1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:02,080 So, no, we're in the courtroom. 2 00:00:02,080 --> 00:00:02,920 We were in the courtroom. 3 00:00:02,920 --> 00:00:03,920 Yeah, that's right. 4 00:00:05,720 --> 00:00:06,560 Did we do it with? 5 00:00:06,560 --> 00:00:08,240 No, we do it in the courtroom, I think, for your prime. 6 00:00:08,240 --> 00:00:09,720 Then, yeah, then we were in the library. 7 00:00:09,720 --> 00:00:10,560 And then we were in the library. 8 00:00:10,560 --> 00:00:11,560 Yeah, that's your right, yep. 9 00:00:13,360 --> 00:00:14,200 Yeah. 10 00:00:14,200 --> 00:00:15,520 It all starts to blur together sometimes. 11 00:00:15,520 --> 00:00:18,120 I'm telling you about it, yeah, it's a... 12 00:00:20,200 --> 00:00:21,040 We're all over the courtroom. 13 00:00:21,040 --> 00:00:22,400 We're good on both. 14 00:00:22,400 --> 00:00:25,200 All right, let me start this time over here for me. 15 00:00:26,440 --> 00:00:28,280 All right, Eric Tony, thanks for joining us. 16 00:00:28,280 --> 00:00:29,120 Great to be with you. 17 00:00:29,120 --> 00:00:30,920 I appreciate the opportunity to chat about the race. 18 00:00:30,920 --> 00:00:33,080 So, give me a sense of why you decided to run again. 19 00:00:33,080 --> 00:00:35,600 It's not often we see candidates repeat in a... 20 00:00:37,040 --> 00:00:38,240 I think I know the first question is... 21 00:00:38,240 --> 00:00:39,240 Yeah. 22 00:00:39,240 --> 00:00:41,160 I think it would be the preview. 23 00:00:41,160 --> 00:00:42,960 I just wanted to make sure she wasn't in the meeting. 24 00:00:42,960 --> 00:00:43,800 Oh. 25 00:00:43,800 --> 00:00:45,320 If I was looking at you but not... 26 00:00:45,320 --> 00:00:46,160 That's what I was not. 27 00:00:46,160 --> 00:00:47,520 No, you're okay, right there. 28 00:00:47,520 --> 00:00:48,360 No, no, no. 29 00:00:48,360 --> 00:00:49,520 No, you would be in the shot then. 30 00:00:49,520 --> 00:00:50,360 Yep. 31 00:00:51,360 --> 00:00:52,600 That's always the thing with these mirrors. 32 00:00:52,600 --> 00:00:53,440 Oh, yeah. 33 00:00:53,440 --> 00:00:54,360 You're gonna triple check everything. 34 00:00:54,360 --> 00:00:55,200 Yep, take two. 35 00:00:57,080 --> 00:00:58,280 Excuse me. 36 00:00:58,280 --> 00:00:59,100 All right. 37 00:00:59,100 --> 00:00:59,940 Now we're good. 38 00:00:59,940 --> 00:01:00,780 All right. 39 00:01:00,780 --> 00:01:02,460 Well, Eric Tony, thanks for joining us. 40 00:01:02,460 --> 00:01:04,780 It's great to be with you to talk about the Attorney General's race 41 00:01:04,780 --> 00:01:06,780 and the importance of it for Wisconsin. 42 00:01:06,780 --> 00:01:09,220 So, give me a sense of why you decided to run again. 43 00:01:09,220 --> 00:01:11,100 It's not often we see repeat candidates 44 00:01:11,100 --> 00:01:12,700 for these statewide elections. 45 00:01:12,700 --> 00:01:15,580 You know, within a week of that race back in 2022, 46 00:01:15,580 --> 00:01:18,140 I had so many people already encouraging me to do it 47 00:01:18,140 --> 00:01:21,060 but it wasn't sure it was something that I would wanna do 48 00:01:21,060 --> 00:01:22,820 because there's a lot of time and energy 49 00:01:22,820 --> 00:01:25,180 that goes into these statewide races. 50 00:01:25,180 --> 00:01:29,060 But for me, I really had a clarifying moment in 2023. 51 00:01:29,100 --> 00:01:32,100 I was, I ended up in probably August 52 00:01:32,100 --> 00:01:35,060 when I later learned to have a mini stroke in the office, 53 00:01:35,060 --> 00:01:37,900 lost control of my legs for about 20 seconds 54 00:01:37,900 --> 00:01:39,900 and then it just kind of went away 55 00:01:39,900 --> 00:01:42,620 and I did the dumb thing and just started going 56 00:01:42,620 --> 00:01:44,940 to my desk and started working for a little bit 57 00:01:44,940 --> 00:01:47,340 but I had one of my colleagues that passed away 58 00:01:47,340 --> 00:01:49,460 a few years before that from a cardiac issue 59 00:01:49,460 --> 00:01:52,620 which inspired me to try and figure out what was wrong 60 00:01:52,620 --> 00:01:54,540 because I had learned earlier in the year 61 00:01:54,540 --> 00:01:56,740 over the 4th of July weekend in 23 62 00:01:56,780 --> 00:01:59,580 that I had been born with a defective heart valve. 63 00:01:59,580 --> 00:02:02,940 So it was a progression throughout the summer 64 00:02:02,940 --> 00:02:04,500 of trying to figure out what was wrong 65 00:02:04,500 --> 00:02:07,860 and you know, starting to get worse and worse 66 00:02:07,860 --> 00:02:11,420 and finally got in to see my primary care doctor 67 00:02:11,420 --> 00:02:13,540 after seeing others and he heard a heart murmur 68 00:02:13,540 --> 00:02:17,020 on a Friday and then on that Sunday in early November, 69 00:02:17,020 --> 00:02:19,940 I was impatient at the hospital here in Fond du Lac 70 00:02:19,940 --> 00:02:22,580 the next day cardiologist did some testing, 71 00:02:22,580 --> 00:02:25,460 came in and said your eordic valve is destroyed 72 00:02:25,500 --> 00:02:26,900 and you need open heart surgery 73 00:02:26,900 --> 00:02:29,260 and we're gonna try and do that next week Wednesday 74 00:02:29,260 --> 00:02:32,540 which was November 15th of 2023. 75 00:02:32,540 --> 00:02:34,140 So I did what I think a lot of us would do 76 00:02:34,140 --> 00:02:36,220 especially I was 39 years old 77 00:02:36,220 --> 00:02:38,100 and I started reflecting on my life 78 00:02:38,100 --> 00:02:41,700 and just had this amazing sense of calm and peace. 79 00:02:41,700 --> 00:02:44,260 Just what I get to do was the district attorney here 80 00:02:44,260 --> 00:02:46,300 in Fond du Lac County where I was born and raised 81 00:02:46,300 --> 00:02:48,420 where my dad was a police officer, 82 00:02:48,420 --> 00:02:51,300 my grandfather started a small healthcare business 83 00:02:51,300 --> 00:02:52,980 with no college degree. 84 00:02:52,980 --> 00:02:55,780 I love what I get to do keeping this community safe, 85 00:02:55,780 --> 00:02:57,660 working with our law enforcement together 86 00:02:57,660 --> 00:03:00,020 to make our community safer and help people 87 00:03:00,020 --> 00:03:01,980 live their lives and chase their dreams 88 00:03:01,980 --> 00:03:03,780 and I didn't have any regret. 89 00:03:03,780 --> 00:03:05,460 Wasn't wishing I had done something else 90 00:03:05,460 --> 00:03:06,860 or a different career and I knew 91 00:03:06,860 --> 00:03:08,540 that I had lived a life that mattered 92 00:03:08,540 --> 00:03:11,380 but it also drove home how precious time is 93 00:03:11,380 --> 00:03:14,380 and so I was starting to think about 94 00:03:14,380 --> 00:03:17,540 what do I want to continue to do if this surgery goes well 95 00:03:17,540 --> 00:03:19,700 but I was at that point just trusting God 96 00:03:19,700 --> 00:03:21,020 through the hands of my medical team 97 00:03:21,020 --> 00:03:23,380 that hoping and praying things would go well 98 00:03:23,380 --> 00:03:26,460 and I as I got closer knew that I would want to run again 99 00:03:26,460 --> 00:03:29,060 to make sure that I could take some of the great things 100 00:03:29,060 --> 00:03:31,620 we've done as a team here with our local law enforcement 101 00:03:31,620 --> 00:03:34,620 as well as helping lead our district attorneys association 102 00:03:34,620 --> 00:03:37,020 that's delivered bipartisan public safety results 103 00:03:37,020 --> 00:03:39,540 across Wisconsin and recent state budgets 104 00:03:39,540 --> 00:03:41,340 to our Department of Justice and Madison 105 00:03:41,340 --> 00:03:43,380 because we have seen so many challenges 106 00:03:43,380 --> 00:03:45,940 on the public safety front that has law enforcement 107 00:03:45,940 --> 00:03:48,220 struggling, justice being delayed for victims 108 00:03:48,220 --> 00:03:50,420 that I knew I wanted to make sure my life 109 00:03:50,420 --> 00:03:51,940 was going to continue to matter 110 00:03:51,940 --> 00:03:53,700 that I would continue to push forward 111 00:03:53,700 --> 00:03:55,460 and try and make Wisconsin better 112 00:03:55,460 --> 00:03:57,380 and so that's when I knew I would want to run 113 00:03:57,380 --> 00:03:59,300 but when we look at how precious time is 114 00:03:59,300 --> 00:04:02,100 I had to see that we had a path to be able to win 115 00:04:02,100 --> 00:04:03,940 and that was looking at the amazing team 116 00:04:03,940 --> 00:04:05,580 we've been able to put together 117 00:04:05,580 --> 00:04:08,820 and then the unfortunate situation we're seeing 118 00:04:08,820 --> 00:04:11,100 with the forensic testing and other public safety areas 119 00:04:11,100 --> 00:04:12,260 at our Department of Justice 120 00:04:12,260 --> 00:04:14,660 that I knew we couldn't wait another four years 121 00:04:14,660 --> 00:04:15,940 to make those changes. 