Attorney General
Here's a look at documents from state attorneys general
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West Virginia Urging the DOJ to Protect Federal Attorneys From Political Groups Who are Weaponizing Bar Complaints
CHARLESTON, West Virginia, April 8 -- The West Virginia Attorney General John B. McCuskey issued the following news release on April 7, 2026:
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West Virginia urging the DOJ to protect federal attorneys from political groups who are weaponizing bar complaints
West Virginia Attorney General JB McCuskey is leading a coalition of fourteen state Attorneys General in fighting back against organized, politically motivated campaigns designed to intimidate Department of Justice attorneys and cripple the federal government's ability to enforce the law.
The coalition submitted formal comments to Acting
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CHARLESTON, West Virginia, April 8 -- The West Virginia Attorney General John B. McCuskey issued the following news release on April 7, 2026:
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West Virginia urging the DOJ to protect federal attorneys from political groups who are weaponizing bar complaints
West Virginia Attorney General JB McCuskey is leading a coalition of fourteen state Attorneys General in fighting back against organized, politically motivated campaigns designed to intimidate Department of Justice attorneys and cripple the federal government's ability to enforce the law.
The coalition submitted formal comments to ActingAttorney General Todd Blanche supporting a proposed rule that would establish a federal review process for bar complaints filed against Department of Justice attorneys.
"DOJ attorneys must be able to continue to enforce our Nation's laws without fear of politically motivated bar complaints or ethics investigations being filed against them. We have seen an increase in these unfounded complaints. " McCuskey said. "This lawfare has gone unchecked for too long and must stop. Yet our state bar and others have perversely labeled this modest effort to restore order as an attack on the law. "
There has been a surge in organized bar complaint campaigns by advocacy groups targeting DOJ attorneys for simply carrying out their official duties. Radical groups have collectively filed more than 90 complaints to shame attorneys and deter legal talent from working for the Department. It's a problem on both sides of the aisle, with former Attorneys General Eric Holder and Bill Barr, special counsel Jack Smith, and Justice Brett Kavanaugh, all facing politically tinged complaints.
The coalition supports the proposed rule that would give DOJ's Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) the right of first review over bar complaints filed against Department attorneys before state bar proceedings move forward. The rule will not eliminate state bar oversight. State bars would retain full authority to investigate and impose sanctions once OPR completes its review, and OPR would be required to disclose its findings.
Alabama, Florida, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Texas joined the West Virginia-led letter.
Read the letter here (https://ago.wv.gov/media/37699/download?inline).
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INFODOC: https://ago.wv.gov/media/37699/download?inline
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Original text here: https://ago.wv.gov/article/west-virginia-urging-doj-protect-federal-attorneys-political-groups-who-are-weaponizing-bar
Torch Electronics Agrees To Suspend All Operations To Avoid Prosecution
JEFFERSON CITY, Missouri, April 8 -- Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway issued the following news release:
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Torch Electronics Agrees To Suspend All Operations To Avoid Prosecution
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Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway announced that Torch Electronics, the largest provider of illegal gambling devices in the State of Missouri, has agreed to suspend all operations, effective Friday, April 10, 2026. This action follows an ongoing joint criminal investigation by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Missouri, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District
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JEFFERSON CITY, Missouri, April 8 -- Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway issued the following news release:
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Torch Electronics Agrees To Suspend All Operations To Avoid Prosecution
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Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway announced that Torch Electronics, the largest provider of illegal gambling devices in the State of Missouri, has agreed to suspend all operations, effective Friday, April 10, 2026. This action follows an ongoing joint criminal investigation by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Missouri, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western Districtof Missouri, and the Attorney General's Office.
"I am pleased to announce Torch Electronics has suspended all operations involving illegal gambling devices, effective this Friday, as a result of a coordinated investigation by my office and the U.S. Attorneys. Torch's agreement to proactively halt these operations signals clearly that there has never been a gray market," said Attorney General Hanaway. "While this is a tremendous step forward for Missouri, our office will continue to investigate and seek enforcement action against other operators, manufacturers, and retail stores facilitating this illegal activity."
Torch has notified its customers to stop all operations of these illegal slot machines by Friday, April 10, 2026. The Attorney General's Office and the U.S. Attorneys continue to seek a permanent resolution between all parties.
Missouri's laws are clear: It is illegal to provide access to unregulated machines and games for gambling purposes. This action is a part of Attorney General Hanaway's continuous efforts with local, state, and federal officials to hold businesses accountable for profiting from unlawful activity and creating spaces for lawlessness in our communities.
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Original text here: https://ago.mo.gov/torch-electronics-agrees-to-suspend-all-operations-to-avoid-prosecution/
State Grand Jury Indicts Woodbridge Police Sergeant in Connection With May 2025 Fatal Police-Involved Shooting in Woodbridge Township, N.J.
TRENTON, New Jersey, April 8 -- New Jersey Attorney General Jennifer Davenport issued the following news release on April 7, 2026:
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State Grand Jury Indicts Woodbridge Police Sergeant in Connection with May 2025 Fatal Police-Involved Shooting in Woodbridge Township, N.J.
A state grand jury, acting under the law that requires the presentation of fatal police encounters to a grand jury, has returned an indictment against a Woodbridge Police sergeant in connection with a May 29, 2025 fatal shooting in Woodbridge Township, Middlesex County, which led to the death of Aamir Allen, 35, of Carteret,
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TRENTON, New Jersey, April 8 -- New Jersey Attorney General Jennifer Davenport issued the following news release on April 7, 2026:
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State Grand Jury Indicts Woodbridge Police Sergeant in Connection with May 2025 Fatal Police-Involved Shooting in Woodbridge Township, N.J.
