Court Orders Attorney General To Release Training Videos

A Wisconsin state appeals court has ruled that Attorney General Brad Schimel must release two training videos that he wanted to keep secret, saying there is no reason to withhold them.

The state Democratic Party sued for release of the videos during Schimel’s election campaign, claiming they included inappropriate comments. Party spokeswoman Carrie Springer called this week’s ruling a victory for open government.

“We hope the Attorney General Brad Schimel won’t stand in the way of the public getting access to these tapes,” she said.

Schimel had argued that the tapes included information on strategies for tracking down sexual predators that if released would compromise future investigations. Schimel’s office said he is reviewing the ruling and hasn’t decided whether or not to appeal it.

Editor’s Note: This article was originally an Associated Press story. It has since been replaced with reporting by Wisconsin Public Radio.