122 00:04:15,940 --> 00:04:17,140 Clean bill of health today? 123 00:04:17,140 --> 00:04:18,980 I'm doing great, you know, after the surgery 124 00:04:18,980 --> 00:04:21,620 so I was back to work part-time in about two weeks 125 00:04:21,620 --> 00:04:24,220 I ran a 5K six weeks later, pretty slow 126 00:04:24,220 --> 00:04:26,660 and then I did a homicide trial about eight weeks later 127 00:04:26,660 --> 00:04:30,140 but even in 2024 when I got off one of the medications 128 00:04:30,140 --> 00:04:32,100 I had a reaction to one of those 129 00:04:32,100 --> 00:04:34,380 that made that a tough year 130 00:04:34,380 --> 00:04:37,380 but by the end of the year I was doing great in 2025, 131 00:04:37,380 --> 00:04:39,660 2026, I'm doing fantastic 132 00:04:39,660 --> 00:04:42,380 ran my alumni cross country meet over Labor Day weekend 133 00:04:42,380 --> 00:04:44,700 at St. Norbert so I'm feeling great. 134 00:04:44,700 --> 00:04:46,580 So the other side of a rematch 135 00:04:46,580 --> 00:04:48,220 is that the Attorney General Josh Call 136 00:04:48,220 --> 00:04:49,060 decided to run again. 137 00:04:49,060 --> 00:04:51,260 There was a lot of speculation he might run for governor 138 00:04:51,260 --> 00:04:53,060 as a lot of two-time AGs do. 139 00:04:53,060 --> 00:04:55,260 Do you have any sense of why he decided not to take 140 00:04:55,260 --> 00:04:56,860 that step up to the next office? 141 00:04:56,860 --> 00:04:59,540 You'd have to ask him why he chose not to do that. 142 00:04:59,540 --> 00:05:02,580 I mean, certainly for someone looking at running for governor 143 00:05:02,580 --> 00:05:04,180 the fundraising that we saw at the end of the year 144 00:05:04,180 --> 00:05:05,700 probably didn't match that 145 00:05:05,700 --> 00:05:07,860 but at the end of the day I can't speak for him. 146 00:05:07,860 --> 00:05:11,740 So when we're looking at a rematch in this environment 147 00:05:11,740 --> 00:05:14,100 what should voters be thinking of in terms of, 148 00:05:14,100 --> 00:05:15,580 oh, how did I vote last time 149 00:05:15,580 --> 00:05:17,820 or what's different about this matchup this time? 150 00:05:18,020 --> 00:05:19,860 One of the things people can look at with me 151 00:05:19,860 --> 00:05:21,300 is what I've done since then 152 00:05:21,300 --> 00:05:23,900 as the president of the District Attorneys Association 153 00:05:23,900 --> 00:05:26,820 I've always talked about putting public safety over politics. 154 00:05:26,820 --> 00:05:28,940 I stood with our Attorney General 155 00:05:28,940 --> 00:05:32,700 after that 2022 race helping him get more crime lab positions 156 00:05:32,700 --> 00:05:35,580 in that state budget working with Republican legislators 157 00:05:35,580 --> 00:05:36,620 behind the scenes. 158 00:05:36,620 --> 00:05:38,720 I helped get a transformational investment 159 00:05:38,720 --> 00:05:40,420 into prosecutors, public defenders 160 00:05:40,420 --> 00:05:42,500 and our judicial system in that budget 161 00:05:42,500 --> 00:05:44,660 that the Wisconsin Law Journal awarded me 162 00:05:44,660 --> 00:05:47,020 as an unsung hero for what they described as helping 163 00:05:47,020 --> 00:05:48,540 and a constitutional crisis. 164 00:05:48,540 --> 00:05:50,180 Those are all things we do together 165 00:05:50,180 --> 00:05:51,540 working with the Democrat governor 166 00:05:51,540 --> 00:05:54,660 and the Republican legislature to deliver those results. 167 00:05:54,660 --> 00:05:56,740 I've also more recently helped our Attorney General 168 00:05:56,740 --> 00:05:59,220 get some internet crimes against children positions 169 00:05:59,220 --> 00:06:01,460 and continue to work with our DA's Association 170 00:06:01,460 --> 00:06:04,300 helping get a massive increase in prosecutors 171 00:06:04,300 --> 00:06:06,420 across Wisconsin that again we had to do 172 00:06:06,420 --> 00:06:08,980 in a bipartisan fashion that's helping not just make 173 00:06:08,980 --> 00:06:11,340 Fondelack County safer because we were one of the bottom 174 00:06:11,340 --> 00:06:14,780 five state staff DA's offices in the entire state 175 00:06:14,780 --> 00:06:17,260 and that's why we received four new positions 176 00:06:17,260 --> 00:06:19,660 out of that budget but we saw over 50 of them 177 00:06:19,660 --> 00:06:22,140 across the entire state to help some of the areas 178 00:06:22,140 --> 00:06:24,180 that needed those positions most. 179 00:06:24,180 --> 00:06:27,940 And then in contrast you see during the tenure 180 00:06:27,940 --> 00:06:29,900 of our Attorney General we've seen periods 181 00:06:29,900 --> 00:06:32,980 of record homicides in places like Milwaukee, 182 00:06:32,980 --> 00:06:35,780 record drug deaths and other increases in crime 183 00:06:35,780 --> 00:06:37,140 and I've never been one to say 184 00:06:37,140 --> 00:06:39,220 it's one individual person's responsibility 185 00:06:39,220 --> 00:06:41,860 when that happens because there's so many different factors 186 00:06:41,860 --> 00:06:44,580 that go into why crime happens in different areas 187 00:06:44,580 --> 00:06:47,100 but what we have to look at is what are people doing 188 00:06:47,100 --> 00:06:49,740 with the resources they have and so what we saw 189 00:06:49,740 --> 00:06:51,900 our Attorney General do during this period 190 00:06:51,900 --> 00:06:53,740 is put a hiring freeze in place 191 00:06:53,740 --> 00:06:56,340 and so I mentioned those crime lab positions 192 00:06:56,340 --> 00:06:58,940 I helped him get well over a year later 193 00:06:58,940 --> 00:07:02,140 we saw a nonpartisan audit released of our crime labs 194 00:07:02,140 --> 00:07:04,580 and they said he hadn't even filled those positions. 195 00:07:04,580 --> 00:07:06,900 We saw that he had less DNA positions filled 196 00:07:06,900 --> 00:07:09,980 compared to 2020 and we see that they're taking for DNA 197 00:07:09,980 --> 00:07:12,860 for example taking on average over twice as long 198 00:07:12,860 --> 00:07:16,460 to test less from when he started to where we are now 199 00:07:16,460 --> 00:07:18,500 and we're seeing him delaying the release 200 00:07:18,500 --> 00:07:21,180 of these crime lab reports where they've actually removed 201 00:07:21,180 --> 00:07:23,300 a huge chunk of them off their website 202 00:07:23,300 --> 00:07:25,300 that used to be there where it's someone trying 203 00:07:25,300 --> 00:07:28,580 to hide their failure and it has devastating consequences 204 00:07:28,580 --> 00:07:30,620 for victims who are having justice delayed 205 00:07:30,620 --> 00:07:33,340 our court calendars and are getting more congested 206 00:07:33,340 --> 00:07:35,420 making it more difficult to move these cases 207 00:07:35,420 --> 00:07:37,900 through our court systems and we know when justice 208 00:07:37,900 --> 00:07:39,580 is delayed it's denied for victims 209 00:07:39,580 --> 00:07:41,780 even our Attorney General has said that before 210 00:07:41,820 --> 00:07:44,820 but that's the direct result of his actions 211 00:07:44,820 --> 00:07:46,260 and it's making it more difficult 212 00:07:46,260 --> 00:07:47,980 with some of these defendants that continue 213 00:07:47,980 --> 00:07:50,300 to be on our streets committing new crimes 214 00:07:50,300 --> 00:07:52,460 and new victims while that original victim 215 00:07:52,460 --> 00:07:54,940 waits for justice and so that's what this race 216 00:07:54,940 --> 00:07:57,340 is going to be about and when we look at the results 217 00:07:57,340 --> 00:07:59,140 that I've been able to do with our team 218 00:07:59,140 --> 00:08:01,620 the attorneys and support staff in my office 219 00:08:01,620 --> 00:08:04,260 and our amazing law enforcement here in Findallat County 220 00:08:04,260 --> 00:08:06,860 I was named our 2024 District Attorney of the Year 221 00:08:06,860 --> 00:08:08,820 for Wisconsin and it's a great honor 222 00:08:08,820 --> 00:08:12,140 but it is a reflection of the great public safety 223 00:08:12,140 --> 00:08:14,220 we see here in Findallat County with our team 224 00:08:14,220 --> 00:08:17,140 with law enforcement and all the staff in my office. 