(WTAQ-WLUK) — The governor’s race will be topping the ballot on Election Day, but Wisconsin’s top cop job is on there too.
Incumbent Democrat Josh Kaul is once again challenged by Republican Fond du Lac County District Attorney Eric Toney.
Kaul defeated Toney in 2022 by just over 1%.
A new political ad focused on the AG’s race, produced by a third party, has victims of crimes calling foul.
It’s this political ad, paid for by a committee sponsored by the Democratic Attorney General’s Association, that has the family of Berit Beck asking for it to be removed from the airwaves and internet.
“I feel like we’re going through all that all over again,” said Beck’s mom, Diane, about the ad.
The Beck family is taking issue with the depiction of their daughter’s murder in July of 1990.
“Everybody connects that van even though it’s not the same van, but connecting the van and what they’re seeing on this ad to our daughter Berit,” Diane Beck said.
Berit Beck was just 18 yeas old when she abducted and murdered. It took nearly 30 years for the man responsible for her death to be sentenced to 10-years in prison, following a trial that resulted in a hung jury.
The Becks worked with D.A. Eric Toney for that resolution.
“It hurt to hear them say what they did, that, oh, they went along with a plea deal. You know, we went through a terrible trial. It was very hard on all of us,” said Diane.
Lawrence University political science professor Jerald Podair believes the Becks have every right to be disgusted with the ad, but says they don’t have much recourse.
“Obviously most of us and most decent people are outraged by this. And, you know, the idea of a victimized family being victimized over and over again, and taken advantage of like this, is distressing and upsetting to most decent people,” he said. “But that is the cost of the First Amendment in this country.”
The Becks don’t care, saying they’re being victimized again. Dave Beck added, “We don’t like it. We want it removed. Yes, we want to take him down now!”
We also contacted Josh Kaul’s campaign.
He released a statement that said,
“My heart goes out to anyone who has had to endure this kind of tragedy. Whether we’re talking about the criminal justice system or political advertising, it’s important for the views of crime victims and their families to be taken seriously. I believe that respecting the views of crime victims and their families should be prioritized.”
Kaul stopped short of calling for DAGA to stop running the ad.
Fond du Lac County District Attorney released his own statement. It said,
“Nothing is too low or disgusting for Josh Kaul and his allies to put in a political ad in a sad effort to maintain power. They routinely use families that have lost a loved one for their political gain by distorting the facts or lying with zero consideration for the family. That alone should make him unfit to be our attorney general based on how he treats victim families for his political gain.”
It’s unclear if DAGA will remove the ad.
