OFFICE ANNOUNCING A RUN FOR
REELECTION.
LAST MONTH GOVERNOR EVERS SAID
HE'LL RUN AGAIN.
THIS WEEK, ATTORNEY GENERAL JOSH
KAUL ANNOUNCED HIS PLANS FOR
REELECTION.
OUT OF LAW SCHOOL, KAUL CLERKD
IN THE FIRST CIRCUIT COURT OF
APPEALS.
HE THEN WORKED IN PRIVATE
PRACTICE IN WASHINGTON D.C. AND
AS A FEDERAL PROSECUTOR IN
BALTIMORE.
HE JOINED A MADISON LAW FIRM IN
2014 AND SPECIALIZED IN VOTER
RIGHTS CAS CASES.
IN 2018 HE DEFEATED INCUMBENT
BRAD SCHIMEL.
TWO REPUBLICANS HAVE ALSO
ANNOUNCED THEIR ELECTION BIDS.
WE HAVE REACHED OUT TO THEIR
CAMPAIGNS TO SCHEDULE
INTERVIEWS.
TONIGHT WE ARE JOINED BY
INCUMBENT ATTORNEY JOSH KAUL AND
THANKS VERY MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
>> THANKS FOR HAVING ME.
>> SO IN THIS STATE OF A NEARLY
EVENLY-SPLIT ELECTORATE AND WHEN
YOU NARROWLY WON YOUR FIRST TERM
AGAINST A REPUBLICAN, WHY SHOULD
VOTERS ACROSS WISCONSIN REELECT
YOU?
>> WELL, MY TOP PRIORITY AS
ATTORNEY GENERAL HAS BEEN PUBLIC
SAFETY AND I'M REALLY PROUD OF
THE WORK WE HAVE DONE TO PROTECT
WISCONSINITES FROM CRIME AS WELL
AS PROTECTING PEOPLE'S HEALTH,
OUR ENVIRONMENT AND OUR
DEMOCRACY.
AS YOU MENTIONED, I WAS A
FEDERAL PROSECUTOR IN ONE OF THE
MOST VIOLENT CITIES IN THE
COUNTRY.
I PROSECUTED MURDERERS, GANG
MEMBERS AND DRUG TRAFFICKERS.
AND AS ATTORNEY GENERAL MY
ADMINISTRATION HAS WORKED ON
PRIORITIZING THE MOST SERIOUS
OFFENSES AND INVESTIGATED AND
PROSECUTED EVERYTHING FROM
HOMICIDES AND ARSONS TO SEXUAL
ASSAULTS AND DRUG TRAFFICKING
OFFENSES.
WE'RE ALSO, THOUGH, GOING
FURTHER.
WE FILED SUIT AGAINST PURDUE
PHARMA AND THE STATE IS GOING TO
BE RECOVERING ABOUT $65 MILLION
TO HELP US FIGHT THE OPIOID
EPIDEMIC.
GETTING THOSE KIND OF RESOURCES
TO OUR COMMUNITY ARE GOING TO
MAKE A REAL DIFFERENCE.
>> WHAT KIND OF HEADWINDS DO YOU
FACE FROM PARTISANS ON THE OTHER
SIDE OF THE AISLE WITH WHOM YOU
DISAGREE ON MOST EVERYTHING,
FROM KIND OF GUN CONTROL AND
UNIVERSAL BACKGROUND CHECKS TO
REDISTRICTING REFORM TO
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION LAW AND
MORE?
>> WELL, ON PUBLIC SAFETY, YOU
KNOW, THE PARTISAN GRIDLOCK
WE'VE SEEN IS A FRUSTRATION
BECAUSE WE COULD BE DOING MORE
TO MAKE OUR COMMUNITIES SAFER IF
WE HAD MORE COOPERATION.
YOU MENTIONED GUN SAFETY
MEASURES.
HAVING UNIVERSAL BACKGROUND
CHECKS WOULD HELP US KEEP
FIREARMS OUT OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE
BEEN CONVICTED OF CRIMES.
REFORMING OUR SEXUAL ASSAULT KIT
LAWS TO HAVE LAWS TO PREVENT
ANOTHER BACKLOG, WILL MAKE OUR
COMMUNITIES SAFER.
DESPITE THE CHALLENGES WE'VE HAD
FROM THE LEGISLATURE, WHICH
BEGAN WITH THE LAME DUCK
LEGISLATION BEFORE I EVEN TOOK
OFFICE, WE'VE GOTTEN A LOT
ACCOMPLISHED FOR THE PEOPLE OF
WISCONSIN AND I'M PROUD OF THAT
RECORD.