225 00:08:17,140 --> 00:08:20,220 So the Attorney General points to crime statistics 226 00:08:20,220 --> 00:08:23,260 being down in Wisconsin as they are across the country 227 00:08:23,260 --> 00:08:25,220 he also singles out that crime statistics 228 00:08:25,220 --> 00:08:27,060 in Findallat County are up. 229 00:08:27,060 --> 00:08:29,700 Why should either one of you get credit or blame 230 00:08:29,700 --> 00:08:32,540 for crime statistics when as the, you know 231 00:08:32,540 --> 00:08:34,460 either the prosecutor or the Attorney General 232 00:08:34,460 --> 00:08:37,020 you don't control whether crimes are committed 233 00:08:37,020 --> 00:08:38,700 or even how they're investigated. 234 00:08:38,700 --> 00:08:40,980 That's a great question to ask the Attorney General 235 00:08:40,980 --> 00:08:43,540 because he's been the one trying to take victory laps 236 00:08:43,540 --> 00:08:45,540 when he see crime numbers go with what he thinks 237 00:08:45,540 --> 00:08:48,620 is in his favor despite cherry picking what those stats are 238 00:08:48,620 --> 00:08:50,340 I don't think anybody heard from him 239 00:08:50,340 --> 00:08:53,140 when we were seeing record homicides in Milwaukee 240 00:08:53,140 --> 00:08:55,820 but now because we're seeing crime down in many areas 241 00:08:55,820 --> 00:08:58,380 including Findallat County crime is down overall 242 00:08:58,380 --> 00:09:00,980 and I've never taken credit for the crime numbers 243 00:09:00,980 --> 00:09:03,740 we've seen during my almost 14 years as a district attorney 244 00:09:03,740 --> 00:09:06,380 because I know it's a team effort when we do these things 245 00:09:06,380 --> 00:09:08,540 and crime doesn't stop at county lines 246 00:09:08,540 --> 00:09:10,060 our police chief here in Findallat 247 00:09:10,060 --> 00:09:12,060 has certainly talked about the challenges 248 00:09:12,060 --> 00:09:13,860 that they've seen with domestic violence 249 00:09:13,860 --> 00:09:16,020 and like I said before it's what do you do 250 00:09:16,020 --> 00:09:18,940 with your resources when you see challenges with crime? 251 00:09:18,940 --> 00:09:20,980 Well from when I took over as district attorney 252 00:09:20,980 --> 00:09:23,860 we're filing nearly twice as many felonies 253 00:09:23,860 --> 00:09:26,820 and we're filing over twice as many domestic violence cases 254 00:09:26,820 --> 00:09:29,500 so we're responding to what we're seeing in our community 255 00:09:29,500 --> 00:09:32,100 working with our law enforcement to communicate that 256 00:09:32,100 --> 00:09:34,480 and our Attorney General certainly hasn't reached out 257 00:09:34,480 --> 00:09:35,820 to us here in Findallat County 258 00:09:35,820 --> 00:09:38,100 I mean I just saw recently Senator Baldwin did a ride along 259 00:09:38,100 --> 00:09:40,380 with our police department I'd encourage Josh Call 260 00:09:40,380 --> 00:09:42,100 to pick up the phone or come to Fond du Lac 261 00:09:42,100 --> 00:09:43,740 and meet with our police chief and our sheriff 262 00:09:43,740 --> 00:09:45,900 to learn what's happening in our community 263 00:09:45,900 --> 00:09:47,860 there's a reason being that Josh Call and I 264 00:09:47,860 --> 00:09:49,500 are both from Fond du Lac 265 00:09:49,500 --> 00:09:51,020 the people that know us best 266 00:09:51,020 --> 00:09:53,660 all of our police chiefs and sheriff here in Fond du Lac County 267 00:09:53,660 --> 00:09:56,900 have endorsed me because of the results they've seen us do 268 00:09:56,900 --> 00:09:58,420 as a team here in Fond du Lac County 269 00:09:58,420 --> 00:10:01,380 and the public safety failures we've seen from Josh Call 270 00:10:01,380 --> 00:10:04,140 and it's that record that we have as a team 271 00:10:04,140 --> 00:10:06,060 and what we've been able to do as a team 272 00:10:06,060 --> 00:10:08,860 for more public safety results across Wisconsin 273 00:10:08,860 --> 00:10:11,340 that even has a bipartisan group of sheriffs 274 00:10:11,340 --> 00:10:13,820 and district attorneys as Republicans, Democrats 275 00:10:13,820 --> 00:10:15,900 and independent sheriffs from across Wisconsin 276 00:10:15,900 --> 00:10:18,260 75% of them that have endorsed me 277 00:10:18,260 --> 00:10:20,740 that want to see a change at our Department of Justice 278 00:10:20,740 --> 00:10:23,380 that don't believe we can afford another four years 279 00:10:23,380 --> 00:10:26,020 of these delays that we've seen at our crime labs 280 00:10:26,020 --> 00:10:27,740 with an Attorney General that just continues 281 00:10:27,740 --> 00:10:29,620 to pass the buck and blame others 282 00:10:29,620 --> 00:10:31,380 despite having received more resources 283 00:10:31,380 --> 00:10:33,740 to our crime labs than his predecessor 284 00:10:33,780 --> 00:10:35,460 and while the Attorney General is out trying 285 00:10:35,460 --> 00:10:38,020 to take a victory lap and own crime stats 286 00:10:38,020 --> 00:10:40,980 that would mean he would own the over 30% increase 287 00:10:40,980 --> 00:10:43,060 in homicides that have happened on his watch 288 00:10:43,060 --> 00:10:46,220 but unlike him I don't assign blame to one individual 289 00:10:46,220 --> 00:10:47,380 when we see those type of things 290 00:10:47,380 --> 00:10:50,020 it all comes back to what do you do with your resources 291 00:10:50,020 --> 00:10:52,100 to help fight crime and we've seen him 292 00:10:52,100 --> 00:10:53,700 not use those resources. 293 00:10:53,700 --> 00:10:56,180 When we look at Attorney General's races in the past 294 00:10:56,180 --> 00:10:57,940 historically they followed right below 295 00:10:57,940 --> 00:10:59,180 the gubernatorial election. 296 00:10:59,180 --> 00:11:01,460 The last time there were members of different parties 297 00:11:01,540 --> 00:11:04,100 in 2006 to win these races. 298 00:11:04,100 --> 00:11:06,300 So are you trying to separate yourself 299 00:11:06,300 --> 00:11:08,500 from Tom Tiffany and his race for governor 300 00:11:08,500 --> 00:11:11,140 or do you think you're gonna follow right along with him? 301 00:11:11,140 --> 00:11:13,460 I'm running my own race from when I got into this back 302 00:11:13,460 --> 00:11:16,540 in October of 2025 I talked about the forensic testing 303 00:11:16,540 --> 00:11:18,980 failures, the fentanyl epidemic 304 00:11:18,980 --> 00:11:22,340 and how partisan our Attorney General has become. 305 00:11:22,340 --> 00:11:25,820 I mean we have driven home issues that affect people 306 00:11:25,820 --> 00:11:28,980 in all 72 counties and that's what I've been focused on 307 00:11:28,980 --> 00:11:31,180 is what our Department of Justice can do 308 00:11:31,220 --> 00:11:33,140 to help protect everybody in Wisconsin 309 00:11:33,140 --> 00:11:35,340 by putting public safety over politics. 