♪ Kentucky.
State Treasurer Allison Ball is in her second and final term in that office next to run for state auditor will talk to her about her accomplishments as the state purse holder and why she chose the auditor's office says her next political percent.
>> That's now on connections.
♪ ♪ ♪ Thank you for joining us for connections today.
I'm Renee Shaw.
So good to be back here in our studio for connections.
And we're glad to have state Treasurer Allison Ball with us who, as I said is in her second and final term.
And she's got some new things on the horizon.
We're going to talk to her about that and her accomplishments as state treasurer.
So it's good to see you.
Treasure Hall.
Thank you very much.
Great to be here.
Yes, I think the last time we talked to there was a big women's empowerment conference, financial empowerment.
So we'll talk a little about those efforts and your accomplishments.
>> But I want to start by why you chose the auditor's office.
Sure will avoid the trap.
My job as the state treasurer as the watchdog of taxpayer dollars.
And I was a bankruptcy attorney before I was treasurer.
So I love fixing financial problems.
Love and good steward of money.
A financial literacy is what I want.
My hot buttons.
So it's a natural fit to go to the auditor's office.
I am term limits.
I can't stay in the treasurer's office, but it's been a wonderful privilege.
It's been an honor to serve in that role.
And I want to KET serving Kentucky and the honorees is a natural next step is actually a deeper dive into Kentucky's finances.
I was a prosecutor for several years before treasure and has kind of prosecutorial aspect to it.
So I think I'm I'm a good fit for it.
And I would love to serve in that role.
Right is interesting because I would Kidd auditor Mike Harmon about the fact that what you say you're the watchdog with in terms of Ball says she's the watchdog.
So who's the real watch?
>> First one to ever use the term So he okay.
So we know words start.
Yeah, you can climb But yeah, he's always been QVC says on the front of the the wall.
That's right.
He says he's the backup tonight.
I'm not going to say on the back and watch it is part of that watchdog role.
Yeah.
And many people think because, you know, you were in the year 2 previous elections, you are the top vote getter.
So why not go for what people consider the brass ring for governor?
I mean, the so many of your comrades are doing it.
We do.
It's something I really did and maybe at some point I will go for a governor's Ron.
But >> I prayed through it.
Our person of faith, as you know, and are really did try to seek God's direction.
And I felt like the auditor was the right next step for this point in my life.
I love serving Kentucky.
I do love serving a relation of finances.
So so it's a good fit.
But yeah, we did consider in in the course of the family decision to my husband and I really talk through.
We've got 2 small kids at home.
We've got to just turn for the just turned one.
And so the timing wasn't right for that, but other role.
And but but I'm excited about serving our.
I think it will be a good fit.
Yeah.
And so are you getting any advice from the current officeholder how to run for the office of how to win it and then had to do it.
So I'll take advice from anybody.
I love to learn what people have have gone through that actually talked to auditors on on both sides.
The aisle.
They all give me what their experience has been like.
And it's good to know.
You know, what did they do?
What has worked well, and of course, some of my own stamp on it, which I'm excited to do.
Well, people do question like, what does the auditor of public accounts really do this?
Well, that the best thing I can say is it it does what it sounds like.
It is the auditor.
So it does review expenditures and make sure that money is being used the right way.
So, you know, as treasurer, my job has always been to make sure that the money, the money that's going out of my office is in line with the law is correct.
And I a check on a fraud.
A check on cybersecurity.
And the Otter is that next level and has that deeper dive?
And and it's even more significant in terms of watchdog, I think in many ways because it make sure the money has been used the way it supposed to be used and sometimes that means some people might go to jail or there's repercussions so it's a pretty serious role, has some teeth to it.
And having been a you know, I'm used to doing roles like that.
Yeah.
For many years there were attempts to abolish the office of state treasurer.
But then when the Republican claimed it those same to be silenced.
>> So now do you as someone who's occupied that office for of 7, almost 7 years?
I mean, how do you view the the word than us in the value of the office?
Well, I've always thought it was a worthy role.
that's one thing I want to do while serving in that role.
I am serving in that role was to show everybody what the officer is supposed to do.
>> And I don't think you hear very much about eliminating office anymore because I think people have seen it does have a purpose.
It has a very valuable purpose.
And and I hope that will continue for the future.
People will see that and want to run for that role because of that and not just absorb underneath the finance administration cabinet and the governor's executive branch, right?
Because if you make it a point of addition, it's no longer a watchdog role.
It really is just a bookkeeper.
And that's what people said beforehand.
This.
It just kind of a book keeper into computer type role but, you know, I have I use the role in a very significant way.
