Kwame Raoul: 2022 candidate for Illinois attorney general
Bio
Party: Democrat
Office sought: Illinois attorney general
City: Chicago
Age: 58
Occupation: Illinois Attorney General
Previous offices held:
Q&A
Q: What do you consider the chief responsibility of the state attorney general and how would you conduct the office to achieve it?
A: The responsibility of the Attorney General is to serve as the state's chief legal officer and the people's lawyer, responsible for protecting the public interest of the state and its people. The Attorney General advocates on behalf of the people of Illinois, represents state government in litigation, handles cases on behalf of the people of the state of Illinois before the Illinois Supreme Court and in federal court, litigates in court to ensure state and federal laws are followed and respected, and works with members of the General Assembly to pass new laws. The Attorney General provides services that cover a broad range of issues, reaching every corner of Illinois, to protect consumers, promote public safety, protect older citizens, safeguard children, defend workers' rights, support victims of crime, protect the environment, and provide transparency in government.
Q: Is the office of public information public access counselor important? What should be the attorney general's role in ensuring that state and local governing bodies operate in an open and transparent manner?
A: Yes, the role of the Public Access Counselor serves the vital function of promoting transparency and openness in our government and serves thousands of members of the public and the media each year. The Public Access Counselor's determinations in reviewing disputes over government records have created new and important legal guidance in Illinois to enforce disclosure of records and foster increased transparency in government. The PAC also provides training to government officials in cities and communities across Illinois on the importance of providing information to the public and following the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act and the Open Meetings Act.
Q: What personal background and experiences particularly qualify you for the role of attorney general?
A: I bring a lifetime of legal experience and public service to my work as Illinois Attorney General. I started my career as a prosecutor in the Cook County State's Attorney's Office, served as senior attorney for Illinois' largest community college district, and also worked at two national law firms. I was an Illinois State Senator for 14 years, serving as the Chair of the Pension and Investment Committee and the Judiciary Committee. I've taken on anticipated challenges - prosecuting murders, gun trafficking, organized retail crime, public corruption, and internet crimes against children. I have protected consumers and held corporate bad actors responsible and safeguarded a women's right to choose. I also have taken on unanticipated challenges and fought to protect essential workers to ensure their safety during the pandemic. I also fought the rise of unemployment insurance fraud and worked with law enforcement partners to fight other pandemic-related fraud.
Q: How efficiently do you think the attorney general's office operates currently. What, if anything, would you do to streamline the office?
A: For every dollar of taxpayer money invested in my office in fiscal year 2022, we returned $39 to the state. The state has historically underinvested in the Illinois Attorney General's office, and as a result we have learned to manage resources well and maintain a high level of advocacy for the state and its people. In 2003, when my predecessor began her tenure, roughly 67% of the office's funding came from the state's general revenue fund and the office was 33% self-funded. When I began my tenure, it was the inverse. As a result, a National Association of Attorney General survey found that in 2018, the Illinois Attorney General's Office had the worst retention rate in the country and was understaffed. We have worked hard to reverse that trend with the help of added investment from the Illinois General Assembly. We will continue to seek out ways to leverage partnerships with other public and private in a manner that will allow us to work efficiently without sacrificing results.