Judicial Campaign Charges

WSAW.com reports that:

MADISON, Wis. (AP) -- State regulators want to punish the newest member of the Wisconsin Supreme Court for running a campaign ad that falsely suggested his opponent freed a child molester. The Wisconsin Judicial Commission says it found probable cause that Michael Gableman violated the code of judicial conduct, which prevents judicial candidates from knowingly misrepresenting facts about their opponent. Gableman defeated incumbent Justice Louis Butler in the April election. At the time, Gableman was a little-known county judge from northwestern Wisconsin. The commission says Gableman knew an ad wasn't true when it claimed Butler found a "loophole" to free a child molester he had represented as a public defender. Update: ABA Journal has now posted the complaint in this matter. (Mike Frisch)