The reappointment of Attorney Jim Troupis to the Wisconsin Supreme Court’s judicial conduct advisory committee poses serious ethical concerns and could have a significant partisan impact on the Wisconsin Supreme Court.
The Wisconsin Supreme Court, as with any court in the United States, is meant to be nonpartisan. Justices naturally have their own views and opinions on cases, but justices are not supposed to be intricately tied to one political party or another. But this does not stop partisan organizations from donating large sums to candidates running for Wisconsin Supreme Court or justices from taking staunch political stances, according to the Wisconsin State Journal.
But the reappointment of Troupis to a judicial conduct advisory committee is unacceptable because of his intense loyalty to the Republican Party and President Donald Trump — particularly his strong support of Trump’s stolen election plot.
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After the 2020 presidential election, Troupis joined a group of Republicans at the Wisconsin Capitol in December 2020 to sign documents asserting that Trump won in Wisconsin, not Biden. Troupis propagated the false claim that the election was stolen from Donald Trump.
Additionally, Supreme Court Justice Jill Karofsky accused Troupis of making racist comments during a case challenging the 2020 election results, but the complaint was dismissed.
Even the mere accusation that Troupis made racist comments should have been enough to not reappoint him to a committee that advises judicial conduct. Especially with Troupis’ avid support of Trump’s false stolen election claims, his reappointment poses significant ethical issues.
The four conservative justices who reappointed Troupis likely did so for partisan reasons because a strong Republican attorney on the judicial conduct advisory committee would benefit them most significantly.
This reappointment also impacts the purpose of even having a judicial conduct advisory committee. The purpose of this committee is to give advice to the justices based on the Code of Judicial Conduct, which holds that justices should act with impartiality and integrity.
Having someone who is clearly very partial on the committee disrupts the purpose. In no way would Troupis be able to give impartial advice to justices when he is such a strong defender of the Republican Party and President Trump.
Ultimately, the reappointment of Troupis to the Wisconsin Supreme Court judicial conduct advisory committee could have a severe impact on the Wisconsin Supreme Court — regardless of the outcome of the upcoming election — which could be dangerous to the judicial branch in Wisconsin.
Emily Otten ([email protected]) is a junior majoring in journalism.
