Attorney general candidates debate on YSU campus
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YOUNGSTOWN - The two candidates for attorney general - Democrat John Kulewicz and Republican Keith Faber - said for Ohio voters, the choice comes down to experience.
The two debated Monday at Youngstown State University with the Youngstown Press Club hosting and Tony Paglia, the club's president-elect and a former Vindicator editor and reporter, as moderator.
Kulewicz said his 44 years as an attorney, including handling cases in front of the U.S. Supreme Court, makes him the strongest candidate.
"For over 40 years, I was in court every day - either personally or through briefs on cases," Kulewicz said, adding that "I've represented Ohioans in some of the most difficult times in their lives."
Faber, who is currently state auditor and previously served in the state Legislature, said: "The big difference between our legal backgrounds is who we represented. John has spent his career making millions of dollars representing big insurance companies, big corporations and rich folks. I've represented individuals. I've represented average Ohioans."
In addition, Faber said as state auditor, he's "actually run a complex organization with more than 800 employees and a robust legal department, including prosecutors. (That) tells you that I've got the experience to run the attorney general's office, which has many of the same requirements and backgrounds. One of the things that's incumbent on this question is the understanding that as attorney general, you're frankly not going to go into the United States Supreme Court yourself. You've got a solicitor for that. You're probably not going to even go into the courtroom very often yourself. You've got great lawyers to do that. What you need to know is how to manage a complex organization. I've got the skill and experience to do that."
Faber added that he was the first state auditor in Ohio's history to prosecute a case while holding that office - against a public transit executive director in Allen County convicted on fraud, tampering and theft counts.
As auditor, Faber said his office convicted 172 public officials and politicians of various criminal charges related to their office.
Kulewicz said he's represented corporations, but has also represented people who needed attorneys and it was never about money.
Kulewicz said: "The choice is clear and it's up to the people of Ohio (as) to what kind of attorney general you want to have."
After the debate, Kulewicz said: "From my point of view, more of the same is not going to do it. My opponent, the experience he brings to this campaign is the experience of a lifetime in elected office. So it's very different. At this point in our history in the state of Ohio it is definitely time for a change. We need new people in there. More of the same is not going to help us make the economy and the government of Ohio work better for anybody."
This is the only debate planned between any of the candidates running for statewide office.
With two former FirstEnergy officials facing a retrial in January, Faber and Kulewicz were asked Monday about prosecuting them.
Faber said, "We're going to prosecute that case. That case will already be going on by the time I'm sworn in to be your next attorney general. So the answer is yes, it's going to go forward. But the real question here is: how could you have made that answer without getting the facts? The first job of a prosecutor is to get the facts and in this case, when asked that question by a reporter (a couple of weeks ago) was, 'We're going to get the facts. We're going to talk to the staff and figure out, making sure what we know and what we don't know.'"
Faber said he's recently had that conversation with Attorney General Andy Wilson and "the facts support convicting those individuals beyond a reasonable doubt. So we will carry on that prosecution."
Kulewicz said he's "proud my opponent's evolved" in this matter since asked that question a couple of weeks ago.
Kulewicz said: "When we were both asked that question at the outset: what are you going to do about that trial? I had no hesitation in stating I have every intention of going forward with that trial."
He added: "It sabotages the trial team, in my view, to tell them I may or may not go forward with that."
Paglia asked the candidates about their positions on Flock Safety cameras, which have garnered controversy over abuses by some in law enforcement.
Both said the cameras are useful tools for law enforcement, but safeguards must be put in place.
Kulewicz said a warrant should be required to search Flock records more than 48 hours old and strict protocols should be in place.
Faber said: "This is one of those areas that I don't think John and I are that far apart on."
Regarding capital punishment - which Gov. Mike DeWine, a Republican, has stopped during his administration - Faber said, "I support capital punishment. The short answer is: if it's going to be a law in Ohio, it needs to be administered. It needs to be administered fairly. The attorney general's office has a role in that process, both on the appellate side and on the actual execution side, to make sure that the law is followed and that the appeals process works. Look, it's up to the Legislature, the General Assembly, to decide the state of capital punishment. But the reality is, if we're going to have it, it needs to be utilized, it needs to be carried out and it needs to be administered in a fair and transparent way."
Kulewicz said capital punishment is reserved for the most severe offenses "And they have done so wisely. That's the law of the state. The attorney general has a responsibility under the Eighth Amendment regarding cruel and unusual punishment, that the execution is efficient and effective."