Bombshell: Begging Brad Caught Groveling For Extreme Donor Cash

SCHIMEL: “I have to invest in knee pads. You know, I gotta go to Menards, invest in knee pads, to crawl around begging people, ‘please, please, please, consider getting involved and consider supporting my race.’”

SCHIMEL: “She got in the race three weeks before that deadline was up, raised $460,000 in three weeks. You can’t do that the way I’m doing it is by calling and begging people, cajoling, by stopping at Menards for a new set of knee pads every couple days. That’s how I have to raise the money.”

MADISON, Wis. – In a new bombshell report from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, extreme Brad Schimel is exposed for begging far-right donors for campaign cash — even going as far to say that he has to stop at Menards every couple days to buy new knee pads for all of his begging.

Schimel made the comments over the span of several months, first in June 2024 and then again in August 2024. The newly unearthed comments come as last week Schimel was caught telling Republicans behind closed doors that there “is not a Constitutional right” to abortion in Wisconsin and he supported and defended violent criminals who attacked law enforcement.

In response to Schimel begging on bended knee, campaign spokesman Derrick Honeyman released the following statement:

“Brad Schimel will do anything if it makes the far-right pour even more cash into his campaign. His begging on bended knee has paid off and these extreme groups are already spending millions to elect him because they know he’ll rubber-stamp their agenda, strip rights away from Wisconsinites, and put corporations ahead of Wisconsin families. This isn’t the first time Brad Schimel has let campaign contributions blur ethical lines either. This is the same guy who gave a sweet plea deal to a man caught with thousands of files of child pornography after the man’s lawyer gave him thousands in campaign contributions. Brad Schimel’s extremism and corruption doesn’t belong on the Wisconsin Supreme Court.”

In 2015, Schimel reached a plea deal with Andrew Lambrehct — a dangerous child predator caught with thousands of files of child pornography — but only after accepting thousands of dollars in campaign cash from Lambrecht’s lawyer. Lambrecht’s lawyer even wrote Schimel and thanked him for the “professional courtesies” he had extended.

Read more here from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and excerpts below on Begging Brad Groveling for Extreme Donor Cash:

• Now it’s coming to light that the former Republican attorney general likes to joke that he regularly visits the hardware store for knee pads for when he hits up supporters.
• “I have to invest in knee pads,” Schimel told members of the 2nd Congressional District Republican Party on June 3. “You know, I’ve got to go to Menards, invest in knee pads, to crawl around begging people, ‘Please, please, please, consider getting involved and consider supporting my race.'”
• He’s made a similar remark at other times as well.
• After mentioning how much money Crawford had raised, Schimel told people at a meet and greet in Presque Isle on Aug. 6 that he had to go about this a different way.
• “I’m doing it … by calling and begging people, cajoling, by stopping at Menards for a new set of knee pads every couple days,” he said. “That’s how I have to raise the money.”
• One thing, though: Schimel is not supposed to be hitting up donors for cash, with or without knee pads. The state’s Judicial Conduct Code is very clear: “A judge, candidate for judicial office, or judge-elect shall not personally solicit or accept campaign contributions.” That’s the job of the candidate’s campaign committee.
• Schimel does like to talk money on the campaign trail.
• He told a conservative radio host on WISN-AM (1130) in April that he knew personally that a lot of outside groups are committed to making sure conservatives get control of the Supreme Court. Elsewhere, he estimated these groups will spend $10 million to $15 million on the race.
• “I do have national relationships with donors, well beyond Wisconsin,” he said. “I’ve met with many of them already, and I’m confident that we’re going to, we’re going to see them come in the race.”

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.