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Barron County democrat files ethics complaint against Gableman

By: Erika Strebel, [email protected]//March 24, 2017//

Barron County democrat files ethics complaint against Gableman

By: Erika Strebel, [email protected]//March 24, 2017//

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Michael Gableman
Michael Gableman

The leader of the Democratic Party of Barron County has filed an ethics complaint against Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Michael Gableman.

Geri Lisi, chairperson for the Democratic Party of Barron County, filed a complaint Thursday with the Judicial Commission, which is an independent body that oversees the state’s judiciary.

Lisi alleges in the complaint that Gableman violated certain provisions of the Wisconsin Judicial Code for being a featured speaker for the Barron County Republicans’ Lincoln Day Dinner on March 11 in Rice Lake.

According to the complaint, the appearance violated provisions in the code, including ones prohibiting judges from personally soliciting memberships if the solicitation may be seen as coercive or a fundraiser and using the prestige of the office for raising money or soliciting memberships for any political party or participating in political activities.

The complaint also noted that Gableman shared his appearance with Eric O’Keefe, director of the Club for Growth and a litigant that recently appeared before Gableman.

“This violates not only the letter of the Supreme Court rules, but shows extremely poor judgment for a sitting Supreme Court Justice,” wrote Lisi in the complaint.

Gableman could not immediately be reached Friday.

The complaint will first be reviewed by the Judicial Commission, which will decide either to dismiss the complaint or authorize an investigation of the complaint. The majority of complaints are dismissed at the preliminary review stage, according to the commission’s website.

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