Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers Appoints Yadira Rein as Outagamie County Circuit Court Judge Gregory Gill, Jr.'s Replacement
While Judge Gill, Jr., heaps praise upon his appointed successor - a woman of color - he fails to publicly disown his former campaign manager's racist conduct on Twitter.
Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers recently appointed Yadira Rein, a lawyer who resides in Appleton, as a circuit court judge in Outagamie County
“The people of Outagamie County and Wisconsin deserve judges who apply the law fairly and equally,” said Governor Evers, according to a press release issued on Friday. “Yadira Rein will do just that.”
A graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the University of Wisconsin Law School, Rein is currently an attorney at McCarty Law, located in Appleton, where she largely focuses her legal practice on family law issues—including divorce, custody and placement, child support—and also accepts guardian ad litem appointments.
Significantly, she is also likely to become the first person of color to serve as a state court judge in Outagamie County.
“I am truly honored and humbled to have been selected by Governor Evers to serve the people of Outagamie County as circuit court judge,” said Rein. “I am committed to maintaining the integrity of our judicial system by treating every individual with respect, each case with impartiality, and upholding the rule of law by imparting justice to all.”
Rein will replace outgoing Outagamie County Circuit Court Judge Gregory Gill, Jr., who several months ago was elected to a six-year term on the Wisconsin Court of Appeals—District Three. (Disclosure: I was one of two candidates who ran against Judge Gill, Jr., in the recent election for the Wisconsin Court of Appeals—District Three.)
“It is with great pleasure that I learned of Attorney Rein’s appointment to the position of Outagamie County Circuit Court Judge Branch IV,” said Judge Gill, Jr. “I am incredibly happy not only for Attorney Rein, but also for the citizens of Outagamie County. Attorney Rein brings a wonderful understanding of the law and respect for its role in our society.”
However, Judge Gill, Jr.’s effusive praise of Rein being appointed as his successor stands in stark juxtaposition of his failure to publicly denunciate—and dissociate himself from—the racist conduct of his former campaign manager, Landis Holdorf.
Last December, shortly after being hired by Judge Gill, Jr., Holdorf publicly identified as a “paleocon”—short for “paleoconservative”—which is a particular brand of political conservatism associated with toxic nationalism and, as Vox’s Dylan Matthews explains, “often veers into racism.” But in the face of media scrutiny into his background during the campaign, Holdorf removed the reference to “paleocon” on his personal Twitter page—and added a disclaimer that all opinions posted on his Twitter page are his own.
Nonetheless, Holdorf’s self-professed political beliefs apparently did not concern Judge Gill, Jr., enough to terminate his professional relationship with him. Indeed, over the course of the campaign, Judge Gill, Jr. paid $10,500 to Holdorf for his consulting services.
Today, Holdorf seems to have once again proudly embraced the paleoconservative label on his personal Twitter page. And his online behavior over the past several months is consistent with that pernicious political ideology.
For instance, Holdorf publicly tweeted in mid-April that “Republican governors who refuse to use the power of the state . . . really are the weakest race.” (Emphasis mine.) More recently, he publicly retweeted another person’s tweet asserting that critical race theory “is a destructive poison,” and a conservative organization’s tweet contending that the theory is “[un]-American propaganda.”
Yet, as of today, Judge Gill, Jr., has failed to disown his former campaign manager’s racist conduct on Twitter. In fact, back in March his campaign’s Facebook page posted several pictures of Holdorf campaigning on his behalf—all of which can still be viewed today by members of the general public.
Over the weekend Judge Gill, Jr., again enthusiastically heaped praise upon Rein for being appointed as his successor—this time vis-à-vis his campaign’s Facebook page. However, Judge Gill, Jr., did not respond to an email sent Friday requesting comment about his former campaign manager’s controversial conduct.