Supervisor wants criminal probe into Gableman ad
MADISON, Wis. (AP) A county supervisor is asking for an investigation into whether Supreme Court Justice Michael Gableman committed a crime when he ran a misleading campaign ad.
The Judicial Commission alleges Gableman committed misconduct by falsely suggesting Justice Louis Butler freed a child molester who later raped again in a television ad.
Now Milwaukee County Supervisor John Weishan Jr. wants to know whether Gableman's conduct violated a state law that prohibits anyone from knowingly making "a false representation pertaining to a candidate."
That law punishes violators with up to six months in jail but it does not appear to have been enforced in recent years.
Gableman's consultant has argued the ad's language was factual and the complaint is a violation of his free speech.
Oct 20, 2008 at 6:38 p.m.
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Leave it up to politicians..the only ads not required to meet the truth in advertising law are political ads. It is time for term limits to get rid of the problem.
Oct 20, 2008 at 6:03 p.m.
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This Milwaukee County supervisor may be on to something here. If we can investigate and then convict anyone who has made a false statement about a candidate, we can throw a lot of the bums out of office and bring in some fresh minds to government.
Wait a minute. This law doesn't limit itself to just other candidates lying about opponents. It seems to apply to anyone who may lie about a candidate. Hmmm. I wonder if this law was an incumbent protection device. Incumbents have a record to "lie" about while it's more difficult to "lie" about challengers.
If they start enforcing this law in earnest, were gonna need more prisons, ASAP.
Oct 20, 2008 at 2:05 p.m.
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A complaint/request to uphold a law is not a violation of free speech. If Gableman and his consultant feel that their free speech is being violated, they should challenge the law.
I would hope that a justice obligated to uphold the law could withstand an investigation into a potential violation of a law and do so with a little decorum.
Based on the Judicial Commissions determination, it seems appropriate that an investigation follow.
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