310 00:11:35,340 --> 00:11:37,300 When we look at the fentanyl epidemic 311 00:11:37,300 --> 00:11:41,700 we have seen across our state in so many different counties. 312 00:11:41,700 --> 00:11:44,940 Surges in these fentanyl overdose deaths 313 00:11:44,940 --> 00:11:47,140 and I've sat across from too many moms and dads 314 00:11:47,140 --> 00:11:48,940 that have buried their child in Fond du Lac County 315 00:11:48,940 --> 00:11:51,860 has been a leader in filing those homicide cases 316 00:11:51,860 --> 00:11:55,220 in recent years and we heard earlier this year 317 00:11:55,220 --> 00:11:57,620 at the state of the tribes address from the Cole Boyd. 318 00:11:57,620 --> 00:11:59,700 She said our Attorney General had eliminated 319 00:11:59,700 --> 00:12:02,180 drug investigator positions for part of the state 320 00:12:02,180 --> 00:12:04,740 and that that was unnecessarily costing lives. 321 00:12:04,740 --> 00:12:06,460 Again, it all comes back to what do you do 322 00:12:06,460 --> 00:12:08,100 with the resources you have? 323 00:12:08,100 --> 00:12:10,220 And so what we're seeing is broken promise 324 00:12:10,220 --> 00:12:12,460 after broken promise from our Attorney General. 325 00:12:12,460 --> 00:12:15,140 He campaigned on the fentanyl in opioid epidemic 326 00:12:15,140 --> 00:12:18,260 and there is accountability for pharmaceutical manufacturers 327 00:12:18,260 --> 00:12:21,340 but talk to anybody in law enforcement or public safety 328 00:12:21,340 --> 00:12:24,500 and they will tell you the overdoses that we're seeing 329 00:12:24,500 --> 00:12:26,420 by and large are coming from fentanyl 330 00:12:26,420 --> 00:12:28,100 which is coming across the border 331 00:12:28,100 --> 00:12:29,460 and then here into Wisconsin 332 00:12:29,460 --> 00:12:31,620 and parents are burying their child 333 00:12:31,620 --> 00:12:33,460 and our Attorney General's broken that promise. 334 00:12:33,460 --> 00:12:35,820 He won't even talk about that issue 335 00:12:35,820 --> 00:12:39,900 because it doesn't maybe be popular with his liberal base. 336 00:12:39,900 --> 00:12:41,220 We look at the forensic testing. 337 00:12:41,220 --> 00:12:43,180 He actually promised back in 2020 338 00:12:43,180 --> 00:12:45,420 that we were gonna see a dramatic improvement 339 00:12:45,420 --> 00:12:48,340 in DNA testing because he had more analysts 340 00:12:48,340 --> 00:12:50,780 than his predecessor and he had improved technology 341 00:12:50,780 --> 00:12:52,380 and his own policies were the reason 342 00:12:52,380 --> 00:12:53,380 that they were testing less, 343 00:12:53,380 --> 00:12:55,460 limiting what law enforcement can send in 344 00:12:55,460 --> 00:12:57,940 and now on average he's taking over twice as long 345 00:12:57,940 --> 00:13:00,940 and he campaigned against all of the political lawsuits 346 00:13:00,940 --> 00:13:03,260 when he first ran and now that's effectively 347 00:13:03,260 --> 00:13:05,340 what he's running his entire campaign on 348 00:13:05,340 --> 00:13:07,380 is those lawsuits where he's putting politics 349 00:13:07,380 --> 00:13:08,540 over public safety. 350 00:13:08,540 --> 00:13:10,060 Well let's talk about those lawsuits. 351 00:13:10,060 --> 00:13:12,020 Obviously the Department of Justice has filed 352 00:13:12,020 --> 00:13:13,660 and joined a lot of these federal lawsuits 353 00:13:13,660 --> 00:13:15,420 against the Trump administration. 354 00:13:15,420 --> 00:13:18,100 If you were the AG, would you have joined any of these? 355 00:13:18,100 --> 00:13:19,940 So one of the things I've always talked about 356 00:13:19,940 --> 00:13:21,940 is putting public safety over politics 357 00:13:21,940 --> 00:13:24,020 and when we see the Attorney General, 358 00:13:24,020 --> 00:13:25,480 he's not filing lawsuits. 359 00:13:25,480 --> 00:13:26,860 What he's doing is called joining them. 360 00:13:26,860 --> 00:13:28,900 So the vast majority of those lawsuits, 361 00:13:28,900 --> 00:13:31,100 whether he signs on to that or not, 362 00:13:31,100 --> 00:13:32,460 are gonna continue to move forward 363 00:13:32,460 --> 00:13:34,740 because other attorneys general across the country 364 00:13:34,740 --> 00:13:36,860 have actually done the legal work on those. 365 00:13:36,860 --> 00:13:38,780 And so what I will be doing as attorney general 366 00:13:38,780 --> 00:13:41,580 is making sure we are prioritizing our resources 367 00:13:41,580 --> 00:13:43,940 for public safety, ending the hiring freeze 368 00:13:43,940 --> 00:13:45,980 that's been put in place by him 369 00:13:45,980 --> 00:13:48,780 to make sure we have those crime lab positions filled 370 00:13:48,780 --> 00:13:50,940 that we're always filling our DCI 371 00:13:50,940 --> 00:13:52,900 and other public safety positions 372 00:13:52,900 --> 00:13:55,220 and we'll evaluate any case that's been filed 373 00:13:55,220 --> 00:13:56,380 on a case by case basis 374 00:13:56,380 --> 00:13:58,660 to make sure that we're following the facts in the law 375 00:13:58,660 --> 00:13:59,860 because one of the things we hear, 376 00:13:59,860 --> 00:14:01,780 whether you talk to law enforcement, 377 00:14:01,780 --> 00:14:03,500 the business community or others, 378 00:14:03,500 --> 00:14:05,700 having that consistency in the law 379 00:14:05,700 --> 00:14:08,420 and that predictability helps people plan for the future, 380 00:14:08,420 --> 00:14:11,140 not just having those type of decisions driven 381 00:14:11,140 --> 00:14:13,040 by someone's own partisan politics. 382 00:14:13,040 --> 00:14:15,620 That makes it very difficult for our business community 383 00:14:15,620 --> 00:14:17,300 to move forward and thrive. 384 00:14:17,300 --> 00:14:19,060 And we've seen our Attorney General continue 385 00:14:19,060 --> 00:14:21,940 to put his partisan politics over public safety. 386 00:14:21,940 --> 00:14:24,180 I mean, we see the struggle that people have 387 00:14:25,060 --> 00:14:28,820 in some parts of our state in every corner of it 388 00:14:28,820 --> 00:14:30,900 with the rising cost that we've seen 389 00:14:30,900 --> 00:14:33,140 that were kicked off under the Biden administration 390 00:14:33,140 --> 00:14:35,020 with that rampant inflation. 391 00:14:35,020 --> 00:14:37,580 And some families, parents are working two jobs, 392 00:14:37,580 --> 00:14:39,260 trying to put food on the table 393 00:14:39,260 --> 00:14:41,340 and our Attorney General has not helped. 394 00:14:41,340 --> 00:14:43,020 He actually was the one that defended 395 00:14:43,020 --> 00:14:45,180 that 400 year property tax increase 396 00:14:45,180 --> 00:14:47,420 all the way to the Wisconsin Supreme Court 397 00:14:47,420 --> 00:14:49,420 where he could have been the voice of reason 398 00:14:49,420 --> 00:14:52,500 giving our court that legal framework to say this is wrong, 399 00:14:52,540 --> 00:14:53,980 this is unconstitutional. 400 00:14:53,980 --> 00:14:57,220 One person cannot raise our taxes for 400 years, 401 00:14:57,220 --> 00:15:00,220 but he fought all the way to the court defending that 402 00:15:00,220 --> 00:15:02,540 that contributed to people's property taxes 403 00:15:02,540 --> 00:15:03,780 going up for 400 years. 404 00:15:03,780 --> 00:15:06,860 So I just want to, one more question on the federal lawsuits. 405 00:15:06,860 --> 00:15:09,220 In some of those cases, if you weren't a member of those, 406 00:15:09,220 --> 00:15:10,540 you didn't get the benefits. 407 00:15:10,540 --> 00:15:12,860 And Wisconsin has seen some of those benefits 408 00:15:12,860 --> 00:15:15,260 from being a part of those winning cases. 409 00:15:15,260 --> 00:15:18,020 As AG, would you have joined any of those cases? 410 00:15:18,020 --> 00:15:19,460 So one of the things that we have to do 411 00:15:19,460 --> 00:15:20,580 at our Department of Justice, 412 00:15:20,660 --> 00:15:22,820 can't be who's in the White House 413 00:15:22,820 --> 00:15:24,460 or who's in the governor's office. 