I've stopped expenditures when they weren't in line with the law.
And I have caught fraud at a cost.
Cyber security fraud have caught embezzle Mundt things are really don't believe it happened.
But for the fact that it wasn't elected role accountable to the people and to that job seriously.
So so I'm excited about a successor continuing on what that's supposed to be.
I'm interested in who you've consulted because I I can name a few auditors off the top of my head.
And you said from both sides of the aisle.
So what's the best piece of advice they given you so far?
>> You know, everyone has told me that this is a good government role.
That's what I've always thought.
It is about efficiency.
It's about accountability.
And who wouldn't love that.
If you love public service who in love taking on a good government role, it helps local governments be better.
It helps the state be better.
So so I'm I'm excited, very eager to get my hands on something like that.
>> Are you surprised how soon a 2023 race starts?
Yes, absolutely.
So when I run for treasure, the first time.
>> I got out about a year and a half early a year before the primary.
>> And I thought, oh, my goodness, this is so early, I had come out about the same amount of time for for this role, even though I've now had 2 elections will be my 3rd election cycle.
people are more interested.
I think they've ever been.
And who serves in elected role in Kentucky.
there's more competition, at least from from my side of the aisle is more competition.
There's ever been.
you got to get your name out there early and tell everybody this is what you're seeking.
Right.
And you've got to raise the right?
Is that is that the worst part of running for elected office?
It is probably the worst part of running for elected office because it would be nice if you just go around shaking hands and tell you what your vision is.
And that's great.
Of course, I have a day job.
Got to be treasure, too.
So it's all those things go hand in hand.
But you have to ask people for money unless you are independently wealthy, which I'm not.
And, you know, as a young person still, I have to I have earned the point yet where I don't have to worry about asking people for money.
I've got to do that.
But I think there's a by element to that, too.
That's very because you've got to convince people that you are worthwhile investing in your vision is we're falling besting in.
So while it is part of the worse part of running for office, it's something that I've grown to respect and appreciate because it does pull people in.
And so until we want, I think it's a great piece of ice.
Don't undervalue the $5 donation because that means they are really and that may be all a have and they're really in there for you.
The $1000 donation, the tension they made on that for everybody.
But a five-dollar donation there.
They're in there with you.
And you remember who's in there with you to that level.
So as those good things about it to him, so part one of the best part, your job when you can talk about how much unclaimed what you've been able to recover, 800 million dollars is time is at a It is is a great way for millions.
How much there is Yes.
Overturn 145 million while in office.
And that is a record.
So I'm very proud of that.
And actually going back to that question about.
>> If this was appointed role, I don't think it was appointed.
People would try very hard to get the money back.
You know, really, I don't think it was appointed because what we use that money to invest it while we've got it.
>> And we pay our state's banking We've got it.
So let me put it to good I got it.
But I also want to make sure that money is going back to people.
So also have a strong incentive being an elected person who cares about private property.
I was trying to get that back out.
That's why return more than anyone else?
Yeah.
I'm proud of the work we've done.
>> So if people are curious about where is this property, what is it was an unclaimed and and who would not claimants if it was rightfully theirs?
Sure.
Well, and there are a whole bunch of ways you could end up in the So it's unclaimed property.
It used to be called abandoned property in either word kind of helps people understand it.
I describe it as the statewide lost and found.
And like I said, there's a wide variety of ways that it could come to the It might be an overpayment on electric bill.
You put down a deposit on an apartment you to get you didn't get back.
It could insurance proceeds that you never got back.
It could be a relative a lot of time.
Someone has passed away and the state didn't know about it.
And so that's going go to the heirs.
>> Stocks of many, many times, it's stocks that someone who's just lost track of.
So there's a wide variety to usually cash and sometimes as an actual tangible item.
We have a vault in the office because we get the contents of lockboxes whenever they've been abandoned for a certain period time, they make their way to the Treasury's.
So, yeah, we've got a vault full all kinds of interesting things, military medals and baseball cards and a lot of things that might not be that valuable to have sentimental value to the family.
Yeah.
And it's my job to get it all back to people.
So so it is a fun part of the And I think it's a valuable part of the job because sometimes you're returning money that someone actually need to that point.
Now I So it's a great thing to do.
So you've got how much it's worth.
And you said the 145 million you re returned last year.
Yes.
So do you have any idea of knowing?
I mean, maybe it's too soon to know what you might get back out.
>> Around, you know, we kind of figured that at the end.
Yeah, because it comes in waves right now.
Actually a pretty good wave.
I think we at 1200 claims the last 2 days, which is all quite a lot of claims.
