Fond du Lac County residents are confronting a heated political dispute as the family of Berit Beck, a young woman abducted and murdered in July 1990, demands that a campaign advertisement be taken down. The ad, produced by a committee linked to the Democratic Attorney General’s Association (DAGA), references the Beck case while promoting incumbent Attorney General Josh Kaul’s re‑election bid.
Family’s plea and personal impact
Berit Beck’s mother, Diane Beck, told local media that the ad forces the family to relive the trauma of their daughter’s death. “I feel like we’re going through all that all over again,” she said, describing the emotional toll of seeing their loss portrayed in a political context.
Diane also noted that the ad mistakenly connects a van shown in the spot to the vehicle involved in her daughter’s abduction, despite the fact that the two are not the same. “Everybody connects that van even though it’s not the same van, but connecting the van and what they’re seeing on this ad to our daughter Berit,” she explained.
Legal outcome and political involvement
After nearly three decades of investigation, the man responsible for Berit’s murder was sentenced to ten years in prison following a trial that ended in a hung jury. The Beck family worked closely with Fond du Lac County District Attorney Eric Toney to achieve that resolution.
“It hurt to hear them say what they did, that, oh, they went along with a plea deal. You know, we went through a terrible trial. It was very hard on all of us,” Diane added, underscoring the lingering pain caused by the case’s legal complexities.
Political reactions
Attorney General candidate Josh Kaul issued a statement expressing sympathy for the family’s suffering. “My heart goes out to anyone who has had to endure this kind of tragedy. Whether we’re talking about the criminal justice system or political advertising, it’s important for the views of crime victims and their families to be taken seriously,” Kaul said. However, he stopped short of demanding that DAGA withdraw the advertisement.
District Attorney Eric Toney responded more forcefully, accusing Kaul and his allies of exploiting grieving families for political advantage. “Nothing is too low or disgusting for Josh Kaul and his allies to put in a political ad in a sad effort to maintain power,” Toney said. “They routinely use families that have lost a loved one for their political gain by distorting the facts or lying with zero consideration for the family.” He argued that such conduct should disqualify Kaul from serving as attorney general.
Legal and constitutional context
Law professor Jerald Podair of Lawrence University acknowledged the family’s right to be upset but reminded listeners that the First Amendment protects political speech, even when it is offensive. “Obviously most of us and most decent people are outraged by this… the idea of a victimized family being victimized over and over again, and taken advantage of like this, is distressing and upsetting to most decent people,” Podair said. “But that is the cost of the First Amendment in this country.”
While the Beck family continues to press for the ad’s removal, it remains unclear whether DAGA will comply. The dispute highlights the tension between free‑speech protections and the desire to shield victims’ families from further exploitation in political campaigning.
Original reporting: Appleton, WI News Feed (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
