Report: ‘John Doe Laws’ Target Conservatives in Wisconsin, Lead to Home-Invasion Police Raids

By Amelia Hamilton Published on July 7, 2015

The First Amendment rights of Americans in Wisconsin are reportedly in peril as politicians use police raids to target outspoken conservatives and their families. Several families report being the victims of multi-year criminal investigations, dawn raids on their homes, slander in local media, and electronic surveillance. These families say that authorities told them not to speak with friends, family, the press or even to contact a lawyer.

These are known in Wisconsin as John Doe investigations, begun in 2010 by the Milwaukee district attorney John Chisolm, a staunch Democrat who first targeted Scott Walker in his run for governor. During Walker’s re-election, a judge granted Chisolm permission to extend this activity to conservative groups, their members and supporters.

One group, Wisconsin Club for Growth, has filed a lawsuit to put a stop to these actions. While the U. S. Supreme Court has taken no action on John Doe laws, the Wisconsin Supreme Court is still considering the case, and is expected to rule yet this summer.

David French at National Review has more background as well as the story of one of the families targeted, whose 16-year-old son was home alone when the police reportedly came to search their home based on his father’s politics.

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