So they just didn't do it online or do they call you can do online?
One of the things that I have done to improve the offices that we have a fast tracking system, if it's a smaller amount.
if it's under a few $100, we can actually expedite We've simplified the process.
We always have to be careful out fraud because there are some people out there that that they commit fraud and happens all the time.
So we've learned how to be careful about that and make sure that's going to the right person.
So we have fast tracking, which means it's much, much faster and it's a bigger claim.
There's some more steps to it.
But that was the largest claim.
You also see any one individual or household.
We've actually had several in the We had one that I would love to talk about because it was a lady who passed away her heirs contacted me and we calculate how much it was.
One 0 million dollars in stocks that she had lost track of.
And I remember times particular county, I was actually be driving through the county to get to somewhere that day or the day afterwards, as I will drive this check to you and remember them telling me, don't worry about it.
Just put in the mail will get it.
We're not worried.
I thought, okay, this may be the reason why lost the 1.2 to begin but I'm happy to get back to you.
So, you know, we actually did put that in the mail and they they got out and it was okay.
but yeah, we've had some some pretty large ticket items right now.
I think the highest we have is about 700 and >> $50,000.
Just still a pretty large claim.
But yeah, they they can get kind of begin to get new ones in all the time.
So I was so people you least want to check this once a year.
because they come in and just never know.
Right is not like the hitting the lottery without playing the official lottery in some ways.
Yeah.
>> It's your money.
So that was kind.
I so how do you prove that?
It's your money.
So we have a process and it depends on the type of claim and we'll walk you through it.
I always tell people to go to missing money dot com.
You can go to the Treasury website but just go to missing my dot com.
That's a national database and it links to our information so you can you can print off the claim or if it's a fast track, you can do it online.
And there certainly is.
You have to show to prove your identity depends on the type of claim that it is but it's not that complicated.
And we've had some complicated issues.
While I've been in office, we figured out how to deal with each of them.
So so we're pretty sophisticated.
Now.
We know what to do.
We can help people out right out of state folks.
Yeah.
Recover this to out of state can to, you know, my favorite her Kentuckians, of course, right.
But you know, we have out of state folks that will contact us and they will have lost money in Kentuckyian we'll get back to you.
So, you know, I do want to get back to you.
Yours.
I want to go back to you.
Yeah.
Well, if you drop $5 and a railroad track, maybe otherwise.
It it very well could be.
Let's talk about I mentioned earlier about some of the work that you've done to help women the financially to empower them.
Yes, money, wise choices.
And and tell us about those efforts and why you felt like the state treasurer's office would be the perfect vehicle.
>> For that type of activity.
Sure.
Well, the state treasurer's office is the perfect vehicle for financial literacy.
Always and I practice bankruptcy law before I was treasures are really got to see that people usually are trained in this.
And there's all the studies that show that women in >> either aren't trained or they don't feel very comfortable with.
It might be for a variety of reasons.
You know, who knows whatever their background is.
That's led them to feel that they have less confidence, an area.
So I love to think about female empowerment, empowering women.
I'm always trying to encourage women to run for office and to take on greater leadership roles.
It's a big cause for me and because I care about financial literacy, you know, I push to get a high school requirement passed.
That's the lawn out something I've done a lot of work on.
I thought this is a wonderful cause.
A take on for women to, you know, I am a woman.
I'm a working mom and I know what Kuz is I have to make in their probably similar to this is that you have to make or other women have to make.
So we did a smart women, smart money conference.
I'd just for women.
Anybody come but, you know, is focused on women and we had women from Paducah Pike full all over.
We did it virtually which gave great access to everybody.
And we had over 600 women sign up for the conference and I know that made a difference in women's lives and it had all kinds of things too.
How to take care of your elderly parents, Hattie by house.
How do you start thinking about your own investments?
How do you teach the next generation about finances?
So we try to cover the gamut.
We actually a lot of things to focus on women entrepreneurs so women have been a growing segment of entrepreneurs, especially women of color.
And it's been hard for him in the last few years.
A lot of women have had to leave the workforce because of COVID issues and trying to come back in again.
So this was a perfect time to really focus specifically on women.
And it's a conference we want to do again.
It's a heavy Yes, it's virtual people underestimate how much has to go into that kind of endeavor?
Exactly.
And we wanted to be free because he didn't want anyone to be prohibitive for coming for any reason.
>> so that made it even harder to do.
But we have resources all the time on my We have a database that has training and fun items in our Financial Parma Commission, which I started has all kinds of resources for school and other This is something I'm always doing.