414 00:15:24,460 --> 00:15:26,740 We have to look at these on a case-by-case basis. 415 00:15:26,740 --> 00:15:28,740 And unfortunately, we haven't seen our Attorney General 416 00:15:28,740 --> 00:15:29,580 do that. 417 00:15:29,580 --> 00:15:32,860 He's talked about joining over 60 of these lawsuits 418 00:15:32,860 --> 00:15:34,660 in the last 18 months or so, 419 00:15:34,660 --> 00:15:36,380 compared to probably five or less 420 00:15:36,380 --> 00:15:38,860 during the four years of the Biden administration 421 00:15:38,860 --> 00:15:41,260 and has effectively given a free pass to Tony Yever. 422 00:15:41,260 --> 00:15:44,060 So to me, it's not gonna matter who's in the White House 423 00:15:44,060 --> 00:15:45,460 or who's in the governor's office. 424 00:15:45,460 --> 00:15:47,500 We're gonna make these decisions based on the facts 425 00:15:47,500 --> 00:15:48,340 and the law. 426 00:15:48,340 --> 00:15:49,900 So I would expect, whether it's a Republican 427 00:15:49,900 --> 00:15:51,620 or Democrat governor president, 428 00:15:51,620 --> 00:15:53,580 that we would be joining lawsuits 429 00:15:53,580 --> 00:15:55,420 when it's needed to protect Wisconsin. 430 00:15:55,420 --> 00:15:58,220 But this just, you know, to really show how partisan 431 00:15:58,220 --> 00:15:59,740 our Attorney General has gotten. 432 00:15:59,740 --> 00:16:02,620 When he first ran, he talked about two criteria 433 00:16:02,620 --> 00:16:04,700 for filing or joining a federal lawsuit. 434 00:16:04,700 --> 00:16:06,460 Number one, it had to harm Wisconsin. 435 00:16:06,460 --> 00:16:09,420 And then number two, he said it had to be unconstitutional. 436 00:16:09,420 --> 00:16:11,980 Well, last year, he changed that second criteria 437 00:16:11,980 --> 00:16:14,100 and just said he needed a legal basis for it. 438 00:16:14,100 --> 00:16:16,220 And that just shows how partisan he's become 439 00:16:16,220 --> 00:16:17,980 putting his personal politics 440 00:16:18,020 --> 00:16:20,060 over our public safety here in Wisconsin. 441 00:16:20,060 --> 00:16:21,900 And so for me as Attorney General, 442 00:16:21,900 --> 00:16:24,260 it's gonna be putting public safety over politics, 443 00:16:24,260 --> 00:16:27,220 making sure those resources are first and foremost, 444 00:16:27,220 --> 00:16:29,460 going to keep families and community members safe 445 00:16:29,460 --> 00:16:31,140 across our entire state. 446 00:16:31,140 --> 00:16:33,140 And that's why I've got that bipartisan support 447 00:16:33,140 --> 00:16:36,140 from 75% of our sheriffs and know it's time for a change. 448 00:16:36,140 --> 00:16:38,400 How do you view the role of the Wisconsin DOJ 449 00:16:38,400 --> 00:16:41,380 when it comes to election, integrity and security? 450 00:16:41,380 --> 00:16:43,260 And specifically, one of the most recent lawsuits 451 00:16:43,260 --> 00:16:45,620 having to do with the United States Postal Service 452 00:16:45,620 --> 00:16:47,460 changes over absentee ballots. 453 00:16:47,460 --> 00:16:50,900 That is a lawsuit that Josh Call has had Wisconsin join. 454 00:16:50,900 --> 00:16:52,820 Would you have Wisconsin join that lawsuit 455 00:16:52,820 --> 00:16:55,140 or would you be okay if those postal service rules 456 00:16:55,140 --> 00:16:55,980 were in effect? 457 00:16:55,980 --> 00:16:57,860 So our Department of Justice is crucial 458 00:16:57,860 --> 00:16:59,620 in defending the integrity of our elections. 459 00:16:59,620 --> 00:17:02,180 And we have to get to a point where people 460 00:17:02,180 --> 00:17:04,180 trust the results of our elections, 461 00:17:04,180 --> 00:17:06,460 not just when the person they voted for wins. 462 00:17:06,460 --> 00:17:09,700 And we've seen time after time where that hasn't happened. 463 00:17:09,700 --> 00:17:13,780 And I voted absentee in a number of times in recent years. 464 00:17:13,780 --> 00:17:15,460 There are times where for a spring election, 465 00:17:15,460 --> 00:17:17,660 I've been on vacation or even for the, 466 00:17:17,660 --> 00:17:20,100 I live in a township and the early voting opportunities 467 00:17:20,100 --> 00:17:21,740 are far lower there. 468 00:17:21,740 --> 00:17:24,740 So I think I get a couple days for about an hour or so 469 00:17:24,740 --> 00:17:26,660 during that two week window compared to somebody 470 00:17:26,660 --> 00:17:29,660 that may live in a city that has much more 471 00:17:29,660 --> 00:17:31,220 expansive early voting windows. 472 00:17:31,220 --> 00:17:33,940 So early voting, absentee voting is a crucial part 473 00:17:33,940 --> 00:17:35,940 of Wisconsin and we have to protect the right to do that 474 00:17:35,940 --> 00:17:37,500 for people in Wisconsin. 475 00:17:37,500 --> 00:17:41,020 So yes or no, would you have Wisconsin be a part of this case 476 00:17:41,020 --> 00:17:42,740 against the postal service rules? 477 00:17:42,740 --> 00:17:46,020 So what I can say is I would be defending the ability 478 00:17:46,020 --> 00:17:47,740 for people to vote early. 479 00:17:47,740 --> 00:17:49,540 And one of the things I've been very careful on, 480 00:17:49,540 --> 00:17:51,580 I rarely comment on the different lawsuits 481 00:17:51,580 --> 00:17:53,700 that are out there because I wanna make sure 482 00:17:53,700 --> 00:17:56,220 we're working with the great attorneys that we have 483 00:17:56,220 --> 00:17:57,300 at our Department of Justice, 484 00:17:57,300 --> 00:17:59,700 making these decisions based on the facts and the law. 485 00:17:59,700 --> 00:18:01,380 And if in that conversation, 486 00:18:01,380 --> 00:18:03,540 we believe that that's unconstitutional. 487 00:18:03,540 --> 00:18:05,740 I would absolutely join a lawsuit like that 488 00:18:05,740 --> 00:18:07,500 to make sure that we're protecting people's rights 489 00:18:07,500 --> 00:18:09,340 to vote early here in Wisconsin. 490 00:18:09,340 --> 00:18:11,860 But I think one of the things that's so important 491 00:18:11,860 --> 00:18:14,300 when we have an attorney general that's gonna make decisions 492 00:18:14,300 --> 00:18:16,500 on criminal cases, on civil cases, 493 00:18:16,500 --> 00:18:19,860 that we're not campaigning on a specific issue to say, 494 00:18:19,860 --> 00:18:23,380 this is exactly what we're gonna do in that type of lawsuit. 495 00:18:23,380 --> 00:18:24,860 But make sure we're making those decisions 496 00:18:24,860 --> 00:18:26,260 based on the facts and the law. 497 00:18:26,260 --> 00:18:28,980 Because one thing I talk to people about 498 00:18:28,980 --> 00:18:32,420 all across Wisconsin is as an attorney general, 499 00:18:32,420 --> 00:18:34,060 I will make decisions they will not like, 500 00:18:34,060 --> 00:18:35,860 but it's gonna be based on the facts and the law. 501 00:18:35,860 --> 00:18:37,380 And if I don't like that decision, 502 00:18:37,380 --> 00:18:38,780 I'm gonna work with the legislature 503 00:18:38,780 --> 00:18:40,380 and the governor to change the law. 504 00:18:40,380 --> 00:18:42,140 So if elected, you'd be part of the 505 00:18:42,140 --> 00:18:44,860 Republican Attorney General's Association. 506 00:18:44,860 --> 00:18:47,180 Why haven't we seen Republican Attorney Generals 507 00:18:47,180 --> 00:18:49,580 from around the country join in any of these lawsuits? 508 00:18:49,580 --> 00:18:52,100 Why have it been almost universally democratic 509 00:18:52,100 --> 00:18:52,940 attorney generals? 510 00:18:52,940 --> 00:18:53,900 You'd have to talk to them. 511 00:18:53,900 --> 00:18:56,700 I can't speak for other attorneys general in the country. 512 00:18:56,700 --> 00:18:59,300 So you talked about the crime lab, 513 00:18:59,300 --> 00:19:00,900 and talked about the turnaround time. 514 00:19:00,900 --> 00:19:02,940 Josh Colle says that he has secured this money 515 00:19:02,940 --> 00:19:05,180 and he's used that for fentanyl harm reduction 516 00:19:05,180 --> 00:19:06,460 that that money has gotten out. 517 00:19:06,460 --> 00:19:09,300 He claims that's his response to the fentanyl situation. 