Former Capitol police officer campaigns in Wisconsin against Republican-backed court candidate

MADISON, Wis. — One of the most outspoken officers who defended the U.S. Capitol against rioters on Jan. 6, 2021, accused the Republican-backed candidate for Wisconsin Supreme Court on Tuesday of “clearly playing both sides” on the issue of pardoning of people who attacked the Capitol four years ago.

Former Capitol police officer Harry Dunn said Supreme Court candidate Brad Schimel should clearly denounce President Donald Trump’s pardoning of about 1,500 people convicted for their roles in the Capitol riot.

“You can’t support an individual that believes it’s OK to pardon people who attack police officers,” Dunn said at a news conference in the Wisconsin Capitol. “You can’t support that and also say you claim to back the blue.”

The attack on the U.S. Capitol became an issue in the race after Schimel said during a conservative talk radio interview earlier this month that he did not believe some of the non-violent offenders got a “fair shake” in the courts. Schimel is a former Wisconsin attorney general and currently a Waukesha County Circuit Court judge and Trump supporter.

He is endorsed in the Wisconsin Supreme Court race by more than 70 sheriffs in Wisconsin, the Milwaukee Police Association and the Waukesha County Police Chiefs Association.

Schimel on Monday, when asked about Trump’s pardons, said he didn’t object to the president using his power, but “Anyone convicted of assaulting law enforcement should serve their full sentence.”

Dunn accused Schimel of playing both sides of the matter.

“If you believe that the individuals who attacked police officers should serve their sentence, then the only response to Donald Trump’s pardons should be that they’re wrong,” Dunn said.

Schimel’s campaign did not address Dunn’s visit specifically when asked for reaction. Instead, Schimel reiterated his previous comment that “attacking our men and women in uniform is never acceptable.”

Dunn testified before the Jan. 6 committee in Washington. Since then he formed a political action committee and has traveled the country to speak out against Trump, in particular his response to the Jan. 6 attack. Dunn quit working as a Capitol police officer after 15 years to run for Congress in Maryland last year. He lost in the primary.

Dunn’s appearance is just the latest sign of the national focus on the race that is the first major election in the U.S. during Trump’s second term. The winner will determine whether Wisconsin’s highest court is controlled by liberals or conservatives.

Elon Musk, the SpaceX and Tesla CEO who is a close ally of Trump, urged support for the Republican-backed candidate in a post on the social media platform X earlier this month. And former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, who leads a Democratic group that advocates for redistricting reform, plans to campaign in the state soon.

Abortion rights, congressional redistricting, election laws and union rights are all at stake in the Wisconsin Supreme Court race.

Schimel faces Dane County Circuit Judge Susan Crawford in the April 1 election.