Wisconsin Taxpayers To Pay $200K For Liberal Group's Attorneys

MADISON, Wis. (AP) -- Attorneys for a liberal group will be paid $200,000 by taxpayers because Republican lawmakers blocked the group on Twitter.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports that state officials agreed Thursday to pay the legal bills for One Wisconsin Now's attorneys. A federal judge ruled in January that Assembly Speaker Robin Vos and Rep. John Nygren, both Republicans, had infringed on the group's First Amendment rights.

One Wisconsin Now routinely criticizes Republicans on Twitter and other platforms. In 2017 it sued Vos, Nygren and then-Rep. Jesse Kremer of Kewaskum for blocking it.

U.S. District Judge William Conley concluded the three lawmakers had acted unconstitutionally by blocking the group on Twitter "because of its prior speech or identity."

Kremer was dropped from the lawsuit after he shut down his official Twitter account after not running for re-election.

(© Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)