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Wisconsin Supreme Court Candidate Defends Jan. 6 Insurrectionists, Calls Legal Process Unfair

As the political storm surrounding the January 6th Capitol attack continues to unfold, a Wisconsin Supreme Court candidate is making waves by defending the rioters involved in the violent insurrection. Brad Schimel, a former Wisconsin Attorney General, has waded into the controversy with remarks that many see as an attempt to rewrite history and dismiss the gravity of the events of that day.

Schimel’s Controversial Comments

Schimel, who is running for a seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court in the upcoming April election, appeared on conservative radio host Vicki McKenna’s iHeart Radio podcast Thursday. During their conversation, Schimel offered his defense of the January 6th rioters, claiming that they never got a “fair shot” in court. His comments reflect a growing trend among some Republicans who seek to downplay the severity of the Capitol attack and the prosecutions that followed.

The former Attorney General went further, accusing Democrats of “abusing the court system” for political gain and engaging in “lawfare” — a term used to describe the use of legal processes for political warfare. Schimel argued that the political leanings of jurors in Washington, D.C. unfairly influenced the trials of the January 6th defendants.

“Another piece of the lawfare manipulation is that they utilize jurisdictions that are overwhelmingly to the left in terms of the voters — which means the jurors that you’re going to draw to hear these cases,” Schimel told McKenna. “The same thing for these January 6th defendants who were all prosecuted in the Washington, D.C., district, which is overwhelmingly liberal.”

Schimel’s argument centers on the notion that the venue of these trials, specifically in a liberal-leaning district like Washington, D.C., played a role in convicting the rioters, suggesting that a “fair shot” would have been more likely in a different jurisdiction.

Wisconsin Supreme Court candidate Brad Schimel

A Bigger Narrative Shift in the Republican Party

Schimel’s remarks are not an isolated instance. Across the country, many Republicans are attempting to “flip the script” on January 6th, reshaping the narrative surrounding the events. As noted by The New York Times, former President Donald Trump and his supporters have sought to “launder” the history of January 6th, turning the violent insurrection into a political asset.

This shift in narrative is exemplified by Trump’s ongoing campaign to pardon those involved in the Capitol riot, painting them as martyrs to a political cause. As Trump prepares to take office again in the coming weeks, he will do so on the very ground where his supporters stormed the Capitol, beat police officers, and threatened the lives of lawmakers who were certifying the 2020 election.

For many, this rewriting of history is an attempt to downplay the violence and insurrection that occurred on January 6th, while simultaneously appealing to the growing base of Trump loyalists who view the rioters as victims of a politically motivated prosecution.

Undermining the Judicial System

What makes Schimel’s comments particularly troubling is the context in which they were made. As a candidate for the Wisconsin Supreme Court, Schimel is positioning himself as someone who will sit at the highest level of the state’s judicial system. His suggestion that the legal process was unfair and that trials in a liberal jurisdiction were inherently biased calls into question his commitment to the impartiality and integrity of the courts.

By undermining the legitimacy of these trials, Schimel is implying that the entire system of justice is flawed — a message that is dangerous, particularly coming from someone running for a judicial position. The role of a Supreme Court justice is to uphold the law and ensure fair and impartial hearings, not to cast doubt on the very processes that form the foundation of the U.S. justice system.

Republican Shifts on January 6th

Schimel’s comments echo a broader trend within the Republican Party, where former critics of Trump’s actions on January 6th have shifted their positions as Trump’s influence over the party grows. Lawmakers who once denounced the Capitol attack now find themselves defending or downplaying it in an effort to stay in Trump’s good graces.

This trend isn’t just limited to Schimel. Several Republican leaders have backed Trump’s calls for pardons and have offered their support for the January 6th rioters, some even going so far as to paint them as victims of a politically motivated legal system.

A Warning for Wisconsin Voters

For voters in Wisconsin, Schimel’s remarks serve as a warning. A candidate for the state’s highest court suggesting that trials are biased based on the political leanings of the jurisdiction is deeply concerning. The independence and integrity of the judicial system must remain free from political influence — a principle that Schimel’s comments seem to contradict.

As the April election approaches, Wisconsin voters will have to decide whether they want a Supreme Court justice who questions the legitimacy of legal processes or one who upholds the law, regardless of political considerations.

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