Whoa! WI judge who ruled on key union case had conflict



This is what a sleazy judge looks like.

Remember what we were saying about judicial independence compromised in Wisconsin (and Hungary)?

Well, this bombshell, which makes the same point, just burst. According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Michael Gableman should have recused himself from the case in which Koch whore Gov. Scott Walker's "budget repair" bill was upheld by a 4-3 vote:

State Supreme Court Justice Michael Gableman in two cases cast the deciding vote in favor of parties represented by a law firm that gave him tens of thousands of dollars of free legal services, a review of state records shows.

One of those was a high-stakes case this June that allowed Gov. Scott Walker to implement a law that all but eliminates collective bargaining for most public workers. Gableman was in the 4-3 majority that allowed Walker to prevail. Michael Best & Friedrich - the firm that defended Gableman for free in an ethics case - worked for the state and Walker's administration in the collective bargaining case.

Why are we not surprised that Gableman needed legal help in an ethics case? He was accused of lying in a campaign ad. We're shocked, shocked to learn that a Wisconsin politician would lie in a campaign ad (not really).

There may just be another recall campaign in Wisconsin.