Attorney General candidate Doug Wardlow talks sanctuary cities, free speech in Fox 9 interview

(KMSP) - Attorney General candidate Doug Wardlow stopped by Fox 9 Sunday Morning for an interview with Leah Beno. 

In the interview, Wardlow outlined what he hopes to focus on if he should get elected to the office this November. Namely, he said he wanted to take the politics out of the Attorney General's office. 

"I want to focus on rebuilding the criminal law division of the office and then protecting consumers," he said. "So, we need to make sure Minnesota is a place where people are safe, where they can operate a business and operate a farm and all those different things. It's very important that an Attorney General focus on those basic duties of the job. 

When asked about previous remarks of his calling sanctuary cities "dangerous," Wardlow stood by his words. 

"They are dangerous because every crime committed by an illegal immigrant in the United States and in Minnesota is a crime that’s 100 percent preventable. That person shouldn’t be here. So, it’s important that cities cooperate with federal law enforcement and respond to the requests for help and as Attorney General, I’ll work with federal authorities and local and state authorities to make sure we are enforcing our immigration laws."

Wardlow was also asked about his work with the Alliance Defending Freedom, which has been called a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center. He said that designation is a "gross mis-characterization" of the work he did there. 

"I'm proud of the work I did there fighting for free thought, free speech and free religion," he said. "It's a respected Supreme Court advocate." 

The Southern Poverty Law Center accused the Alliance Defending Freedom, for which Wardlow worked, of having homophobic and transphobic policies. Wardlow was asked if he stood by the beliefs of the work he did for the Alliance.

"I stand by the beliefs of the arguments I made with the Alliance Defending Freedom because I was fighting for free thought, free religion and free speech and those things are not controversial," he said.  

Be sure to watch the whole interview from Fox 9 Sunday Morning.