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3/28/08
Caveat Voter: Don’t Let Supreme Court Campaigns and Third-Party Ads Play April Fools’ On You
By THOMAS SOLBERG
The Wisconsin Judicial Campaign Integrity Committee (WJCIC) cautions voters to be highly skeptical of any political advertising they come across in the next few days. It is expected voters will be barraged with new and potentially deceptive ads this weekend prior to Tuesday’s Supreme Court election. The WJCIC urges voters to seek out reliable, nonbiased sources of information about the candidates.
Read Complete Press Release
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03/28/08
Resources for Voters
By Webmaster
Quality Media Fact Checks of Campaign Advertising:
WISC TV Channel 3 (Madison) Reality Check:
Newsweek Magazine:
FactCheck.org (Annenberg Political Fact Check):
Candidate Debates and Voter Guides:
- State Bar of Wisconsin Debate (Video)
March 25, 2008
Wisconsin Eye (Video)
- We The People Debate
Friday, March 28, 2008, 7:00 P.M., on both Wisconsin Public Television and Wisconsin Public Radio. The debate will repeat on My Madison TV-14 at 7 p.m. Saturday, March 29 and at 10 a.m. Sunday, March 30 on both WISC-TV and WPT. WMVS-TV in Milwaukee will also air the forum at 10 a.m. Sunday, March 30.
- League of Women Voters of Wisconsin, Voters Guide
- Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance, The Wisconsin Taxpayer, Supreme Court Election: The Candidates Speak
January 2008
- “Paper Debate,” Dunn County News and Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance
3/21/08
WJCIC: New WMC TV Ad Deceives Public
By THOMAS SOLBERG
The Wisconsin Judicial Campaign Integrity Committee (WJCIC) finds that a new ad produced by Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce is a deceptive attack upon Wisconsin’s tradition of fair and impartial courts. The ad makes deceptive statements regarding Constitutional principles and adds nothing to the public understanding of the issues in this campaign.
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3/17/08
WJCIC Finds Gableman Campaign TV Ad Offensive and Misleading
By THOMAS SOLBERG
The Wisconsin Judicial Campaign Integrity Committee (WJCIC) has reviewed a television advertisement from the campaign of Judge Michael Gableman regarding a criminal case Justice Louis Butler was involved in decades ago in his role as a Public Defender. The committee finds this ad to be both highly offensive and deliberately misleading and urges Judge Gableman to take it off the air.
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3/17/08
Statement of the WJCIC Regarding the Greater Wisconsin Committee’s TV Ad Referencing Child Sexual Assault Cases
By THOMAS SOLBERG
The Wisconsin Judicial Campaign Integrity Committee (WJCIC) has reviewed a third-party television advertisement that criticizes Judge Michael Gableman’s record as a prosecutor and judge in respect to his handling of cases involving the sexual assault of children. The committee believes the ad is problematic and misleading to voters for a number of reasons, including the reality that a 30-second TV ad simply cannot provide an appropriate and meaningful context within which data of the kind presented here can be evaluated by voters.
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3/11/08
WJCIC Finds Two TV Ads Unfairly Attack Supreme Court Candidate Justice Louis Butler
By THOMAS SOLBERG
The WJCIC believes two negative attack television ads produced by a group calling itself the Coalition for America’s Families unfairly attack the record and integrity of Justice Louis Butler. This group is not associated with any candidate or campaign and is not subject to state campaign finance laws. These ads were released on Thursday, March 6, 2008.
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3/10/08
WJCIC Finds that TV Ad unfairly demeans Supreme Court candidate Judge Michael Gableman
By THOMAS SOLBERG
The WJCIC has reviewed a third-party television advertisement entitled “Bottom.” The Greater Wisconsin Committee produced this “issue ad.” GWC is an unregulated issue advocacy group that is not associated with any candidate or campaign and is not subject to campaign finance laws. The ad was released on Wednesday, March 5, 2008.
Read Complete Press Release
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3/07/08
Retired Appeals Court Judge Neal Nettesheim Joins WJCIC
By THOMAS SOLBERG
Thomas Basting, Chair of the Wisconsin Judicial Campaign Integrity Committee, today announced the appointment of retired Court of Appeals Judge Neal Nettesheim to the committee.
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2/29/08
State Bar Association Board of Governors Endorses Creation of Judicial Campaign Committee
By THOMAS SOLBERG
State Bar of Wisconsin President Tom Basting thanked members of the association’s Board of Governors for endorsing his decision to create the Wisconsin Judicial Campaign Integrity Committee (WJCIC) to help monitor the 2008 state Supreme Court race.
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2/27/08
Statement of the Wisconsin Judicial Campaign Integrity Committee Regarding Recent Developments in the 2008 Wisconsin Supreme Court Campaign
By THOMAS SOLBERG
The Wisconsin Judicial Campaign Integrity Committee (WJCIC) again reminds the public to review all Supreme Court campaign materials – whether generated by the campaigns themselves or by third-party groups – with a skeptical eye. With that in mind, the committee would like to comment on two recent developments in the Supreme Court campaign between incumbent Justice Louis Butler and challenger Judge Michael Gableman.
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2/21/08
WJCIC Welcomes Positive Steps in State Supreme Court Campaign
By THOMAS SOLBERG
The Wisconsin Judicial Campaign Integrity Committee (WJCIC) welcomes two positive developments today in the campaign for the Wisconsin Supreme Court. First, more than two months after we asked Judge Michael Gableman to sign the WJCIC’s proposed fair campaign agreement, Judge Gableman has offered to commit himself to his own “clean campaign pledge,” which apparently contains many but not all elements of the WJCIC's proposed campaign agreement.
