Wisconsin media should ask Daniel Kelly why he’s campaigning with a QAnon conspiracy theorist

This isn’t the first time that Kelly has been seen with Presler. The conspiracy theorist has been in Wisconsin promoting Kelly for weeks, including at a March 15 fundraiser dinner.

Presler has a history of supporting far-right causes and conspiracy theories. Following the 2020 presidential election, Presler helped organize election-denying “Stop the Steal” rallies. At a protest outside the Pennsylvania Capitol he led people in a chant calling for politicians to “Stop the Steal” and “audit the vote.” Presler also attended the January 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. What’s more, Media Matters previously documented that Presler promoted QAnon in dozens of instances on his Instagram account.

On Thursday evening, the Associated Press reported that Kelly was “OK with Jan. 6 participant” Scott Presler. That report — as well as subsequent reports from PBS Wisconsin, Milwaukee Sentinel Journal, and other local news outlets — noted Kelly’s apparent comfort associating with an insurrection organizer. In response to questions about Presler’s involvement at the insurrection, Kelly replied that he was “not really familiar with his background. But what I can say, I appreciate a great deal the work that he’s doing here in Wisconsin. I think it is invaluable.”

Notably, none of these reports highlighted Presler’s promotion of the dangerous QAnon conspiracy theory.