She’s Justice now

Madison, Wis. (WMDX) — It’s official: Susan Crawford is now a Justice on the Wisconsin Supreme Court.

The Chippewa Falls native and former Dane County Judge was sworn in at the State Capitol on Friday, marking the beginning of her ten-year term.

The investiture ceremony included remarks from colleagues, including Dane County Judge Everett Mitchell, and former Governor Jim Doyle, who hired her as his chief legal counsel in 2009.

It also featured outgoing Chief Justice Ann Walsh Bradley, who is retiring as Crawford takes the seat and was herself fêted at the Capitol Rotunda in June. 

In her address, Crawford pointed to lessons learned from challenging periods within the Wisconsin Supreme Court’s history. 

“From the beginning, this court has stepped up in the moments that matter most. It has taken seriously its duty to interpret our constitution and protect the rule of law. Even when the issues were politically charged, deeply divisive, or hard to untangle. That’s always been the job, and it still is today,” she told the crowd.

Crawford’s ascension comes roughly 18 weeks after her April victory over the conservative-backed Brad Schimel, a Waukesha County judge who served as state Attorney General under former Gov. Scott Walker.

Crawford’s seat helps bolster the liberal majority on the state Supreme Court, which flipped from a conservative majority after a pivotal race in 2023. The election of Janet Protasiewicz then, and of Crawford this year, both broke historic national records for spending in a state supreme court race.

This year’s race also saw national attention courtesy of Elon Musk, who offered $100 to each voter who signed a petition opposing partisan judges, along with a sweepstakes for $1 million.

A new FEC  filing shows that Elon Musk’s PAC spent more than $27 million on petition incentives this spring, reports WisPolitics. While the filing doesn’t specify what’s behind the spending, the dates align with the Supreme Court race. 

The state Supreme Court previously rejected an attempt from Attorney General Josh Kaul to stop the payments.

In June, the progressive legal group Law Forward filed another lawsuit in Dane County Circuit Court. It alleges that Musk and his affiliates carried out “a brazen scheme to bribe Wisconsin citizens to vote” by offering payments far exceeding the $1 threshold set by state election bribery laws.

No hearing has been set in that case.