The chief justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court has said its liberal justices are staging “an unprecedented coup” and destroying the state’s constitution ahead of a key term that could deliver decisions on voter integrity measures and abortion.
Chief Justice Annette Ziegler slammed the actions of the new liberal 4-3 court majority, taking aim at them for terminating a longstanding court director. The liberal justices fired Randy Koschnick as soon as the court official flipped earlier this month. The court director is the top non-judicial officer in the state court system.
“You are making a mess of the judiciary, the court and the institution for years to come,” Ziegler said in an email obtained by the Associated Press. “This must stop. … I have no confidence in the recent hostile takeover and the chaotic effect it has had on the court, staff, and the overall stable functioning of the courts.”
The emails from Ziegler were sent to the other six justices and interim state court director Audrey Skwierawsk, whom the liberal judges handpicked. According to Wisconsin law, the court director is supposed to “be hired by and serve at the pleasure of the supreme court, under the direction of the chief justice.”
In the emails, Ziegler said that Skwierawsk was signing court orders in Ziegler’s name without authorization.
“It has come to my attention that you have been signing my reserve judge orders without my knowledge or approval,” Ziegler said. “You never asked me for permission. You do not have my permission. Stop. These orders are in my name. You have no lawful authority to sign them. If you have signed anything else under my name, please advise immediately.”
The liberal judges also moved to shift judicial work from Ziegler to a committee. Ziegler said they were undermining the court.
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“Again, I will not condone such lawless destruction of the constitution, the judiciary, or the court,” Ziegler wrote. “This is nothing short of an unprecedented coup. For 40 years, the role of the Chief Justice has been understood and respected. Your short term goals will cause long term, irreparable damage to the judiciary. What a historical disgrace.”
Judge Rebecca Dallet said that liberals on the court were acting within their constitutional duties.
“We are simply creating process so that a majority of the court can effectively work in the face of an intransigent and uncollegial chief who apparently insists on a public debate about issues for political purposes, rather than allow a court majority to function as it always has,” Dallet said.
The disagreements on the court come after liberal Judge Janet Protasiewicz soundly defeated conservative-backed candidate Dan Kelly in April, flipping the control of the court to liberal judges for the first time in 15 years.
Protasiewicz was backed by leftwing billionaire George Soros, Illinois Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker, and many celebrities, including actor Mark Ruffalo and director Steven Spielberg. Total spending in the race exceeded $40 million, an astronomical amount compared to previous years when total spending was only around $10 million.