Josh Kaul criticizes Attorney General Brad Schimel over voter ID comments and handling of rape kits

MADISON - Democratic candidate for attorney general Josh Kaul criticized Wisconsin's top cop Wednesday, saying he had made ludicrous comments about voter ID, had failed to test rape kits and hadn't taken action to keep the internet moving at the same speed for everyone.

Attorney General Brad Schimel last month suggested President Donald Trump would not have won Wisconsin without the state's voter ID law.

With those comments, Schimel had admitted the law was designed to prevent people from voting, Kaul maintained in his first news conference of his campaign.

"It’s an incredible admission on the part of our AG and it goes to show what’s really behind these laws," Kaul said.

Schimel campaign spokesman Matthew Dobler said the attorney general backs fair elections.

"Josh Kaul and his liberal activist law firm are actively fighting to dismantle current state law," Dobler said in a statement. "Voters need to ask Josh Kaul if he will defend current state law or use the AG's office to unravel laws he doesn't agree with."

Kaul is the lead attorney challenging the voter ID law and other election laws in a lawsuit brought by One Wisconsin Institute and Citizen Action of Wisconsin Education Fund. Schimel is defending those laws.

RELATED: Attorney General Brad Schimel suggests Donald Trump won Wisconsin because of the state's voter ID law

In July 2016, the federal judge hearing the case kept in place the requirement to show ID at the polls, but struck down a number of other laws, including restrictions on when and where early voting could occur. The case is now before the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago.

Kaul spoke at a Capitol news conference with U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan, a Democrat from Dane County.

Kaul attacked Schimel over rape kits, saying he had received millions of dollars to test them but hadn't done enough to clear a backlog.

“Despite that (funding), in his first two years, only nine of those kits in the backlog were tested," Kaul said.

"I think our AG should prioritize this issue on day one because what it means is that survivors who had the courage to come forward have had to wait longer than they should for justice and offenders who have committed serious offenses have remained on the streets when they should be in jail."

RELATED: State has tested only 9 backlogged rape kits

Dobler, the Schimel spokesman, said Kaul was inexperienced and didn't understand the forensic testing process.

"Josh Kaul is playing politics with survivors of sexual assault," Dobler said in his statement. "Kaul has absolutely no plan to to get these kits tested. These sexual assault kits have sat in evidence rooms for 20 years under the watch of previous attorneys general and when the AG took office he identified this problem and committed to having every kit tested in his first term."

Kaul criticized Schimel for not joining a lawsuit brought by more than 20 states over the Federal Communications Commission's decision to repeal net neutrality rules that had barred internet providers from blocking certain websites or slowing down access to them.

"With the repeal of net neutrality, small businesses have to choose between paying extra and having internet content relegated to an internet slow lane, putting them at a disadvantage against their big competitors," Kaul said.

Kaul said if elected in November he would seek approval from the governor or lawmakers to join the lawsuit.

Dobler called the lawsuit frivolous and said there was no evidence that people's internet access has been hurt by the rule change.