Dan Kelly, who served on the Wisconsin Supreme Court from 2016-2020 after being appointed by Gov. Scott Walker, has joined Advancing American Freedom, founded by former Vice President Mike Pence.
He’ll serve as a visiting judicial fellow for the Edwin Meese III Institute for the Rule of Law, “Seen, Heard & Whispered” has learned.
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“My admiration for Attorney General Meese and the Institute’s scholars makes it a true honor to add my voice to theirs as a Visiting Judicial Fellow. I’m looking forward to advocating the foundational principles of our Constitution and the American experiment that have served us so well for so long,” Mr. Kelly said.
John Malcolm, vice president of the institute, praised Mr. Kelly’s career.
“He has an excellent reputation among the bench and bar where he is highly regarded for his keen intellect and rigorous research. We are excited to work with him,” Mr. Malcolm said.
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Mr. Kelly ran for the Wisconsin Supreme Court in 2020 and 2023, losing both times. The Wisconsin 2023 race set a record as the most expensive judicial election.
Mr. Kelly served as counsel for the Wisconsin GOP following the 2020 election as the party looked to contest the election results.
When he ran in 2023, he did not seek President Trump’s endorsement, which Mr. Trump claimed caused his loss.
Mr. Pence, who served as Mr. Trump’s vice president during his first administration, founded Advancing American Freedom in 2021.
The organization hosted its annual dinner this week honoring the late Justice Antonin Scalia, where Judge Kyle Duncan of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals defended free speech rights.
“The vast majority of speech is constitutionally protected — even speech that is ugly, crass, offensive and hateful,” he said.
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