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1/30/08
Judicial Campaign Integrity Committee announces campaign agreements and committee membership changes
By THOMAS SOLBERG
One state Supreme Court and two Appellate Court candidates have signed agreements affirming their intention to conduct their 2008 campaigns in accordance with all applicable state laws, including the Code of Judicial Conduct. State Supreme Court Justice Louis Butler was joined by Judge Lisa Neubauer and Atty. William Gleisner, candidates for the Wisconsin Court of Appeals, District II, in signing the agreement.
Read Complete Press Release
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1/29/08
News Roundup
By Webmaster
Since State Bar of Wisconsin President Tom Basting announced the formation of the Wisconsin Judicial Campaign Integrity Committee, the WJCIC has been in the news alot. Below we have rounded up some of the coverage.
Updated: February 18, 2008
- New Committee Should Cleanse High Court Race
Janesville Gazette - Dec. 19, 2007
- Promoting Integrity in Judicial Campaigns
Wisconsin Radio Network - Dec. 6, 2007
- Task Force to Keep Judge Races in Check
The Capital Times - Dec. 6, 2007
- Candidates Respond to Supreme Court Election Watch
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel - Dec. 6, 2007
- Panel Will Eye Court Race
Wisconsin State Journal - Dec. 7, 2007
- Panel Says Gableman Mailing Doesn't Need Review
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel - Dec. 18, 2007
- Watchdog: High Court Campaign Ad OK
Wisconsin State Journal - Dec. 18, 2007
- Letter in Court Campaign Sparks Warning
The Capital Times - Dec. 19, 2007
- Campaign Watchdog Fires Back at Gableman
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel - Dec. 20, 2007
- High Court Candidate's Accusation Hit
The Capital Times - Dec. 21, 2007
- Committee Calls on Supreme Court Candidate to Take Back Remarks
Oshkosh Northwestern - Dec. 20, 2007
- Campaign Comment Brings Response
Wisconsin State Journal - Dec. 21, 2007
- Judicial Activism, Clean Campaigning Focus of Spirited Debate
Lacrosse Tribune - January 30, 2008
- Judicial Campaign Watchdog Gets New Members
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel - January 30, 2008
More Stories in the Press Room
1/12/08
Judges can have no constituents
By THOMAS J. BASTING
The drama in most elections is over who will be elected. But in the 2008 Wisconsin Supreme Court election, the uncertainty is over how someone will be elected.
In the past, judicial elections were quiet affairs with total expenditures far below $1 million. But both political rhetoric and campaign spending reached unprecedented levels during the 2007 Wisconsin Supreme Court election; with electioneering practices more typical of partisan legislative races and total spending approaching $6 million.
Read Complete Article
Thank you to jsonline.com.
12/27/07
Justice for Sale
How special-interest money threatens the integrity of our courts.
BY SANDRA DAY O'CONNOR
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Voters generally don't express much interest in the election of judges. This year, as in years past, voter turnout in elections for judges was very low. But judicial elections, which occur in some form in 39 states, are receiving growing attention from those who seek to influence them. In fact, motivated interest groups are pouring money into judicial elections in record amounts. Whether or not they succeed in their attempts to sway the voters, these efforts threaten the integrity of judicial selection and compromise public perception of judicial decisions ...
Read Complete Article
Thank you to opinionjournal.com.
12/20/07
Letter to Honorable Michael J. Gableman
The Wisconsin Judicial Campaign Integrity Committee has sent a responce to Judge Gableman
I am dismayed by the response issued by your campaign to the Wisconsin Judicial Campaign Integrity Committee's (WJCIC) December 18th statement. First, it mischaracterizes the committee's position by claiming the committee "said Louis Butler's record as a Supreme Court Justice was fair discussion in the race for the state's highest court." While prior court rulings are clearly within bounds for discussion, the committee did not say anything about Louis Butler's record and certainly did not determine that the characterizations of that record in the campaign materials produced by your campaign and reviewed by the committee were fair.
Read Complete Letter
12/18/07
Statement of the Wisconsin Judicial Campaign Integrity Committee
The Wisconsin Judicial Campaign Integrity Committee has conferred in response to concerns raised by
One Wisconsin Now regarding campaign materials created by the campaign of Judge Michael Gableman, a
candidate running for election to the Wisconsin Supreme Court. One Wisconsin Now questions whether
campaign materials produced by the Gableman campaign violate Supreme Court Rule 60.06(3)(b), which
prohibits certain promises and commitments by candidates for judicial office.
Read More
12/07/07
Tom Basting's Announcement Audio Available
"We're here as a nonpartisan commission, to disseminate that information to
the public," Basting stated. "Does that make us a player in the elections? I
don't believe so." Basting said. Hear the full statement made by Tom Basting's
on the formation of the Wisconsin Judicial Campaign Integrity Committee at the December 6th press conference.
10:00 minutes
Download MP3
Thank you to Wisconsin Radio Network for the audio.
12/06/07
Committee to promote election standards for state Supreme Court campaign
by Wisconsin Judicial Campaign Integrity Committee
Wisconsin voters will gain new tools to help them make informed choices in
the April 2008 state Supreme Court election under an initiative announced by
State Bar of Wisconsin President Tom Basting. At a State Capitol press conference
today [12/06/2007], Basting introduced a bi-partisan "Wisconsin Judicial Campaign Integrity
Committee" that will both educate voters about the unique role of judges and
monitor campaign-related activities of candidates and their supporters.
Read More
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