Attorney general Schimpf: Candidate Profile

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Note: Answers provided have not been edited for grammar, misspellings or typos. In some instances, candidate claims that could not be immediately verified have been omitted. Jump to:BioQA Bio City: WaterlooWebsite: www.schimpf4illinois.comOffice sought: Attorney general Age: 43Family: I am married to the former Lori Duffin from Glen Ellyn, Illinois. We have two boys - Ethan (8) and Garrett (6).Occupation: Retired MarineEducation: Bachelor of Science, United States Naval Academy, 1993; Juris Doctor, Southern Illinois School of Law, 2000; Master of Laws, the Judge Advocate Generalâ#128;™s Legal Center and School, 2005Civic involvement: Prior to campaign, I coached son's soccer teams. I am a member of my local VFW.Elected offices held: n/aHave you ever been arrested for or convicted of a crime? If yes, please explain: No.Questions Answers How would you streamline your office's duties to save the state money?I support Bruce Raunerâ#128;™s call to reduce the size of state agencies. When I become Attorney General, I will conduct a bottom up review of the roles and missions of the office to determine the areas that can be streamlined.What is something the office could be doing now that it isn't?I believe the Attorney General should place a greater emphasis on fighting corruption and serving as a check and balance against the excesses of the legislative and executive branches. As Attorney General, I will make it my first priority to fight corruption.What in your background makes you qualified for a specialized office like this?Having served in the military, I have worked with people across the political and social spectrum. I served as officer in charge of the legal assistance clinic, overseeing a practice that specialized in family law and consumer protection law for service members. As head prosecutor for the Recruit Depot and the Marine Corps Western Recruiting Region, I supervised other attorneys and personally litigated drug, sexual assault, and attempted murder cases.Should the attorney general be involved in looking into wrongdoing of public officials?Yes. As Attorney General, I will prioritize anti-corruption efforts. Corruption is one of the top threats to our state. Illinois has become more corrupt and dysfunctional since Lisa Madigan took office. It is evident that the status quo is not working. Corruption ignored is corruption enabled.What would you support to encourage more open government?I strongly support the Open Meetings Act and Freedom of Information Act, but government will never be transparent until we stop electing political insiders.What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?I will use the office of Attorney General as a check and balance against the excesses of legislative and executive branches.Please name one current leader who most inspires you.Bobby JindalWhat's the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?The biggest lesson I learned was to only worry about the things that you can control.If life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?I wish I had made a bigger effort to keep in touch with my parents when I was deployed. My Mom passed away in 1999.What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?My favorite class was a seminar on Shakespeare. It was a lesson in how the spoken word can inspire people.If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?My advice to my children would be to always keep their promises.