Jefferson County District Attorney Susan Happ is an impressive candidate for state attorney general and she deserves your vote. Happ is a Democrat who has won re-election in Republican-dominated Jefferson County and has been supported by many very active Jefferson County Republicans. You don’t get that kind of support unless you are definitely doing things right. Her experience there gives her the real-world background needed to run the state Department of Justice (DOJ). This seasoned prosecutor has lived with the impact of the decisions made at state level. Happ has worked on issues ranging from violent crimes to Internet crimes against children to the heroin epidemic’s many victims. We also like her down-to-earth approach to contentious issues such as the voter ID law, marriage equality and abortion restrictions. She won’t defend laws that are blatantly unconstitutional; the attorney general’s oath of office requires upholding the constitution. She also wants to improve the DOJ’s handling of environmental and consumer protection violations, something that the current attorney general doesn’t emphasize. And Happ has taken the common-sense position that universal background checks for gun purchases would reduce the number of guns in the hands of those who shouldn’t possess them. The gun show loophole must be closed and Happ, a gun owner and concealed carry permit holder, would be a strong advocate for sensible gun reforms that have no negative impact on lawful gun owners.
We’ve also been impressed with Happ on the campaign trail. She won the Democratic primary against two other well-known and highly qualified candidates, including a popular Milwaukee lawmaker. That wasn’t easy. Since her primary victory, she’s also been on the receiving end of some pretty wild allegations from her Republican opponent, allegations that don’t stand up to scrutiny. Through it all, though, she’s kept calm and cool and has defended her record without adding to the nastiness.
Speaking of nastiness, we have to mention Happ’s opponent, Waukesha County District Attorney Brad Schimel. Schimel was notorious going into this race, since he has given sweetheart deals to his fellow Republicans when they are accused of crimes. He let former Republican legislative leader Scott Jensen off the hook after Jensen was convicted by a jury of three felonies and one misdemeanor. Schimel also failed to discipline a GOP-connected attorney who intentionally destroyed evidence that would have been of interest to John Doe prosecutors and lied about it. Almost anywhere else in America, an honest prosecutor would have filed criminal charges. If Schimel can’t discipline an attorney who deliberately destroys evidence in a criminal investigation, how is he going to run the DOJ? Schimel also failed to look into a potential pay-to-play scheme involving his pal, state Rep. Joel Kleefisch of Oconomowoc and a wealthy GOP donor who asked for legislation that would reduce his child support payments. Kleefisch’s wife, Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch, later held a fundraiser for Schimel. Something doesn’t smell right, but Schimel doesn’t care. He called Kleefisch’s relationship with his favor-seeking donor “the essence of representative government.”
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But that’s not all. During this campaign, Schimel has shown that he has no moral core or personal integrity. He’s made baseless attacks on Happ’s record, showing that he is waging a desperate, scorched-earth campaign to save his prospects at the polls. Schimel is on the wrong side of so many issues—voter ID, same-sex marriage, campaign finance regulations, interracial marriage, the minimum wage, abortion and environmental protections—that we fear what he’d do if he were elected attorney general with the power to control the Department of Justice. Yes, Schimel actually said that minimum wage workers should “get a real job.” Lastly, his drunken driving conviction makes him a terrible spokesperson for any initiative to combat this problem that kills many Wisconsinites each year. How can he speak to young people about the need to drive sober when he couldn’t follow his own advice? Brad Schimel is hardly the kind of person you want to hold up as a role model. He certainly isn’t attorney general material.
In contrast, Susan Happ has earned our respect and our support. We urge you to vote for her on Nov. 4.