And I hope actually even in the future.
Because you're being a woman, I'm gonna continue being a woman and they are role.
I would like to be able to continue to work on on women empowerment including finances for for many years to come.
>> Well, let's talk about the another segment of population than to the young people who probably need a little booing when it comes to understanding finances and making wise decisions.
I mean, you are responsible for that legislation.
So we what's the feedback that you get from either school teachers already kids themselves about how much they're learning and the decisions that they're making that are better than they have.
If they didn't have this education.
Yes, great, great question.
>> it's almost universal.
When I talk about it, people say this is valuable.
Mike, we we need this.
We want this is valuable.
the current class right now, the junior class, by the time they are seen years, they're going to the first class.
It's going to require.
So kids are learning this all over the state right now.
But the official requirement is is not going to be until it got a whole other year and a half or so before.
That's not.
So it's going to be signed.
See as they go forward, what they're going to say when they actually get to be in that grown-up wife, how it's going to be able to them.
And I really believe is going have a generational impact.
But it's been wonderful to see already that the people are telling how eye-opening it's been.
It is interesting that when Stalin, Terry, it's almost always boys to take the classes.
So I'm excited about this saying, yeah, it is interesting and I've seen it across the board, but I think having it be a requirement, it's going to boys and taking it.
And we're already seeing more of that.
But I do believe this could have a generational impact.
You if you can learn these things early, you can really prevent all kinds of problems.
So I'm excited to get this going to do.
Yeah, that's interesting about the boys versus girls of a gender difference in that in the interest and that it making it a requirement.
What does that require for school systems duty would just in order to make and offering sure.
So we try to make this as easy as possible.
>> There are standards that you have to meet.
So we know there are certain things that you've got to learn and other things you would think about Juniata able to budget.
>> Yet to be able to live here in understand student loans, you know, that world is changing all the time.
But those are all things you have to know.
You have to understand mortgages, things like that.
So so they're standard things.
Everyone's got to learn with to make sure those things are met.
One thing that we really want to make sure from the commission's perspective is that every school had whatever they needed.
it can be a stand-alone course or can be incorporated.
We we actually made the law flexible in that area because not every place has the resources to have a teacher dedicated to it.
But the commission is about to launch a program that if you don't have a teacher on staff who's dedicated to this, we're going to have a program that you can utilize.
It's going to be the standards.
And that's going to be available.
So so that is actually in the next year going to implement.
It could be available to all over the state.
>> Well, as pivot, talk about some the governor's race because at the time we well, we don't know if they'll be another interest or 2, and it seems to never crowded field as the as the weeks go on.
We'll talk about the governor's race first and a lot of your colleagues who you share statewide constitutional offices with our in the running.
So I'm really curious about when you all go out for maybe cocktails every now and then what that Dana conversations, lights.
>> and you kind of are identified with the issue is that I'm friends with just about.
I am for that, everybody, everybody on the Republican side of friends and all of them.
So put you in a difficult position because I care about all and I'm proud of the work that they have done.
They're all strong leaders and the positive thing about that is that we're in a good place.
Estate.
You know, if any one of these people were to get elected, I have great confidence.
They can do the job.
And that's really what you want.
Ultimately.
So so how great is it?
Right now?
We've got a a quality field, a talented field.
It's a proven field.
We've got good people.
She's from.
Yeah.
Have to KET our eyes on it.
as it as it winds.
I do want to talk about the direction of the Republican Party and I don't talk about the influence of President Trump and the presents that he still even though he's not on the ballot in.
>> This year or 2023.
Certainly still is a prominent fixture and conversations and political discourse.
Do you embrace the policies of President Trump and do you believe that President Biden won that election fair and square.
>> So, you know, I am a conservative.
I'm a fiscal conservative and I are really try to be committed to leaving my office along those lines.
President Trump's policies were conservative policies.
You can see how strong the country was during that Kentucky went by and large for Trump.
So I think for the most part, Kentuckians feel that way too.
So so I think the Republican Party in Kentucky, it's a conservative party.
It's a party that believes in fiscal responsibility and how those things empower individuals, how they help the middle class.
So I think as a party week we embrace those policies will continue to push those policies.
All the individuals you mentioned a moment ago, her running for governor.
They all embrace those policies to.
So if you like those things, you want to see more of that.
This party, I think, is going continue to push for those things.
So the party embrace and a full.
>> Dudley, President Trump and ask for any help that he could give or do.
Do you desire to have some daylight between the president and the policies?
You know, I he's already a player in this elections and he's already done one an and.
>> Who knows what's going to happen the next year and a half.
