, the only thing that is remarkable about Baldwin’s tenure has been that she is a tremendously reliable vote for the Democratic leaders and every lefty cause they dreamt up.

During the exact same time, one could find Vukmir at the center of every major reform enacted in Wisconsin. Vukmir was at the center of Act 10, advancing school choice, reforming welfare, lowering taxes, health care reform, expanding civil rights and has been instrumental in advancing the reforms that have led to an economic renaissance in our state. Wisconsin is dramatically better off than it was when Vukmir first stepped into the state Legislature. We need a senator like Vukmir who will actually work for Wisconsin’s interests in Washington.

Finally, Gov. Scott Walker is asking Wisconsin for a third and final term as our governor. He has certainly earned it. Perhaps the easiest way to measure Walker’s tenure is by asking the old question, “are you better off ?” By virtually every measurement, the answer is, “yes.”

When Walker first assumed office, Wisconsin’s unemployment rate was 8 percent. Now it is less than 3 percent for the eighth month in a row. Before Walker became governor, businesses were fleeing Wisconsin. Now businesses like Foxconn are clamoring to set up shop in our state. Before Walker, taxes were going up every year at almost every level with no end in sight. Now Wisconsinites have enjoyed a decrease in the tax burden and the elimination of the state property tax.

Before Walker, tuition at the state’s universities were going up faster than inflation. Now Walker has frozen tuition at UW schools and students can more easily afford a higher education. Before Walker, the state was running a deficit in the billions of dollars. Now the state regularly runs a small surplus that has been used to give money back to taxpayers or bolster the state’s rainy day fund.

Before Walker became our governor, the DNR was feared by businesses, homeowners and conservationists alike. Now the DNR works to help people comply with environmental regulations. Before Walker, our civil rights to keep and bear arms were unreasonably restricted. Now Wisconsinites enjoy the liberties to which we are entitled. Before Walker, some of Wisconsin’s workers were forced to be members of a union if they wanted to work. Now every Wisconsin worker enjoys the right to freely associate.

By virtually every measurement — economic, civil rights, taxes, regulatory climate, etc. — Wisconsin is much better off than it was before Walker took office. Unless you want to see all of our progress come to a screeching halt, vote for Walker.

Walker, Vukmir and Schimel have all helped make Wisconsin a great place to live and work. They deserve our votes. More importantly, we deserve to have them continue to work on our behalf.

DOJ Employees Sign Non-Disclosure

Here we go again with the liberal Milwaukee paper trying to make something out of nothing.

What goes on at the state Department of Justice stays in the state Department of Justice.

So says Attorney General Brad Schimel.

On Aug. 10, staffers at his agency were sent an email instructing them to sign a nondisclosure agreement barring them from revealing any confidential information about their work — not just during their time in office but even after they leave the state.

The email then included a spreadsheet with the names of 129 employees who had yet to sign the one-page statement.

“If your name is on the attached list, please print and sign the attached Agreement,” the email says.

According to a copy of the agreement, it applies not just to current full-time employees but also “limited term employees, contractors, interns, externs and law enforcement partners.”

The DOJ deals with some of the most sensitive and confidential information in government. As long as they are equally vigilant about providing public information subject to the open records law, we citizens want DOJ employees to keep the rest confidential.

DOJ Completes Testing of Old Sexual Assault Kits

Good news.

MADISON, Wis. – Attorney General Brad Schimel announced today that a major milestone has been reached as testing has been completed on all sexual assault kits initially inventoried and designated for testing in Wisconsin’s Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (WiSAKI). WiSAKI is a statewide effort, voluntarily initiated by Attorney General Schimel, to address the decades-long accumulation of previously unsubmitted sexual assault kits (SAKs) that were in the possession of local law enforcement agencies and hospitals across Wisconsin.