518 00:19:09,340 --> 00:19:11,060 As attorney general, he can't go to the border 519 00:19:11,060 --> 00:19:12,820 and stop fentanyl from coming over. 520 00:19:12,820 --> 00:19:15,820 So what would be different with you as attorney general? 521 00:19:15,820 --> 00:19:17,780 Number one, when we wanna address a problem, 522 00:19:17,780 --> 00:19:19,980 we have to be honest about what the problem is. 523 00:19:19,980 --> 00:19:22,220 If you were to look at our Department of Justice website, 524 00:19:22,220 --> 00:19:24,340 there's nothing on there about the border crisis 525 00:19:24,340 --> 00:19:26,420 and fentanyl coming across the border. 526 00:19:26,420 --> 00:19:28,300 And we heard Nicole Boyd talk about 527 00:19:28,300 --> 00:19:30,940 how he's eliminated drug investigator positions 528 00:19:30,940 --> 00:19:31,780 here in Wisconsin. 529 00:19:31,780 --> 00:19:33,460 One of the important things that we can do 530 00:19:33,460 --> 00:19:36,340 from the public safety side is go after those dangerous 531 00:19:36,340 --> 00:19:38,740 drug dealers that are peddling poison 532 00:19:38,780 --> 00:19:39,620 in our communities. 533 00:19:39,620 --> 00:19:41,380 And as we see, and it's wonderful 534 00:19:41,380 --> 00:19:43,020 that we're seeing across the country, 535 00:19:43,020 --> 00:19:45,740 these overdose deaths going down, 536 00:19:45,740 --> 00:19:47,100 go and talk to a mom or dad 537 00:19:47,100 --> 00:19:49,420 that had to bury their child in recent years. 538 00:19:49,420 --> 00:19:51,740 And for the attorney general to sit there 539 00:19:51,740 --> 00:19:53,360 and try and take a victory lap over that, 540 00:19:53,360 --> 00:19:55,380 while these cases are still moving 541 00:19:55,380 --> 00:19:57,780 through a congested courts across our state 542 00:19:57,780 --> 00:20:00,540 as he's eliminated resources to help fight that 543 00:20:00,540 --> 00:20:04,420 and failed to deliver the forensic test results 544 00:20:04,420 --> 00:20:06,020 in so many of these different categories 545 00:20:06,020 --> 00:20:08,900 that are making it longer to take criminals off the streets 546 00:20:08,900 --> 00:20:11,540 longer for these cases to go through our court system 547 00:20:11,540 --> 00:20:13,620 that victims are the one that's suffering. 548 00:20:13,620 --> 00:20:15,540 And as I've said, time after time, 549 00:20:15,540 --> 00:20:18,260 it goes back to what do you do with the resources you have 550 00:20:18,260 --> 00:20:20,540 and what Josh Call continues to do. 551 00:20:20,540 --> 00:20:23,420 And it's been for nearly eight years has passed the buck. 552 00:20:23,420 --> 00:20:25,300 He continues to blame the legislature 553 00:20:25,300 --> 00:20:28,500 and say they need to give him more crime lab resources. 554 00:20:28,500 --> 00:20:31,740 They have, he got more DNA positions, more ballistics 555 00:20:31,740 --> 00:20:34,220 and some other positions in the 2019 budget. 556 00:20:34,220 --> 00:20:37,980 I helped him get more positions in 2023 in that budget. 557 00:20:37,980 --> 00:20:40,140 And then when we see that nonpartisan audit come out 558 00:20:40,140 --> 00:20:42,020 and he hasn't even filled those positions, 559 00:20:42,020 --> 00:20:44,980 some of them over a year later, they hadn't been filled. 560 00:20:44,980 --> 00:20:47,180 We saw seven less DNA positions. 561 00:20:47,180 --> 00:20:50,220 So what we need to be doing at our crime labs is number one 562 00:20:50,220 --> 00:20:52,380 and the hiring freeze that he's put in place. 563 00:20:52,380 --> 00:20:55,020 Number two, adopt some of the performance metrics 564 00:20:55,020 --> 00:20:57,900 that that audit recommended our Department of Justice 565 00:20:57,900 --> 00:21:01,460 do to ensure timely testing of DNA results 566 00:21:01,460 --> 00:21:03,300 and make sure that we eliminate any work 567 00:21:03,340 --> 00:21:06,260 from home policies that don't allow those great analysts 568 00:21:06,260 --> 00:21:08,380 to be in the labs doing that important work. 569 00:21:08,380 --> 00:21:11,180 I've worked with so many of the analysts at our crime labs 570 00:21:11,180 --> 00:21:14,260 and they do tremendous work in helping protect our communities 571 00:21:14,260 --> 00:21:16,300 but we need to make sure they have the support 572 00:21:16,300 --> 00:21:17,700 from the Attorney General. 573 00:21:17,700 --> 00:21:20,380 One of the issues that Josh Call says is interesting 574 00:21:20,380 --> 00:21:22,220 about this rematch is looking at some 575 00:21:22,220 --> 00:21:24,260 of your position statements from the last race 576 00:21:24,260 --> 00:21:26,220 and he brings up abortion specifically. 577 00:21:26,220 --> 00:21:28,340 At that time he had filed a lawsuit 578 00:21:28,340 --> 00:21:30,940 that eventually was passed by the Wisconsin Supreme Court 579 00:21:30,940 --> 00:21:33,020 which guaranteed the right to abortion in Wisconsin. 580 00:21:33,540 --> 00:21:36,420 At that time you criticized his part of that lawsuit. 581 00:21:36,420 --> 00:21:38,420 Do you still think that was the wrong choice for him 582 00:21:38,420 --> 00:21:40,260 for the state to file that lawsuit 583 00:21:40,260 --> 00:21:41,940 against the 1848 abortion law? 584 00:21:41,940 --> 00:21:45,020 Well, the original Dane County judge actually didn't support 585 00:21:45,020 --> 00:21:47,620 the ultimate legal finding that was made by the Supreme Court 586 00:21:47,620 --> 00:21:49,780 but we have to look at where the law is now 587 00:21:49,780 --> 00:21:52,620 and there are five month protections in place for women. 588 00:21:52,620 --> 00:21:54,980 I have not and I'm not advocating for any changes 589 00:21:54,980 --> 00:21:57,980 to the law in Wisconsin and if there is going to be any change 590 00:21:57,980 --> 00:21:59,580 that's something that needs to be voted on 591 00:21:59,580 --> 00:22:02,020 by the people of Wisconsin and not decided 592 00:22:02,020 --> 00:22:04,060 on by politicians in Madison. 593 00:22:04,060 --> 00:22:05,540 We need to create an environment 594 00:22:05,540 --> 00:22:09,420 that supports women and girls in our state in every corner 595 00:22:09,420 --> 00:22:11,580 and you look at what our Attorney General's comments 596 00:22:11,580 --> 00:22:13,100 have been in recent years on this. 597 00:22:13,100 --> 00:22:15,100 He was actually asked about those five month 598 00:22:15,100 --> 00:22:18,620 or 20 week protections in 2024 in the fall 599 00:22:18,620 --> 00:22:21,660 and he said it's not a protection, it's a restriction. 600 00:22:21,660 --> 00:22:23,580 He said there should be no government intervention 601 00:22:23,580 --> 00:22:25,780 calling for the legislature to take action, 602 00:22:25,780 --> 00:22:28,380 effectively arguing for a nine month abortion 603 00:22:28,380 --> 00:22:29,620 here in Wisconsin. 604 00:22:29,620 --> 00:22:31,460 We need an Attorney General that's actually 605 00:22:31,460 --> 00:22:33,420 gonna support women and girls here in Wisconsin. 606 00:22:33,420 --> 00:22:36,060 That includes protecting their private spaces, 607 00:22:36,060 --> 00:22:38,380 their bathrooms, their locker rooms and their sports 608 00:22:38,380 --> 00:22:40,620 and we've got a situation that's been going on 609 00:22:40,620 --> 00:22:43,300 in New Richmond, Wisconsin where the school district 610 00:22:43,300 --> 00:22:46,700 has allowed biological boys into girls' bathrooms 611 00:22:46,700 --> 00:22:48,060 and if we need an Attorney General 612 00:22:48,060 --> 00:22:49,780 that's gonna step up and do that 613 00:22:49,780 --> 00:22:51,500 and that's what I would do as Attorney General 614 00:22:51,500 --> 00:22:54,260 is make sure that we're protecting and supporting women 615 00:22:54,260 --> 00:22:56,700 and girls, their bathrooms, their private spaces, 616 00:22:56,700 --> 00:22:57,860 locker rooms and sports. 