Before his scheduled appearance on the WHAS11 News at Noon, Attorney General Jack Conway spoke with me on a range of issues: identity theft, a special prosecutor for the Jim King/Katie King campaign contributions, the price-gouging lawsuit against Marathon/Ashland, the YouTube attack videos against rival Dan Mongiardo, and the state of Conway's own campaign and fundraising.

Identity Theft:
His noon appearance was intended to tout an identity theft shredding event scheduled for Saturday in Louisville from 10am to 2pm at Papa John's Cardinal Stadium.

"People just need to be more mindful," Conway said, encouraging people who think they are victims of identity theft to go to the Attorney General's website to get the necessary paperwork.

On appointing a Special Prosecutor to investigate Louisville mayoral candidate Jim King's campaign contributions to his daughter, Katie King's judicial campaign:
Conway says he has no idea how long such an investigation will last, but that he hopes it is expeditious. Conway also clarified what is being investigated, saying the statute dealing with the Kentucky Registry of Election Finance stipulates that if there is a "knowing violation," the case is passed on the Attorney General. But, because it was determined that King's contribution constituted a "non-knowing" violation, Conway's office would not pursue that question.

But, because there was also a criminal complaint filed in the case to Jefferson County Attorney Mike O'Connell, who had a conflict of interest because his office represents the Metro Council, and because Conway also had a conflict of interest because his brother "briefly managed" Katie King's campaign, Conway had his staff attorneys decide whether to appoint a special prosecutor in the case.

On price-gouging lawsuit against Ashland/Marathon: "We think we are going to get a trial date next year. We originally had one set for this fall, it's been moved. We're moving with discovery."

"Very gratified" that judge upheld the constitutionality of price gouging lawsuit.

On the YouTube attack videos against Senate rival Dan Mongiardo:

Because Kentucky requires only one party in a conversation to legally allow it being taped, Conway said "I don't see any legal implications" to the Mongiardo surreptitious recordings.

Asked if the YouTube attacks were unseemly, Conway answered indirectly.

"I don't know the circumstances of how he was taped. I don't know. I don't know if it was someone within his campaign, outside his campaign, so I don't really want to comment on where it was. It does bring into play where do you speak your mind? Can you ever speak your mind?"

But what if a Conway supporter is behind it?

"I would discourage them from doing that," Conway said, "I think the best way to support me is to support my campaign and what I'm running on."

Conway's Fancy Farm "I'm one tough SOB" speech gave him his own 15 minutes of YouTube fame. He says he's learned that anything he says can be posted on the Internet within minutes. And he says the Dan Mongiardo tapes teach an important lesson for all politicians.

"I think the working assumption for a candidate has to be you're always on the record," Conway said, "You're always on the record when you're driving around with your staff. You're always on the record when you're just talking to someone off the cuff at a picnic for example. You're always on the record."

On campaign and fundraising:

A "healthy" fundraising third quarter and the campaign is meeting its goals. "We're in the top tier of fundraisers throughout the country." Conway says he's excited about the Rasmussen poll last week "that shows that we're winning."

"We do have fundraisers scheduled for the last quarter of this year. It's a never-ending cycle. When I first ran for Congress in 2002, in the off year you reported June and December 31st. That has changed and you report every 90 days, so there's really no rest. You have to go on and plan your next quarter."

Conway says the 4th quarter is difficult because it practically ends December 15th as people break for the Holidays.

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