Pennsylvania Attorney General May Take Litigation Position Different from State Agency, Ethics Rules Apply
In Synthes USA HQ Inc. v. Commonwealth, 2023 LEXIS 230, (Mar. 22, 2023), Pennsylvania’s Supreme court affirmed the authority of the Pennsylvania attorney general to take a position in litigation different from that of a state agency, while also providing a rare analysis of the application of attorney ethics rules to attorney general practice. The…
Attorneys General Call on Congress to Pass the Combating Illicit Xylazine Act
Washington, D.C. – The National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG) today sent a letter on behalf of a bipartisan group of 39 state and territory attorneys general calling on Congressional leadership to pass the Combating Illicit Xylazine Act (H.R.1839/S.993). This Act would provide critical measures to combat the widespread illicit use and trafficking of xylazine…
Attorneys General Urge Congress to Appropriate Funding for Legal Services Corporation
Washington, D.C. – On May 8, 2023, the National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG) sent a letter to leaders of the U.S. House and Senate Appropriations Committees urging them to allocate robust funding for the nonprofit Legal Services Corporation (LSC) in the FY2024 budget. LSC supports equal access to justice by awarding grants to nonprofit…
Attorneys General Urge Congress to Appropriate Funding for Legal Services Corporation
A bipartisan coalition of 37 state and territory attorneys general urge leaders of the U.S. House and Senate Appropriations Committees to allocate robust funding for the nonprofit Legal Services Corporation (LSC) in the FY2024 budget. LSC supports equal access to justice by awarding grants to nonprofit organizations that provide civil legal services to those in…
DC Attorney General May Not Be Deposed
The DC Attorney General’s office (OAG) sued the National Rifle Association (NRA) and its foundation (the Foundation), alleging that the Foundation violated District laws by allowing charitable funds to be used for noncharitable purposes, failing to operate independently, and placing the NRA’s interests ahead of its own charitable purposes. The NRA and the Foundation sought…
Plain Language: Lawmakers’ Preferred Solution
Plain language requires drafting documents so readers will understand the intended message. Nationally and internationally, lawmakers are turning to plain language more often. Legislatures, regulators, and courts alike are voluntarily implementing plain language into their operations or requiring plain language from others. As a result, attorney general offices face plain language on three fronts: (1)…
NAAG Announces Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost’s Presidential Initiative: ‘Serving Those Who Serve’
Philadelphia, Penn. – The National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG) today officially kicked off “Serving Those Who Serve,” the 2023 Presidential Initiative advocated by Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost, this year’s president of NAAG. Yost’s initiative focuses on enhancing attorneys general efforts to help connect soldiers returning home with timely and relevant services for successful…
February Consumer Protection Article of the Month: California Attorney General’s Victory in Mesh Case Becomes Final
This February, the U.S. Supreme Court denied a cert petition by Johnson & Johnson (J&J) in its appeal of a California Court of Appeals decision upholding $302 million in civil penalties for their “active, willful measures . . . to suppress information and conceal serious risk and complication information” regarding their surgically implanted pelvic mesh…
Attorneys General Call on Congress to Improve Federal-State Cooperation to End Human Trafficking
Washington, D.C. – The National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG) sent a letter this week to Congressional leaders informing them of an issue of grave concern with the National Human Trafficking Hotline. The letter, sent on behalf of a bipartisan coalition of 36 state and territory attorneys general, requested Congress’s assistance to preserve the critical…
Center for Ethics and Public Integrity Newsletter: February 2023
CEPI RESOURCES The U.S. Department of Justice’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section (MLARS) Training Unit is offering a Financial Investigations Fundamentals Seminar Remote Series from February 28 to March 2, 2023. Nine remote webinars will cover a variety of topics. The program is available only to government attorneys and members of law enforcement. MLARS…
