Capitol Police Decline to Investigate Supreme Court Abortion Leak

Tuesday, August 13th, 2024 -- 9:03 AM

(AP) Wisconsin Capitol Police have declined to investigate the leak of a state Supreme Court abortion order in June citing a conflict of interest, but the court’s chief justice told The Associated Press she is pursuing other options.

Chief Justice Annette Ziegler told AP via email on Thursday that she continues “to pursue other means in an effort to get to the bottom of this leak.” She did not respond to messages last week and Monday asking what those other means were.

Other justices also did not return a request for comment Monday. Ziegler called for the investigation on June 26 after the leak of a draft order that showed the court would take a case brought by Planned Parenthood that seeks to declare access to abortion a right protected by the state constitution. A week after the leak, the court issued the order accepting the case.

The draft order, which was not a ruling on the case itself, was obtained by online news outlet Wisconsin Watch. Ziegler said in June that all seven of the court’s justices, four liberals and three conservatives, were “united behind this investigation to identify the source of the apparent leak.

The seven of us condemn this breach.”

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