“When I took office in 2015, I worked with our team to identify and collect more than 6,000 sexual assault evidence kits that had never been submitted to the crime labs for testing, some of them dating back to the 1980s,” said Attorney General Brad Schimel. “Today, I am proud to announce that testing is complete on all 4,154 kits slated for testing. In less than three years, we will have tested the kits that built up over several decades, and justice can be served to sexual assault survivors.”

SCOTUS Issues Stay in Redistricting Case

Excellent. Our State AG is pleased.

MADISON, Wis. – By a vote of 5-4, the Supreme Court of the United States this morning granted Attorney General Brad D. Schimel’s application for a stay in the redistricting case, Gill v. Whitford. Earlier today, the Court agreed to hear the case, which is expected to be scheduled for oral argument during the term starting in October 2017.

The stay prevents implementation of the three-judge panel’s ruling, which would have required the Wisconsin Legislature to redraw district maps in the coming months.

Attorney General Brad Schimel released the following statement in response.

”The stay is particularly important because it preserves the Legislature’s time, effort, and resources while this case is pending. In our stay application, I argued that requiring the Legislature to re-draw district maps this year would have been a waste of resources. I also argued that it was likely that the lower court’s decision would be eventually overturned. I am pleased that the Court granted our request on this important issue.”

Federal Judge Enjoins Obama Overtime Rule

Excellent.

MADISON, Wis. – This evening, the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas issued a nationwide preliminary injunction in the Department of Labor Overtime Rule case, enjoining the enforcement of the rule. In September, Wisconsin Attorney General Brad Schimel joined a bipartisan coalition of 21 states in asking the Court to prevent implementation of the Rule on December 1, 2016.

“I’m incredibly happy the Court agreed the rule should be put on hold,” said Attorney General Schimel. “There’s no greater honor than representing millions of Wisconsinites in the continuous fight for the return of power to our citizens, away from an out-of-control federal bureaucracy in Washington D.C. Wisconsin must have the ability to set its own priorities and policies.”

The new Rule doubles the salary-level threshold for employees to be exempt from overtime, regardless of whether they perform executive, administrative, or professional duties. Beginning December 1, 2016, all employees would be entitled to overtime if they earn less than $47,476 a year, including state and local government employees. Additionally, the new rule contains a ratcheting mechanism to automatically increase the salary-level threshold every three years without going through the standard rule-making process required by federal law.

Wisconsin AG Commits Resources to Investigate Doe Leak

Excellent.

MADISON, Wis. – Today, Attorney General Brad Schimel filed a letter with Wisconsin Supreme Court Chief Justice Patience Roggensack requesting the Wisconsin Supreme Court appoint a special master to investigate the breach of the secrecy orders in the John Doe case related to the September 14, 2016, article published in The Guardian newspaper. The letter also requests the special master investigate and confirm the final disposition of the unlawfully seized evidence in this case.

Attorney General Schimel committed investigatory support and legal advice from the Wisconsin Department of Justice to any special master the Court appoints.

The entire John Doe investigation has been a horrible miscairrage of justice that violated the civil rights of dozens of people. Someone needs to watch the watchdogs and I’m glad that the Attorney General is stepping up to the plate. Now the Supreme Court needs to get moving.

Wisconsin AG to Investigate Videos of Voter Fraud

Good.

UPDATE (WKOW)– Wisconsin Attorney General Brad Schimel says a recent video posted by conservative group Project Veritas shows concerning comments that will require a lengthy investigation.

Project Veritas released two videos earlier this week. They feature Scott Foval, a well-known democratic operative in Madison political circles. The videos, which are highly edited, appear to show Foval taking credit for disrupting a Scott Walker presidential rally, and also talking about how to commit voter fraud.

“I’ve got strong instincts that say if you see a bad guy, go after a bad guy. Those videos appear to have someone bragging about breaking Wisconsin laws and some federal laws. So, my instincts are to take a look at it, and we will do that.”

Since the videos went public the policy group Americans United for Change has fired Foval. Foval tells 27 News these accusations are part of a sinister plot that is nothing more than a ruse.

