attorney general Archives

Racine Receives Legal Aid DC Honor

June 6, 2023

Former DC Attorney General Karl A. Racine received one of two Servant of Justice Awards from Legal Aid DC during its 33rd^rd annual dinner at the JW Marriott Hotel in Northwest on April 19.

The Servant of Justice Award is designed to “celebrate people who have demonstrated faithful dedication and remarkable achievement in ensuring that all persons have equal and meaningful access to justice,” according to the organization’s program. Legal Aid DC assists over 9,000 low-and-middle income Washingtonians with civil cases and has a staff of 90.65 of whom are attorneys.

Previous recipients of the Award include Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall (posthumously in 1993), former US Attorney General Eric Holder (1998) and retired founder and president of the Children’s Defense Fund Marian Wright Edelman (2016).

Racine served as the District’s first elected attorney general from 2015-2023. He gained national recognition for supporting District statehood, advocating on behalf of a woman’s right to an abortion, and aggressively pursuing companies violating residents’ consumer and civil rights. He currently works as a partner for the Hogan Lovells law firm.

“Legal Aid DC is a juggernaut in the public interest,” Racine said to the gathering of over 300 people. “At the Office of the Attorney General, we used the law to help vulnerable residents.”

The co-recipient of the Servant Award was David Dantzic, a partner with the Latham & Watkins law firm. Other awardees were Cozen O’Connor law firm associate Josephine M. Bahn for the Klepper Prize for Volunteer Service. Resident Farhana Chowdhury and the Asian/Pacific Islander Domestic Violence Resource Project co-received The Partnership Award.

Notables attending the event included DC Superior Court Chief Judge Anita Josey-Herring and Erek Barron, the US Attorney for Maryland.

James Wright Jr. is the DC political reporter for the Washington Informer Newspaper. He has worked

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Florida deputy solicitor general exits for Boies law firm

May 19, 2023

May 1 (Reuters) – A lawyer in the Florida attorney general’s office has left to join U.S. law firm Boies Schiller Flexner, the firm said Monday.

Deputy Solicitor General Evan Ezray has rejoined the firm’s Fort Lauderdale, Florida office as a partner, the firm said. Ezray previously worked at the law firm co-founded by prominent lawyer David Boies from 2017 to 2020, according to his LinkedIn profile.

Ezray said he stayed in touch with his mentor at Boies Schiller — Stuart Singer, who co-leads the firm’s appellate practice — while in government service. When Singer talked about him rejoining the firm, “that was something I was really interested in,” Ezray added.

“We’re building a breadth of knowledge about appeals, especially appeals in Florida,” Ezray said about the Fort Lauderdale office.

The solicitor general is the chief appellate attorney for the state of Florida and part of the Florida attorney general‘s office. Boies Schiller touted Ezray’s experience working on cases before both the Florida Supreme Court and the U.S. Supreme Court.

Federal court records show Ezray represented a group of Florida state lawmakers who were subpoenaed by civil rights groups challenging Republican-backed voting restrictions, including limits on ballot drop boxes. The lawmakers successfully quashed the subpoenas after they volunteered to turn over documents to the groups.

U.S. District Judge Mark Walker in Tallahassee ruled in March 2022 that the voting restrictions intentionally discriminated against minority voters. But the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Thursday upheld the restrictions.

Ezray’s arrival at Boies Schiller comes days after the Walt Disney Co sued Florida Republican Governor Ron DeSantis, accusing him of illegally using the state government to punish the company for voicing an opinion that should be protected by free-speech rights.

An oversight board appointed by DeSantis on Monday said

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GOP AGs ask Google not to limit anti-abortion clinic results

September 1, 2022

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — A month after some members of Congress urged Google to limit the appearance of anti-abortion pregnancy centers in certain abortion-related search results, 17 Republican attorneys general are warning the company that doing so could invite investigations and possible legal action.

“Suppressing pro-life and pro-mother voices at the urging of government officials would violate the most fundamental tenet of the American marketplace of ideas,” the attorneys general wrote in a letter Thursday to Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google and its parent company.

The effort was led by Republican Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares and Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron, and the letter was shared with The Associated Press ahead of its public release.

The Republicans took issue with a June 17 letter to the company from US Mon. Mark Warner, D-Virginia, and Rep. Elissa Slotkin, D-Michigan, which was co-signed by 19 other members of Congress.

That letter cited research by the nonprofit Center for Countering Digital Hate, which found that Google searches for “abortion clinic near me” and “abortion pill” turned up results for centers that counsel clients against having an abortion.

Some of these places, known as crisis pregnancy centers, have also been accused of providing misleading information about abortion and contraception. Many are religiously affiliated.

“Directing women towards fake clinics that traffic in misinformation and don’t provide comprehensive health services is dangerous to women’s health and undermines the integrity of Google’s search results,” said the June letter, which was authored after the leak of a draft opinion indicating the US Supreme Court would overturn the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling that legalized abortion nationwide. The court took that step June 24.

