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No.

Wisconsin Supreme Court candidate Brad Schimel has said he supports presidents using pardons, but that violent rioters who stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, should not have been pardoned.

Schimel’s opponent in the April 1 election, Susan Crawford, claimed Schimel “went so far as to say he had no objection” to President Donald Trump’s “blanket pardons” for the rioters.

On Jan. 20, 2025, Trump pardoned, commuted prison sentences or vowed to dismiss cases against all 1,500-plus people charged with crimes in the riot, including people convicted of assaulting police.

On Jan. 27, Schimel told reporters “I don’t object to (presidents) utilizing that power.” Later that day, he said “anyone convicted of assaulting law enforcement should serve their full sentence,” but didn’t say Trump shouldn’t have issued the pardons.

In a subsequent interview, Schimel said anyone who committed violence Jan. 6, “I don’t think, on a personal level, they should have been pardoned.”

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.

Sources

• Civic Media: Susan Crawford interview
• Associated Press: Trump grants sweeping pardon of Jan. 6 defendants, including rioters who violently attacked police
• Spectrum News: Asked about Jan. 6, Wisconsin Supreme Court candidate says he supports Trump's power to pardon
• WKOW-TV: Brad Schimel interview
• PBS Wisconsin: Brad Schimel, Susan Crawford on the Jan. 6 pardons by Trump
• Wisconsin Radio Network: Schimel reiterates stance on Trump’s Jan. 6th pardons
• Associated Press: Asked about Jan. 6, Wisconsin Supreme Court candidate says he supports Trump’s power to pardon
• Wisconsin Examiner: Wisconsin Supreme Court candidate comes to the defense of Jan. 6 insurrectionists

Did Wisconsin Supreme Court candidate Brad Schimel say he had ‘no objection’ to Capitol riot pardons issued by Donald Trump? is a post from Wisconsin Watch, a non-profit investigative news site covering Wisconsin since 2009. Please consider making a contribution to support our journalism.