Schimel says he will examine any materials he and his office can legally get their hands on, so they can take a deeper look and determine if any election laws were broken.

Government at Work

I often highlight government programs and policies that are poorly done, but this is not one of those rants. Sometimes, government gets it right and we need to point it out.

A few weeks ago, I got a letter from the Wisconsin Department of Justice with instructions on how to renew my concealed carry permit. I was one of the first 4,000 people in Wisconsin to get a permit when the law went into effect five years ago, so I am also one of the first to renew.

The process was easy and efficient. I went online to https://concealedcarry.doj.wi.gov, entered in my pertinent information, answered the questions, read the requirements, and paid the $22 with a credit card. The entire process took less than 10 minutes and I did it from the comfort of my home. Now the DOJ has 21 days to run a background check on me and then send me my new permit. In the meantime, I printed my confirmation number in case I need it, but it is unnecessary since my current permit won’t expire for a couple of months. But at least there is a measure to address people who wait until the last day to renew to make sure they can continue to exercise their right until the new permit arrives.

Hats off to Attorney General Brad Schimel and the DOJ for making it easy and convenient to renew concealed carry permits and exercise our rights. Of course, I would prefer Constitutional Carry where such a process is unnecessary, but that’s not the AG’s call.

Wisconsin joins Lawsuit Against Obama Title IX Overreach

Excellent.

MADISON – Wisconsin Attorney General Brad Schimel joined attorneys general and school districts from across the United States today in challenging the Obama Administration’s new Title IX policy. In the latest example of the Obama Administration’s unlawful executive overreach, which re-interprets the word “sex” to include “gender identity,” Wisconsin’s sovereignty and independence have once again been undermined by the federal government.

“President Obama’s attempts to re-write the laws of our country without congressional consent and approval are not going to be tolerated by the State of Wisconsin,” said Attorney General Schimel. “After discussing with Governor Walker, I have decided to join my colleagues from across the country in challenging the Obama Administration’s latest power grab, which will have a significant impact on Wisconsin, particularly at the University of Wisconsin and Department of Public Instruction.”

Earlier this month, the United States Department of Justice (USDOJ) issued a “significant guidance letter,” which forces all recipients of Title IX funding to treat an individual according to their “internal sense of gender.” According to the guidance, “gender identity [is] the [individual’s] sex for purposes of Title IX and its implementing regulations.”  USDOJ argues that Title IX requires those government agencies receiving federal funds under Title IX to treat an individual according to their “internal sense of gender.” While this policy most notably applies to bathrooms and locker rooms at educational institutions, it would also apply to athletics, single-sex classes, and single-sex housing (i.e. dorms).

On the merits, this new policy conflicts with the plain language of Title IX, and is therefore an unlawful interpretation.  Title IX does not prohibit “gender identity” discrimination, but sex discrimination.

Doe Inquisitors Lash Out

Heh.

Milwaukee County investigators fired back Friday at Attorney General Brad Schimel in a court filing, calling his public statements about their actions in a halted John Doe probe into Gov. Scott Walker’s recall campaign “defamatory” and “unacceptable.”

Last month, Schimel asked a federal judge in a related lawsuit not to block the Wisconsin Supreme Court’s order that the investigators turn over evidence collected in the John Doe investigation, which the state court halted in July.

In a statement issued the same day as his filing, Schimel said the state high court determined investigators “are requesting the federal court contradict the Wisconsin Supreme Court’s order requiring that the evidence unlawfully seized by the John Doe investigators be kept under seal.”

Schimel also told conservative talk radio hosts that day that the investigators were illegally holding the evidence and that they “stole” it, according to a transcript of the interview.

Schimel: Constituent Communications Should Be Public

I agree. I’ve always assumed that any of my correspondence with an elected official is subject to the open records law.

Attorney General Brad Schimel says legislators’ communications with constituents should be public.