617 00:22:57,860 --> 00:23:00,660 Do you think abortion should be an issue in this race? 618 00:23:00,740 --> 00:23:02,500 I've said it's something that the people should vote on. 619 00:23:02,500 --> 00:23:04,460 Josh Call thinks the legislature should be making 620 00:23:04,460 --> 00:23:07,460 these decisions and is effectively advocated for nine months. 621 00:23:07,460 --> 00:23:10,260 I'll tell you, one of the things in a district 622 00:23:10,260 --> 00:23:12,780 attorney's office, we had here in Fondelac, 623 00:23:12,780 --> 00:23:16,820 a case in recent years where a young girl under 624 00:23:16,820 --> 00:23:20,940 I believe 15 had been sexually assaulted 625 00:23:20,940 --> 00:23:24,620 and the defendant was I think about 19 years old 626 00:23:24,620 --> 00:23:28,380 and so there was a number of years of age gap there 627 00:23:28,380 --> 00:23:30,300 and she ended up with her family 628 00:23:30,300 --> 00:23:32,980 making that difficult decision to have an abortion 629 00:23:32,980 --> 00:23:35,860 just a few months before that Dobbs decision came out 630 00:23:35,860 --> 00:23:38,340 and one of the things having had conversations 631 00:23:38,340 --> 00:23:40,900 with her family myself and I don't think 632 00:23:40,900 --> 00:23:43,780 any district attorney wants to be in a situation 633 00:23:43,780 --> 00:23:46,980 where we're telling a young girl or a woman 634 00:23:46,980 --> 00:23:49,380 what they can or can't do with the difficulty 635 00:23:49,380 --> 00:23:51,540 of those choices, what I'd like to see us doing 636 00:23:51,540 --> 00:23:53,940 is creating an environment that supports life, 637 00:23:53,940 --> 00:23:56,180 making sure that women and girls have the resources 638 00:23:56,180 --> 00:23:58,180 that life is the choice they wanna make 639 00:23:58,180 --> 00:24:00,180 when it can be difficult in so many different 640 00:24:00,180 --> 00:24:02,460 circumstances but we need an attorney general 641 00:24:02,460 --> 00:24:04,580 that's actually gonna stand with and support them 642 00:24:04,580 --> 00:24:06,540 and when we see our attorney general continue 643 00:24:06,540 --> 00:24:09,260 to fail to do that and supporting women and girls, 644 00:24:09,260 --> 00:24:11,020 sports, bathrooms and locker rooms, 645 00:24:11,020 --> 00:24:13,060 that's something that we need to change. 646 00:24:13,060 --> 00:24:15,380 Do you see any role for the attorney general 647 00:24:15,380 --> 00:24:17,660 in the issue of data centers in Wisconsin? 648 00:24:17,660 --> 00:24:19,780 I think it's gonna depend on an individual basis, 649 00:24:19,780 --> 00:24:22,380 you know, I've visited all 72 counties in the selection 650 00:24:22,380 --> 00:24:24,340 and I've heard a lot of things from people 651 00:24:24,340 --> 00:24:26,580 but I've yet to meet the person that wants a power line 652 00:24:26,620 --> 00:24:28,820 or a data center in their backyard 653 00:24:28,820 --> 00:24:30,460 and that's something we're clearly gonna need 654 00:24:30,460 --> 00:24:32,500 to see legislative and gubernatorial action 655 00:24:32,500 --> 00:24:33,780 on here in Wisconsin. 656 00:24:33,780 --> 00:24:35,500 What the attorney general can do is make sure 657 00:24:35,500 --> 00:24:37,700 that we're protecting our natural resources 658 00:24:37,700 --> 00:24:40,580 and our power grid to make sure that if we see data centers 659 00:24:40,580 --> 00:24:43,300 coming into Wisconsin, that it's not jacking up 660 00:24:43,300 --> 00:24:45,580 the utility rates for people or being a threat 661 00:24:45,580 --> 00:24:47,900 to our natural resources, the attorney general's office 662 00:24:47,900 --> 00:24:50,260 has to make sure we're guarding our natural resources 663 00:24:50,260 --> 00:24:51,620 including our water. 664 00:24:51,620 --> 00:24:54,020 There was also recently an officer involved shooting 665 00:24:54,060 --> 00:24:58,260 in Madison and then a protest is only set up downtown. 666 00:24:58,260 --> 00:25:00,380 You went through that area and you called 667 00:25:00,380 --> 00:25:02,860 for the Department of Justice to come in and clear it out. 668 00:25:02,860 --> 00:25:05,500 The DOJ was already involved with the officer involved 669 00:25:05,500 --> 00:25:07,100 shooting investigation. 670 00:25:07,100 --> 00:25:09,700 Would it be appropriate for another arm or the DOJ 671 00:25:09,700 --> 00:25:11,820 to be coming in and handling the protesters as well 672 00:25:11,820 --> 00:25:13,420 or should that be left to local officials? 673 00:25:13,420 --> 00:25:15,420 Well, one of the things we saw, you know, 674 00:25:15,420 --> 00:25:16,660 I walked through that area, 675 00:25:16,660 --> 00:25:18,620 you couldn't get emergency service vehicles 676 00:25:18,620 --> 00:25:21,020 through the area, business owners couldn't open 677 00:25:21,020 --> 00:25:23,500 for a period, employees couldn't get to their job 678 00:25:23,500 --> 00:25:26,660 and residents couldn't get to their homes in that area. 679 00:25:26,660 --> 00:25:29,460 And that was going on day after day after day. 680 00:25:29,460 --> 00:25:31,260 We saw a report, one of those businesses 681 00:25:31,260 --> 00:25:34,500 reportedly lost, I think, over $100,000. 682 00:25:34,500 --> 00:25:36,860 And so that's where we have statutes on the books right now 683 00:25:36,860 --> 00:25:39,220 where a chamber of the legislature or governor 684 00:25:39,220 --> 00:25:40,980 can give our attorney general authority 685 00:25:40,980 --> 00:25:43,380 to prosecute crime in certain circumstances. 686 00:25:43,380 --> 00:25:44,500 And so that's what I've said, 687 00:25:44,500 --> 00:25:46,940 that that should have happened to make sure 688 00:25:46,940 --> 00:25:48,660 that we work with the governor's office 689 00:25:48,660 --> 00:25:50,900 and the attorney general with the state patrol 690 00:25:50,900 --> 00:25:52,780 and our DCI agents to have declared 691 00:25:52,860 --> 00:25:56,220 an unlawful assembly ordered the individuals dispersed 692 00:25:56,220 --> 00:25:58,100 and that anyone that failed to follow that 693 00:25:58,100 --> 00:26:00,660 would be arrested and prosecuted ultimately. 694 00:26:00,660 --> 00:26:02,660 Our attorney general sat on the sidelines 695 00:26:02,660 --> 00:26:05,300 during that difficult time for so many people 696 00:26:05,300 --> 00:26:07,580 in the Madison area when we need to make sure 697 00:26:07,580 --> 00:26:08,620 that we're protecting people, 698 00:26:08,620 --> 00:26:11,220 that we're not allowing intersections to be taken over. 699 00:26:11,220 --> 00:26:13,260 People have an absolute right to protest 700 00:26:13,260 --> 00:26:14,340 but there are ways to do it 701 00:26:14,340 --> 00:26:16,660 and it doesn't give someone the right to take over 702 00:26:16,660 --> 00:26:19,300 an intersection and on my watch as attorney general, 703 00:26:19,300 --> 00:26:20,780 I will do everything I can to make sure 704 00:26:20,820 --> 00:26:23,140 that doesn't happen anywhere in Wisconsin. 705 00:26:23,140 --> 00:26:25,780 But this has just been a troubling pattern 706 00:26:25,780 --> 00:26:27,740 for our attorney general and some of these 707 00:26:27,740 --> 00:26:29,300 very critical incidents. 708 00:26:29,300 --> 00:26:33,380 He continues to fail the leadership test. 709 00:26:33,380 --> 00:26:35,100 We saw that happen in Madison. 710 00:26:35,100 --> 00:26:37,380 We saw it in the wake of the Kenosha shooting 711 00:26:37,380 --> 00:26:39,420 back in 2020 involving Jacob Blake 712 00:26:39,420 --> 00:26:41,620 which was determined to be a justified shooting. 713 00:26:41,620 --> 00:26:43,300 We saw the governor putting out false 714 00:26:43,300 --> 00:26:46,620 and incorrect information that Josh called new Jacob Blake 715 00:26:46,620 --> 00:26:49,140 had to have had a knife that very night 716 00:26:49,140 --> 00:26:50,220 and he said nothing. 