‘Rape survivor’ in Brad Schimel ad is actually Italian stock footage model

An ad from Wisconsin Supreme Court candidate Brad Schimel implies that a woman in it is a local rape survivor when she is actually a model from Italian stock footage.

Schimel, a conservative, has been a judge on the Wisconsin Circuit Court since 2019. He is running in the April 1 election against Dane County Circuit Court Judge Susan Crawford.

The ad, titled “Mission Statement,” features a voiceover of Schimel discussing how his judicial work has contributed to public safety. It closes with Schimel claiming he helped clear a backlog of untested rape kits in Wisconsin.

“[I led] the sexual assault kit initiative,” Schimel says, “clearing 4,000 backlogged tests so survivors could finally get justice.”

A solemn-faced woman appears on screen as Schimel makes this statement. This footage appears to come from Pond5, a New York-based online marketplace of stock images, music, and video. The footage of the woman can be purchased for $39 from a creator based in Italy.

Schimel’s campaign has used foreign stock footage in other ads. An ad titled “Law School” features stock footage sourced from Ukraine. Another ad, titled “Coddling Criminals,” uses a stock image sourced from Thailand.

None of these ads have disclaimers identifying the people in them as actors.

Schimel’s handling of the rape kit backlog has also faced scrutiny. Schimel served as Attorney General of Wisconsin from 2015 to 2019. Crawford said in a Feb. 25 press conference that Schimel only cleared nine of 6,000 backlogged kits in his first two years in office. It wasn’t until he was up for reelection that addressing the backlog allegedly became a priority.

The winner of the April 1 election will determine the ideological tilt of the Wisconsin Supreme Court. It is expected to be the most expensive state court race in U.S. history.

A Schimel campaign spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment.