Attorney General Brad Schimel did not recommend jail time in a pair of cases where 17-year-olds sexually assaulted younger victims when he was a county prosecutor in the early 2000s, court records show. The cases are drawing criticism from Democrats as the GOP attorney general heads into his re-election bid.

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Brad Schimel helped defend the state’s gerrymandered political map. Josh Kaul, his Democratic challenger, assisted with efforts to have it struck down in federal court. That’s just one of many issues on which the two contenders differ. Unlike Schimel, Kaul would act as a lawyer for all the people, not just his party’s wealthy donors, he said. He would support efforts to expand voter participation. Schimel, on the other hand, has openly bragged about the success of Republicans’ photo ID law in keeping youth and minority voters away from the polls.

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Wisconsin’s crime labs are suffering from multiple shortcomings, including poor morale and accepting too much evidence from police, according to a report released Tuesday commissioned by the state Department of Justice. Attorney General Brad Schimel hired Florida International University’s National Forensic Science Technology Center in June to review operations at the labs, which have been struggling with processing delays. The review cost the department about $43,000.

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While hot primary contests for governor and senator dominated Wisconsin news this summer, the statewide race for attorney general has been set for a year. In that race, prosecutor Josh Kaul is taking on incumbent Republican Attorney General Brad Schimel. Few races on the Tuesday, Nov. 6, ballot offer as stark a contrast as theirs.

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State Department of Justice officials discussed having employees sign a secrecy agreement last month, the same day its former top criminal investigator released a tell-all book accusing Attorney General Brad Schimel of botching a response to alleged abuses at the state’s youth prison.

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State Attorney General Brad Schimel is coming under fire publicly for trying to keep everything in his agency private. The Journal Sentinel reported Thursday that Schimel is requiring all 700-plus employees in the state Department of Justice to sign “confidentiality and nondisclosure agreements.” The agreements bar them from revealing any confidential information about their work — not just during their time in office but even after they leave the state.

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Josh Kaul, an attorney who successfully challenged Wisconsin voting laws and the son of former attorney general Peg Lautenschlager, launched a challenge against Republican Attorney General Brad Schimel last year. Kaul is an attorney with Perkins Coie in Madison, where he focuses on voting rights and election law. Perkins Coie represents the Democratic National Committee and its candidates. Prior to joining Perkins Coie, Kaul served as a federal prosecutor in Baltimore and as an attorney in Washington, D.C. He joined Cap Times reporter Katelyn Ferral to discuss his campaign, his career and of course, his favorite Wisconsin beer and cheese.

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State Department of Justice officials discussed having employees sign a secrecy agreement last month, the same day its former top criminal investigator released a tell-all book accusing Attorney General Brad Schimel of botching a response to alleged abuses at the state’s youth prison.

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What goes on at the state Department of Justice stays in the state Department of Justice. So says Attorney General Brad Schimel. On Aug. 10, staffers at his agency were sent an email instructing them to sign a nondisclosure agreement barring them from revealing any confidential information about their work — not just during their time in office but even after they leave the state.

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Democratic attorney general candidate Josh Kaul said Thursday he thinks current Wisconsin Attorney General Brad Schimel has passed on filing lawsuits that would help Wisconsin consumers. Kaul has been vocal about his opposition to Schimel getting the state involved in a lawsuit challenging the Affordable Care Act, but on Thursday he outlined a few instances in which he believes Schimel should’ve taken action.

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