717 00:26:50,220 --> 00:26:53,780 And we saw the consequences of those reckless statements 718 00:26:53,780 --> 00:26:55,180 where people burned Kenosha, 719 00:26:55,180 --> 00:26:57,660 there was a loss of life we need an attorney general 720 00:26:57,660 --> 00:27:00,660 that's gonna be willing to push back against 721 00:27:00,660 --> 00:27:02,060 their own party when necessary 722 00:27:02,060 --> 00:27:04,220 especially in those circumstances. 723 00:27:04,220 --> 00:27:06,140 And there's a reason that we're seeing 724 00:27:06,140 --> 00:27:07,940 law enforcement across the state 725 00:27:07,940 --> 00:27:10,420 that do not want to work with Josh Call 726 00:27:10,420 --> 00:27:13,180 in doing these officer involved shooting investigations. 727 00:27:13,180 --> 00:27:15,700 The DCI agents do a fantastic job 728 00:27:15,700 --> 00:27:18,140 but they don't trust him from what they've seen 729 00:27:18,140 --> 00:27:19,300 in these circumstances. 730 00:27:19,300 --> 00:27:21,140 And that's something that we're gonna have to work 731 00:27:21,140 --> 00:27:23,860 to rebuild that trust to be able to continue to assist. 732 00:27:23,860 --> 00:27:26,340 There are still agencies that use our Department of Justice 733 00:27:26,340 --> 00:27:28,420 but there are many that will choose not to 734 00:27:28,420 --> 00:27:29,780 based on what they're seeing. 735 00:27:29,780 --> 00:27:32,140 And so what we have to do is rebuild trust 736 00:27:32,140 --> 00:27:33,860 with our law enforcement agencies. 737 00:27:33,860 --> 00:27:35,780 We have to make sure that we're getting 738 00:27:35,780 --> 00:27:38,500 some of that key evidence to our district attorney sooner 739 00:27:38,500 --> 00:27:40,180 to be able to make timely decisions 740 00:27:40,180 --> 00:27:42,860 while protecting the integrity of the investigation 741 00:27:42,860 --> 00:27:44,820 while having transparency to the public. 742 00:27:44,820 --> 00:27:46,740 What we're seeing is about a 30 day window 743 00:27:46,740 --> 00:27:50,260 before a DA will get sometimes any of the evidence 744 00:27:50,260 --> 00:27:53,380 to review and then they have to go through that mountain 745 00:27:53,380 --> 00:27:54,660 of evidence to make a decision 746 00:27:54,660 --> 00:27:56,540 where the public is waiting for the result. 747 00:27:56,540 --> 00:27:59,700 You've got an officer or officers on administrative leave. 748 00:27:59,700 --> 00:28:02,060 The impact that that can have on small agencies 749 00:28:02,060 --> 00:28:03,180 can be tremendous. 750 00:28:03,180 --> 00:28:05,540 And one of the things I worked on more recently 751 00:28:05,540 --> 00:28:07,380 when we had one here in Fond du Lac County 752 00:28:07,380 --> 00:28:10,620 was getting some of that key evidence to my office sooner 753 00:28:10,620 --> 00:28:13,180 so that I could have eyes on that to begin my review 754 00:28:13,180 --> 00:28:16,300 to help make that decision on whether that shooting 755 00:28:16,300 --> 00:28:17,660 was justified or not. 756 00:28:17,660 --> 00:28:19,340 And so what we're gonna be working to do 757 00:28:19,340 --> 00:28:20,860 is change some of the policies 758 00:28:20,860 --> 00:28:22,700 but working with our law enforcement partners 759 00:28:22,700 --> 00:28:25,300 on what that should be to ensure and our DA's 760 00:28:25,300 --> 00:28:27,580 to make sure they're getting that information quicker 761 00:28:27,580 --> 00:28:30,740 and that we're getting information to the public sooner. 762 00:28:30,740 --> 00:28:32,780 The liberals on the Supreme Court now have a five 763 00:28:32,780 --> 00:28:33,620 to majority. 764 00:28:33,620 --> 00:28:36,260 Would that change how you approach any lawsuits 765 00:28:36,260 --> 00:28:38,500 over state law, how you would change arguments 766 00:28:38,500 --> 00:28:39,620 before the court? 767 00:28:39,620 --> 00:28:41,300 The facts are the facts and the law is the law 768 00:28:41,300 --> 00:28:42,940 and we'll make decisions based on those things 769 00:28:42,940 --> 00:28:44,420 not who the judge is. 770 00:28:44,460 --> 00:28:46,900 And finally, one quick question on flock cameras. 771 00:28:46,900 --> 00:28:48,180 That's the new issue. 772 00:28:48,180 --> 00:28:50,380 Would you see any role for the Attorney General's office 773 00:28:50,380 --> 00:28:53,340 to weigh in on how flock cameras should be used? 774 00:28:53,340 --> 00:28:54,700 Or is that an issue for the legislature? 775 00:28:54,700 --> 00:28:56,180 Well, here in Fond du Lac County, 776 00:28:56,180 --> 00:28:58,060 all of our police agencies that use flock 777 00:28:58,060 --> 00:29:00,700 just recently discontinued that use 778 00:29:00,700 --> 00:29:03,940 and based on my conversations with my local law enforcement, 779 00:29:03,940 --> 00:29:05,580 I support the decision that they've made 780 00:29:05,580 --> 00:29:08,340 because what we've seen is in some other states, 781 00:29:08,340 --> 00:29:11,140 they've released information that contains searches 782 00:29:11,140 --> 00:29:12,420 here in Fond du Lac County 783 00:29:12,420 --> 00:29:16,100 that have had an ability to impact active investigations, 784 00:29:16,100 --> 00:29:17,780 potentially release victim information 785 00:29:17,780 --> 00:29:20,260 and impact the privacy of people in our community 786 00:29:20,260 --> 00:29:21,340 and across Wisconsin. 787 00:29:21,340 --> 00:29:24,380 So it's clear that additional action and guardrails 788 00:29:24,380 --> 00:29:26,060 are needed to make sure that we're protecting 789 00:29:26,060 --> 00:29:28,620 active investigations, victim privacy, 790 00:29:28,620 --> 00:29:30,540 as well as the privacy of community members 791 00:29:30,540 --> 00:29:31,820 here in Wisconsin. 792 00:29:31,820 --> 00:29:34,220 But that doesn't harm investigators, 793 00:29:34,220 --> 00:29:37,260 doesn't limit the ability, is it in flock a tool for them? 794 00:29:37,260 --> 00:29:38,940 That was a decision that the law enforcement made. 795 00:29:38,940 --> 00:29:41,460 There's nobody that told them that they could not use that. 796 00:29:41,500 --> 00:29:43,060 They had a concern about the impact 797 00:29:43,060 --> 00:29:45,300 that that would have on their investigations. 798 00:29:45,300 --> 00:29:47,220 And so they made the decision right now 799 00:29:47,220 --> 00:29:49,380 to discontinue that use and continue 800 00:29:49,380 --> 00:29:50,540 to work through that issue. 801 00:29:50,540 --> 00:29:53,660 We've certainly seen, I've prosecuted cases, 802 00:29:53,660 --> 00:29:55,020 homicides and others where flock 803 00:29:55,020 --> 00:29:57,580 has taken dangerous criminals off the streets 804 00:29:57,580 --> 00:30:00,180 and has helped find missing or endangered children 805 00:30:00,180 --> 00:30:01,020 and adults. 806 00:30:01,020 --> 00:30:03,100 And so we've seen that aid law enforcement 807 00:30:03,100 --> 00:30:03,940 across the state. 808 00:30:03,940 --> 00:30:06,100 But when we see that type of, 809 00:30:06,100 --> 00:30:08,140 at some point, misuse that's occurred 810 00:30:08,140 --> 00:30:10,580 and in other areas, privacy information 811 00:30:10,620 --> 00:30:13,300 or ongoing investigation information released, 812 00:30:13,300 --> 00:30:15,340 there's a balance and we have to make sure 813 00:30:15,340 --> 00:30:16,820 that we're seeing additional action 814 00:30:16,820 --> 00:30:18,980 and guardrails to protect those things. 815 00:30:18,980 --> 00:30:20,180 Eric, Tony, thanks for your time. 816 00:30:20,180 --> 00:30:21,020 Greatly appreciate it. 817 00:30:21,020 --> 00:30:21,860 Thank you. 818 00:30:23,060 --> 00:30:23,900 That was great. 819 00:30:23,900 --> 00:30:24,740 Thank you. 820 00:30:24,740 --> 00:30:25,580 Thank you. 821 00:30:25,580 --> 00:30:26,400 Yeah.