We've got a lot of time between now and then and I don't I don't know exactly what he's going to do.
>> Would you want that for your campaign?
Would you want an endorsement from a President Trump?
I will take an endorsement from anybody and I've got a guy like that who has been so popular in Kentuckyian all season done so well, you know, there's a lot of good that can come from from those kinds of things.
But we know that there are some heavy duty conversations going on.
Treasure ball right now about top security, classified documents in his possession at his Mar-A-Lago.
>> Residents and things that could compromise the national security of this nation.
>> How do you view that?
>> Well, you know, I'm a big military background.
So I'm a big believer following the rules, making sure things are done the right way.
I do have great discomfort.
If I see a political power being used in a unfair or imbalance way.
And when I look at when I look at the FBI the first thing that comes to Hillary Clinton.
Her emails and it just gives me great discomfort.
Even great discomfort to see one person being treated one way.
And another person may treat a different way.
And you know, who knows what can happen between now and then the news breaks every day with something else.
Probably Everly every hour.
So I don't know what the big issue is going to be next year or in January, but I will say on that particular issue, it gives me great.
Great, great, great, great discomfort, especially as someone who reveres the Constitution.
The wants to do the right thing.
Follow the rules, do things the right way.
Treat everybody equally and it does concern me a lot to see someone in power using power.
Let's look at the film in a fit.
>> And so who are you talking about?
They're using power for their own benefit.
You talk about President Biden, them in the FBI in charge.
Ray was was appointed by President Trump.
Yeah, right.
I mean, and a lot of these people who are associated with this investigation and I think rain may not be the right word because there was a warrant.
So there was some heads up right?
you know, I think there's a lot of question outstanding about how much Republicans should embrace someone who could not just dereliction of duty, but it could be treasonous behavior.
>> Well, the strong language like I said, I'm a big believer in following the rules and follow the Constitution when the right things the right way and if you're talking about documents being removed, I don't know that qualifies as That strong, strong strong what should qualify as one.
That's always the kind of a legal question of what it does.
But it sounds like something very serious.
It sounds like something that that puts the nation in a serious danger, something to that level.
and and I'm not included in these conversations.
I don't know.
What would you vote for him again?
>> If you probably know me, absolutely.
I will vote for the Republican nominee because I believe in those conservative principles.
I think most Kentuckians agree with that, too.
I think we're a pretty united in believing those conservative principles.
talking about classified documents, if they're even there, I I don't I don't even know that they're But so for the sake of argument, if they were there, you have Hillary Clinton and her emails which were classified documents.
And again, this is what really concerns me.
You're treating you're not doing things across the board.
And there's also a level like there's a level of seriousness that I just don't I don't see.
I don't I there's a tremendously bad precedent of treating a President United States this.
Why?
It's a scary precedent and it does seem more similar to Banana Republic.
Type of response is where you don't honor in value people in leadership.
So the whole thing concerns me quite a bit in scarcely quite a bit.
So you buy the investigation should even go forward.
Well, again, I don't know what the details are on it.
I don't know.
They're not including me, but I will say that this whole thing concerns me deeply.
And it looks like someone in power trying to use that power in an unfair imbalanced way.
But if it turns out that things are substantiated, that there was nefarious going on.
>> Should he as a former president suffer consequences for that regardless of whether or not he's a Republican or not, if there was something, if there's something truly nefarious than I believe in the law and the law should be upheld.
Absolutely.
But I question quite a bit if there's something nefarious and it feels very political to me, right?
>> If you could pick who could be president from the Republican Party, a man who would be your choice.
>> Whoever's Republican nominee.
I'm gonna go for today.
You look to as a role model and the Republican Party.
>> Abraham history.
Yeah.
That's a great One thing I do love about our state is that we do have the wide gamut of Republicans really do.
We've you know, Leader McConnell and we've got Rand Paul and where we are the kind of state that recognizes the value that they both bring to conservatism and to leadership in our state.
So I think we're even kind of unique to that.
We don't have 1 one but we do believe in conservative principles and of those conservative principles work.
And if we follow them a benefit, everybody.
So so I'm going to just get kind of a broad answers that I think I'm like Kentucky.
I'm so proud.
The way we are in Kentucky is that we we do have that broad which really reflects what it means to be conservative in a Broadway.
Well, thank you.
Treasure Allison Balls been a great conversation.
Thank you for your time and your indulgence and good luck in all your future says thank you very much.
And thank you for watching connections today.
Make sure you tune in each week night to Kentucky edition at 6.30, Eastern 5.30, central right here on KET to see you again.
Take really good care.
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