Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Schimel: The Strange Case of Brad Schimel’s Public and Private Anti-Abortion Beliefs

MADISON, Wis. — Corrupt right-wing politician Brad Schimel has a bad habit of misrepresenting himself to voters by saying one thing in public—and taking a different tone behind closed doors. Case in point: Schimel’s anti-abortion bonafides.

In a new interview with CBS58, Brad Schimel tried to soften his stringent anti-abortion beliefs, claiming he’d “have to see the legal arguments” before deciding whether there is a constitutional right to abortion in Wisconsin.

But Schimel took a different stance amongst supporters last summer. At a stop in Chilton, Brad Schimel told a friendly crowd that “There is not a constitutional right to abortion in our State Constitution. That will be a sham if they find that.”

Try as he might to cover up his unpopular anti-abortion activism, Brad Schimel’s record doesn’t lie. Brad Schimel supports enforcing Wisconsin’s criminal 1849 abortion ban that doesn’t include exceptions for rape, incest, or the health of the mother. As attorney general, Schimel sued to enforce new restrictions on abortion in Wisconsin, even bragging it was an “honor to have a case named Planned Parenthood v. Schimel.”

“Brad Schimel is putting Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde to shame, pretending to soften his extreme and unpopular anti-abortion views in public while riling up his base behind closed doors,” said Democratic Party of Wisconsin Deputy Communications Director Haley McCoy. “No matter what face he wears or tall tales he spins, we know that Brad Schimel would vote to ban abortion in Wisconsin—and that’s why Wisconsin will vote to reject Brad Schimel on April 1.”

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