The Democrat-led group asked Google to address what steps it would take to limit the appearance of “crisis pregnancy

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BC Attorney General David Eby announces bid to become premiere | iNFOnews

August 27, 2022

money laundering at the Legislature in Victoria on Wednesday, March 27, 2019. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chad Hipolito” src=”https://infotel.ca/images/news/cp/photos/20220719180752-62d73662eab2e1cc399f9647jpeg.jpg?q=90″ /

BC Attorney General David Eby (right) and then-federal minister of border security and organized crime reduction Bill Blair speak to media following a meeting to discuss money laundering at the Legislature in Victoria on Wednesday, March 27, 2019. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chad Hippolito

Republished July 19, 2022 – 9:35 PM

Original Publication Date July 19, 2022 – 6:21 PM

VANCOUVER – British Columbia Attorney General David Eby has announced his bid to become the province’s next premier, saying he has secured the support of a large majority of New Democrat members of the legislature.

Eby’s announcement ends weeks of speculation as other high-profile New Democrats have bowed out of this fall’s leadership election, with the winner set to be announced on Dec. 3.

Premier John Horgan announced last month he would resign due to health reasons, following two bouts with cancer, paving the way for a new leader.

Notable cabinet ministers, including Jobs Minister Ravi Kahlon, Finance Minister Selina Robinson and Municipal Affairs Minister Nathan Cullen, have said they will not be vying for the top job, making Eby the contender to beat.

Eby is so far the only candidate running to replace Horgan, who has said he no longer has the energy to seek re-election.

In announcing his leadership bid, Eby told supporters at the Kitsilano Neighborhood House on Tuesday that more housing, affordable childcare and family doctors are needed for communities.

“Building public housing for middle-class families was something government never had to do when I was growing up,” he said, adding that’s needed because pressures in the housing market are pushing people onto the street.

He said rent-to-own, long-term

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Mail-in ballots continue to favor Bates in Baltimore state’s attorney race

July 29, 2022

Though thousands of mail-in ballots remain to be counted in the Democratic primary for Baltimore state’s attorney, early returns Thursday favored defense attorney Ivan Bates, who also came out ahead of two-term incumbent Marilyn Mosby in Election Day and early voting.

Baltimore Board of Elections staff began canvassing mail-in ballots Thursday morning, launching a process that is likely to take several days as staff members laboriously tally more than 20,000 ballots sent in by city voters.

As of Thursday evening, about 10,000 ballots had been counted. Bates won more than 3,700 votes, topping Mosby’s 2,100 votes. Thiru Vignarajah, a former deputy attorney general, won the most mail-in ballots on Thursday, with just over 4,000, but the votes did not make up for his third-place performance on Election Day.

The early tally did not bode well for Mosby, who needs a significant number of mail-in ballots to make up for Election Day’s results.

Baltimore State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby speaks before supporters and campaign workers at Melba’s Place on primary election night in Baltimore. (The Baltimore Sun via AP)

With all precincts reporting, Bates had 41% of the Election Day and early vote, while Mosby had 32% and Vignarajah lagged behind with 26%. Mosby needs about half of the mail-in ballots to go her way in order to secure a victory, a prospect that began to look less likely as Thursday’s canvass got underway.

As of Thursday morning, more than 22,000 Democratic mail-in ballots had been returned, or just over 50% of those sent out to voters. It is difficult to predict how many ballots are likely to return in the coming days, given the changes in voting patterns that took place during the pandemic.

In 2018, for example, the statewide return rate on mail-in ballots was about 70%, but in

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Kobach looks for comeback in Kansas after losing 2 big races

July 6, 2022

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas voters have said no to Kris Kobach twice over the past four years. But he is Still betting that this can be the year he makes a political comeback.

His losses, including a 2018 defeat that handed the governor’s office in this Republican-leaning state to a Democrat, might end other political careers. But Kobach, who built a national reputation as an immigration hard-liner while Kansas secretary of state, is now aiming for the state attorney general’s office.

He faces two Republican opponents who lack his star power. If he wins the Aug. 2 primary, an anticipated GOP tide in November may be enough to lift even wobbly candidates.

So far, the primary race against state Mon. Kellie Warren and former federal prosecutor Tony Mattivi has been mostly about the candidates’ backgrounds, their personal styles and whether they have the courtroom chops to win lawsuits against President Joe Biden’s policies on issues such as guns, abortion and regulating businesses.

“I decided to run for attorney general the day that President Biden was sworn into office,” Kobach said in the candidates’ most recent debate, having promised to set up a special unit focused on suing the federal government.

But Warren, Mattivi and their supporters want to make the race about electability, too — even if it seems as though any Democrat would be a weak match for any Republican, given inflation, gas prices and anger over COVID-19 restrictions. The Democrats are running first-time candidate Chris Mannan attorney, former police officer and former local prosecutor.

“Why take a risk?” said Alan Cobb, president and CEO of the influential Kansas Chamber of Commerce, which has endorsed Warren in the attorney general’s race. “There are exceptions to waves all the time.”

Kobach’s years of pushing tough immigration and

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State attorney general threatens jail for abortion providers – American Press

July 5, 2022

: Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry speaks during a Bond Commission hearing Aug. 16, 2018, in Baton Rouge. (Associated Press Archives)

Louisiana’s attorney general on Wednesday warned doctors against performing abortions, despite a judge’s order blocking the state from enforcing its ban on the procedure.

