New findings of re-opened probe into already-investigated investigation to be revealed soon, Schimel announces

MADISON -- Attorney General Brad Schimel announced Monday that an investigation supporting video footage by discredited Project Veritas, a conservative group best known for peddling conspiracy theories, will soon be done. Project Veritas’s founder James O’Keefe was recently revealed to have operated a fake sting operation with the intent of trapping news organizations to discredit survivors of sexual assault.

In April, Schimel’s DOJ investigated the video filmed by Project Veritas claiming to show allegations of voter fraud, and concluded that the videos showed no violation of Wisconsin law. Following this announcement, O’Keefe rebuked Schimel, threatening to turn his own undercover cameras on the attorney general. Schimel then contradicted the findings of his own staff and office, and announced that “it’s not the end of it,” caving to Project Veritas by reopening the probe he had just closed.

“Wisconsin deserves an attorney general who will keep our state safe,” said Martha Laning, chair of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin. “Instead of doing his job, getting on top of the huge backlog of rape kits and submitting timely toxicology reports, Brad Schimel is abusing the role of the Department of Justice in a partisan witch hunt. Schimel was elected to serve and protect the people of Wisconsin, not pander to a disgraced, fringe right-wing operative.”