>> ONE OF YOUR CHALLENGES ON
THAT AS TO YOUR RELATIONSHIP
WITH THE LEGISLATURE SAYS THAT,
QUOTE, YOU HAVE IGNORED,
ATTACKED AND OFFENDED THE
LEGISLATURE ON SO MANY ISSUES
AND TO SUCH A DEGREE THAT YOU
CANNOT SUCCESSFULLY WORK WITH
THEM.
HOW DO YOU RESPOND TO THAT?
>> WELL, THAT'S JUST NOT
CORRECT.
WE WORKED CLOSELY WITH THE
LEGISLATURE ON AN UB IN OF
ISSUES AND IEM I'M HAPPY TO WORK
WITH ANYBODY WHERE WE CAN MAKE
PROGRESS FOR THE PEOPLE OF
WISCONSIN.
WE JUST HAD THE BUDGET PASSED,
FOR EXAMPLE.
I'M ALSO WILLING TO STAND UP TO
THE LEGISLATURE IF THEY'RE DOING
SOMETHING THAT'S NOT IN THE BEST
INTEREST OF THE PEOPLE OF
WISCONSIN.
I THINK IT'S VITAL THAT WE HAVE
AN INDEPENDENT ATTORNEY GENERAL
WHO IS WILLING TO STAND UP FOR
WHAT'S RIGHT AND WHO'S A
WATCHDOG FOR THE PEOPLE OF
WISCONSIN, NOT SOMEBODY WHO'S
JUST GOING TO DO WHAT THE
LEGISLATURE WANTS THEM TO DO.
>> AS YOU'VE ENUMERATED, YOU
HAVE SEEN SOME MAJOR WINS.
WHAT WOULD YOU SAY ARE YOUR
PROUDEST ACHIEVEMENTS IN YOUR
FIRST TERM TO DATE?
>> ONE THING I'M REALLY PROUD OF
IS THE WORK THAT WE'VE DONE ON
THE BACKLOG OF UNTESTED SEXUAL
ASSAULTITS.
DURING MY CAMPAIGN AGAINST BRAD
SCHIMEL THAT WAS A MAJOR ISSUE
AND HE RUSHED TO GET A NUMBER OF
THEM TESTED BEFORE THE ELECTION.
WHEN WE TOOK OFFICE WE TESTED
OVER 300 ADDITIONAL KITS AND
FINISHED THE TESTING.
WE REVIEWED EVERY CASE IN WHICH
THERE WAS A DNA MATCH, WENT
THROUGH THOSE.
THAT LED TO SOME INVESTIGATIONS
AS WELL AS SOME PROSECUTIONS.
THERE WAS RECENTLY A PERSON
ARRESTED WITH CHARGES IN KENOSHA
COUNTY WHOSE DNA HAD MATCHED
FOUR DIFFERENT SEXUAL ASSAULT
KITS.
THAT'S AN ALLEGED SERIAL
OFFENDER WHO'S OFF THE STREET.
I'M INCREDIBLY PROUD OF OUR
WORK.
ALSO HOLDING BIG PHARMA
ACCOUNTABLE, CHALLENGING THE ACA
AND STANDING UP FOR OUR
ENVIRONMENT AND DEMOCRACY ARE
KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS.
>> WITH JUST ABOUT A MINUTE
LEFT, AS THE SO-CALLED TOP COP
IN THE STATE, WHATS THE
BALANCE BETWEEN PUBLIC SAFETY
AND POLICE REFORM, WHICH YOU
HAVE CALLED FOR?
>> I THINK THEY GO HAND IN HAND.
I THINK CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM
MORE BROADLY AND PUBLIC SAFETY
GO HAND IN HAND BECAUSE THERE
ARE SO MANY CHANGES WE CAN MAKE
THAT WILL MAKE OUR COMMUNITIES
SAFER AND MAKE OUR SYSTEM FAIRER
AND BUILD STRONG COMMUNITY LAW
ENFORCEMENT RELATIONSHIPS.
SO ONE GREAT EXAMPLE OF THAT IS
INVESTING IN COMMUNITY POLICING
AND VIOLENCE PREVENTION
PROGRAMS.
WHEN WE CAN BUILD STRONG
RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN LAW
ENFORCEMENT AND THE COMMUNITIES
IN WHICH THEY WORK, THAT'S
HELPFUL TO PUBLIC SAFETY BECAUSE
WE GET BETTER INFORMATION FOR
LAW ENFORCEMENT.
WE CAN IDENTIFY THE MOST SERIOUS
OFFENDERS.
IT BUILDS STRONG RELATIONSHIPS
THAT CAN HELP ADVANCE THE GOAL
OF STRONGER RELATIONS BETWEEN
THE COMMUNITY AND LAW
ENFORCEMENT.
>> ALL RIGHT.
ATTORNEY GENERAL JOSH KAUL,
THANKS VERY MUCH.
>> THANKS FOR HAVING ME.
>> TURNING BACK TO THE