In a letter to the Louisiana State Medical Society, Attorney General Jeff Landry said that the state judge’s Monday order blocking enforcement “has limited reach” and abortion has been a crime since Friday’s decision giving states the power to outlaw abortions.

“It is incumbent on this office to advise you that any medical provider who would perform or has performed an elective abortion after the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs is jeopardizing his or her liberty and medical license,” Landry wrote, referencing the Friday decision.

Friday’s high court decision has set off legal battles in multiple states where lawmakers have sought to ban or restrict abortion.

Kentucky’s two abortion clinics asked a judge Wednesday to issue a temporary restraining order to block a state law that took effect after Friday’s US Supreme Court ruling. Attorneys for a Louisville clinic argued that Kentucky’s constitution allows for abortion. They said one of the clinics has turned away about 200 potential patients since the Friday ruling.

Lawyers for Ohio abortion providers asked that the state’s Supreme Court on Wednesday to use its powers to overturn a ban on abortions at the first detectable “fetal heartbeat.” The American Civil Liberties Union, Planned Parenthood Federation of America and others argued the law violates the Ohio Constitution’s broad protections of individual liberty.

A challenge to West Virginia’s abortion ban was announced Wednesday by the ACLU of that state. The organization said it was joining others in filing the suit in Kanawha County Circuit Court on behalf of Women’s Health Center of West

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Former official disputes North Dakota attorney general’s telling of building cost overrun; state auditor to review | Govt-and-politics

July 5, 2022

Key players connected to a $1.8 million construction cost overrun on a building leased by the North Dakota Attorney General’s Office dispute when top officials were made aware of the project’s overages and whether they properly handled the matter.

Former Chief Deputy Attorney General Troy Seibel told the Tribune on Wednesday that there was nothing improper or done incorrectly in regard to the building leased in south Bismarck to house the state crime bureau, fire marshal and lottery offices.

Attorney General Drew Wrigley told lawmakers on Tuesday that his late predecessor Wayne Stenehjem and Seibel were told of the issue in January 2021 but didn’t inform staff budget until June 2021. The issue predates Wrigley’s tenure.

Seibel attributed the overage to unforeseen material costs due to supply shortages, and said he notified the attorney general’s finance department as soon as he learned of the issue in spring 2021.

“I’m at a loss as to this idea that Wayne and I knew about this for months and never said anything to anybody, including our finance department,” Seibel said.

Wrigley sworn in — Attorney General Drew Wrigley

Tom Stromme

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Wrigley took office Feb. 9 upon Gov. Doug Burgum’s appointment of him to fill the remaining months of the term of Stenehjem, who died Jan. 28 at age 68 from cardiac arrest. Seibel resigned in March when Wrigley told him he intended to appoint a new deputy. Wrigley must win election in November to continue serving beyond this year.

Wrigley said he learned

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State attorney general launches investigation into medical data tracking

July 5, 2022

GREENVILLE, NC (WNCT) – State lawmakers are looking into possible privacy concerns with medical information.

Attorney General Josh Stein’s office, along with other state representatives, are conducting an investigation into a tracker using patients’ personal data. State Rep. Brian Farkas along with State Rep. Donnie Lambeth of Forsyth County wrote to the attorney general asking him to investigate when they became aware of the issue through a report called “The Markup.”

Farkas said the report showed that 22 of Newsweek’s top 100 hospitals use a tracker called Meta Pixel, which provides Facebook a packet of data when someone tries to schedule a doctor’s appointment through the online portal.

“It’s just, I think every North Carolinians deserves that access to privacy and care without having to worry about all of a sudden their advertising across their social media platforms is going to change and be a little too specific,” said Farkas.

Farkas said he hopes the investigation will lead to policy changes that will make sure there are clear lines when it comes to health care and privacy.

“We’ve got to, you know, make sure that no clear lines are drawn on what privacy means in North Carolina, and what patients should expect in this state. And frankly, I want us to be the leader in the nation as a state for personal protecting personal private information,” said Farkas.

ECU Health said they do not use the tracker, issuing the following statement:

“ECU Health is committed to protecting patient privacy and ensuring the integrity of sensitive health information. As part of this commitment, ECU Health does not use data tracking tools like Meta Pixel on any of out patient portals.”

The report named Novant Health, which runs 14 medical centers in cities like Winston-Salem and Charlotte, as using the

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attorney general

Racine Receives Legal Aid DC Honor

Florida deputy solicitor general exits for Boies law firm

GOP AGs ask Google not to limit anti-abortion clinic results

BC Attorney General David Eby announces bid to become premiere | iNFOnews

Mail-in ballots continue to favor Bates in Baltimore state’s attorney race

Kobach looks for comeback in Kansas after losing 2 big races

State attorney general threatens jail for abortion providers – American Press

Former official disputes North Dakota attorney general’s telling of building cost overrun; state auditor to review | Govt-and-politics

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State attorney general launches investigation into medical data tracking

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