Schimel made the remarks at a WisPolitics.com luncheon Thursday in Madison after host Jeff Mayers asked him several times whether he believed the identity of people asking lawmakers to do things for them should be open.

EPA To Ignore Federal Ruling in 37 States

But Wisconsin’s AG thinks the federal ruling applies nationwide.

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Attorney General Brad Schimel is arguing that a federal court ruling blocking new Environmental Protection Agency water pollution regulations should apply nationwide.

The EPA says the rules clarify which waterways fall under federal protection. Landowners say the rule will be burdensome because it will require more permits. Lawsuits to block the regulations are pending across the country; Wisconsin has a federal lawsuit in Georgia.

A federal judge Thursday blocked the regulations from taking effect, but the EPA maintains that injunction is valid in only 13 states. The agency plans to implement the rules in the remaining states, including Wisconsin.

Schimel said in a statement Friday that well-established precedent shows the injunction affects all 50 states and he expects Wisconsin and other states will seek clarification that the ruling applies nationwide.

I don’t know the law well enough here to have an opinion one way or the other. I do seem to recall plenty of other cases when a federal judge’s ruling was considered binding nationally unless it was overturned by a higher court.

It is worth noting that Wisconsin is not one of the 13 states. Our state failed to join this important lawsuit.

Attorney General Looks to Revamp Open Records Laws

Good. As long as it is done with the purpose of enabling more transparency, I’m all for it.

Attorney General Brad Schimel is starting the substantial task of updating the state’s open records law at a time when voices of outrage are still reverberating in the Capitol’s halls over a recent unsuccessful attempt by leading lawmakers to significantly diminish public scrutiny.

“This is a big beast,” said Schimel of the task, who has said since he was elected in November he wanted to update the state’s open records law for the first time since 1981 to, in part, better reflect government officials’ use of modern technology.

“I don’t believe you’ll find the word ‘electronic’ in (the records law) anywhere,” he said Friday.

Democrats Seek DA Training Videos

First, consider that Schimel is so well respected in the law enforcement community that he is training other folks on law enforcement strategies. Second, consider that the democrats prioritize potential “gotcha” comments for campaign ads above victim privacy or the integrity of law enforcement training.

Wisconsin Democrats have filed a lawsuit seeking videos of prosecutor training sessions involving Republican attorney general candidate Brad Schimel.

Their lawsuit Tuesday said a state Democratic Party researcher made an open records request with the state Justice Department seeking the videos on Sept. 15. The party said Schimel may have made inappropriate remarks at the presentations.

The agency denied the request on Monday, saying the videos include detailed discussion of cases that could compromise victim privacy and reveal law enforcement strategies. In a statement, Schimel said releasing the videos would expose law enforcement’s playbook and put the public at risk.

Schimel Proposes Moving Prosecutors Under DOJ

Interesting idea.

Brown County District Attorney David Lasee can’t say whether his office would gain if state prosecutors were all put under the state Department of Justice’s umbrella, but he has no doubt that his and other DA’s offices need help.

Lasee was responding to a proposal by Brad Schimel, the Republican candidate for Wisconsin attorney general, to make the organizational shift. The state’s 400 prosecutors are employees of the state Department of Administration, and Schimel says that doesn’t work.

“They’re the department of everything,” Schimel said. “We’re very low on their priority list.”

But the shift would nearly double the size of the Department of Justice, and dealing with prosecutor shortages would be a major priority under that arrangement, which would require enabling legislation, Schimel said.

On the surface it makes sense and I don’t see a downside.

Don’t Forget About the Attorney General’s Race

Colin Roth at Right Wisconsin is right about this.

The campaign for Attorney General will play second fiddle all fall to the close race for Governor. But conservatives should not sleep on this race. A Walker second term with Susan Happ as Attorney General would prove to be more than a headache.

An activist liberal Attorney General could sure throw a wrench in the works of a conservative agenda.

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