Attorney General: Steve Kim

Political affiliation: Republican

City: No response

Marital status: Married

Occupation/Firm name: Attorney/Rosenberg, Kim and Jiminez, Ltd.

Campaign HQ address: 2723 w. Devon Chicago, IL 60659

Campaign website: stevekimforag.com

What is your campaign budget- No response

What do you consider to be the most important roles and responsibilities of this office-

As the office responsible for protecting the interests of the people of Illinois, I would make fighting corruption a key role by forming a public corruption division that is strong and effective. Corruption is hurting all Illinois residents financially. In fact, the University of Illinois at Chicago recently reported that corruption in Illinois costs over $500 million per year. Based on prosecution costs and estimates that 5 percent of State contracts go to the politically connected, that equals to $109 per family.

Another critical role is for this office is to be a true leader on criminal justice. Crime rates are rising in the bad economy, yet police and prosecutor resources are being slashed as governments deal with shrinking budgets. That means more is slipping through the cracks. There's no one out there to pick up the slack, no support service or one-stop shop that says, "We are smart on crime, and we are not going to put up with this." The Illinois Attorney General's office can play more of that role.

Lastly, I believe the office needs to create a regulatory atmosphere in Illinois that is good for small business...a legal environment that creates jobs, rather than a myriad of complex regulatory rules that burdens small businesses.

What are your top priorities for the office- For challengers, would you move in a direction different than the course set by Attorney General Lisa Madigan-

As stated in the question above, my top priorities would be 1) fight corruption to protect Illinois residents, 2) work with local law enforcement to investigate and prosecute MAJOR crimes, and 3) create a legal and regulatory climate that allows our small businesses to grow and hire. The key distinction from the current Attorney General is to make fighting public corruption the number one priority. Not only of the direct financial impact of public corruption but we need to understand the incredible negative image that public corruption has on the State of Illinois. The corruption cases of both Governors Blagojevich and Ryan are top news stories not just in Illinois but also nationally and even internationally. Business executives from Illinois and cities all over the world hesitate to open facilities in Illinois because they choose not to go to Illinois with its corruption problems when they can go to 49 other States without the stain of corruption. Until we repair our credibility problem, jobs will continue to leave Illinois.

Given the state's budget crisis, what would you cut or scale back in the AG's office-

As Attorney General, I would do a top to bottom audit of the office to get an accurate sense of where the money is being spent. One area where I think the office may be able to cut back is the Attorney General's role in representing the State in court in civil actions. I can think of many times where the Attorney General is representing State agencies on issues that seem a bit trivial -- such as personnel disputes like when former Governor Blagojevich was being sued constantly over job moves. I would propose shifting more of those agency specific legal representation duties to the agencies themselves. What's really more important for the Attorney General to be doing -- representing a State agency over an employee's problem with management or helping Chicago get a better handle on a strategy for reducing violent gun crime-

Do you favor statewide grand jury authority for the AG's office-

The office needs to do more in fighting corruption and be a leader in reducing the growing violence problem in our urban areas. I would look into supporting statewide grand jury authority for the AG's office but would only support limited uses of this authority.

Should the AG's office have a legislative agenda and take the lead in lobbying in Springfield-

The Attorney General is not a legislator and should leave the job of making laws in the hands of our elected legislators. However, the Attorney General should advocate and work with legislators on critical legislation such as stronger ethics laws and legislation protecting our senior citizens, disabled citizens, children and small businesses.

Should the Legislature make any changes to the campaign finance law passed in 2009- Would you support capping donations from party leaders during general elections-

The campaign finance law passed in 2009 is very weak, and I believe does not go far enough. I would support capping donations from party leaders during general elections so that the power is taken away from the party leaders and given directly to the people. The ability of party leaders to dole out so much campaign money to their candidates has created an atmosphere of abuse where individual legislators become beholden to their leaders. People elect the legislators and therefore the legislators should be beholden to the voters...not the party leaders.

What can be done to strengthen implementation of the new FOIA law- New legislation has exempted performance evaluations of public employees and public school teachers and administrators. Do you support these changes or would you push to reverse them-

FOIA is a critical law that allows all Illinoisans to receive public information...this legislation is crucial to our democracy and having an informed public. My one concern is over burdening our municpalities with an extremely short time period of responding to a FOIA request. During this period of budgetary constraints for our municipalities, we should balance the important need for the people to receive information in a timely manner and the limitations of our local governments, whose most crucial tasks are to provide public safety and security.

I would advocate for the reverse of any legislation that exempts performance evaluations of public employees and public school teachers and administrators. Our government needs to start thinking like a business. In all private sector businesses there are performance evaluations for all employees...from the CEO to the receptionist. This standard should apply for public employees and school teachers and administrators. This will hold them accountable to the taxpayers.

Under what circumstances, if any, should the Attorney General refuse to defend a state official, state employee or the constitutionality of a dubious state statute-

The role of Attorney General is to execute the law and not legislate. It is not up to the Attorney General to pick and choose what laws to defend. For example, I am concerned with Attorney General Madigan's recent resistance to defend the Illinois Parental Notice of Abortion Act. The Attorney General is constitutionally obligated to defend the law.

Would you move to reduce the use of outside legal counsel in the AG's office-

I would utilize outside legal counsel sparingly and only in matters where the legal issue is so specific to a particular area of law that only an expert can provide guidance. With the budget constraints we are all facing, the use of outside legal counsel will be done very judiciously and in a cost effective manner.

List your educational background

Loyola Academy High School

University of Wisconsin - Madison

Loyola University of Chicago

Loyola University of Chicago School of Law

Please list civic, professional, fraternal or other organizations to which you belong

Chairman, Korean American Coalition of the Midwest

Former Board Member, Northeastern Illinois University Foundation

Former Board Member, American Cancer Society - Northeast Division

Former Council Member, Illinois State Treasurer Asian American Advisory Council

Have you held elective or appointive political office or been employed by any branch of government-

Former Northfield Township Board Trustee