A state grand jury, acting under the law that requires the presentation of fatal police encounters to a grand jury, has returned an indictment against a Woodbridge Police sergeant in connection with a May 29, 2025 fatal shooting in Woodbridge Township, Middlesex County, which led to the death of Aamir Allen, 35, of Carteret,New Jersey.
After hearing testimony and evidence, the grand jury finished deliberating on April 6, 2026, and voted to indict Woodbridge Police Sergeant Marco Bruno, who fired a series of shots that struck and killed Mr. Allen, with aggravated manslaughter (1st degree).
"Every day, law enforcement bears the burden and responsibility of keeping the people of New Jersey safe," said Attorney General Jennifer Davenport. "My office is fully committed to prosecuting this charge and ensuring that law enforcement only uses deadly force when lawful and necessary."
Mr. Allen's death was investigated by the Attorney General's Office of Public Integrity and Accountability (OPIA), and the case was presented to New Jersey residents serving on the grand jury in accordance with the Independent Prosecutor Directive of 2019. The directive was issued following the enactment of a state law requiring the Attorney General's Office to investigate deaths that occur during encounters with law enforcement.
The investigation included witness interviews, a review of 911 calls, video footage captured by police body-worn cameras and a private security camera, photographs, radio transmissions, and autopsy results from a medical examiner. Evidence, including videos of the shooting, was presented to the grand jury. Following deliberations, the grand jury voted to file an aggravated manslaughter charge against the defendant.
According to the investigation, on May 29, 2025, shortly after 1:00 a.m., officers from the Woodbridge Police Department were dispatched to a residence on East Tappen Street in the Port Reading section of Woodbridge Township, in response to multiple 911 calls. The callers reported an assault with injuries during an incident involving a male, later identified as Aamir Allen, who had a baseball bat.
Responding officers encountered Mr. Allen, who was carrying a bat while walking in the roadway. Officers repeatedly ordered Mr. Allen to drop the bat. Mr. Allen did not drop the bat and began walking away as officers followed him from a distance. Mr. Allen stopped walking outside a closed convenience store in Port Reading, where he stood holding the bat as officers continued ordering him to drop the bat.
The defendant responded to the scene shortly after a transmission was broadcast over the police radio reporting that Mr. Allen had struck occupied cars with the bat. The defendant exited the vehicle and, after issuing several commands for Mr. Allen to drop the bat, fired six shots from his service weapon. Mr. Allen was wounded and was transported to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick at approximately 1:40 a.m. He was pronounced deceased at 9:21 a.m.
Today, video footage from body worn cameras, surveillance cameras, as well as 911 calls related to this fatal incident, are being released pursuant to policies established by the Attorney General's Office in 2019 to promote the fair, impartial, and transparent investigation of fatal police encounters. Investigators provided representatives of Mr. Allen's family an opportunity to review the recordings before their public release.
The recordings are available here: https://njoag.box.com/s/9l1izbzat13ixf9ylje8i8ux9yes8vq4
The investigation is ongoing and no further information is available at this time.
N.J.S.A. 52:17B-107(a)(2) requires the Attorney General's Office to conduct investigations of a person's death that occurs during an encounter with a law enforcement officer acting in the officer's official capacity or while the decedent is in custody. It requires that all such investigations be presented to a grand jury to determine if the evidence supports the return of an indictment against the officer or officers involved.
First-degree aggravated manslaughter carries a sentence of 10 to 30 years in New Jersey state prison, subject to the "No Early Release Act," and a fine of up to $200,000.
The charge contained in the indictment is merely an accusation, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
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Original text here: https://www.njoag.gov/state-grand-jury-indicts-woodbridge-police-sergeant-in-connection-with-may-2025-fatal-police-involved-shooting-in-woodbridge-township-n-j/
Okla. A.G. Drummond Acts to Defend Illinois River Watershed Settlements
OKLAHOMA CITY, Oklahoma, April 8 -- Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond issued the following news release on April 7, 2026:
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Drummond acts to defend Illinois River Watershed settlements
Attorney General Gentner Drummond today called on a federal court to quickly accept the hard-fought settlements totaling more than $31 million to clean up poultry litter pollution in the Illinois River Watershed. Every day without a ruling, he warned, risks unraveling agreements that took months of good-faith negotiations to reach.
The proposed settlements with Cargill, George's, Peterson Farms and
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OKLAHOMA CITY, Oklahoma, April 8 -- Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond issued the following news release on April 7, 2026:
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Drummond acts to defend Illinois River Watershed settlements
Attorney General Gentner Drummond today called on a federal court to quickly accept the hard-fought settlements totaling more than $31 million to clean up poultry litter pollution in the Illinois River Watershed. Every day without a ruling, he warned, risks unraveling agreements that took months of good-faith negotiations to reach.
The proposed settlements with Cargill, George's, Peterson Farms andTyson are uncontested, but the district court has yet to approve them or issue any ruling. Without such a ruling, the terms of the settlement are not in effect yet.
"Cargill, George's, Peterson Farms and Tyson did the right thing. They came to the table and worked hard to reach agreements that will deliver real remediation to the Illinois River Watershed. The court owes it to the people of Oklahoma to approve these agreements without delay," said Drummond. "The door to a fair and reasonable settlement remains open to the hold-out defendants, Simmons and Cal-Maine, as well. Their co-defendants found a path forward. They should too."
To protect the settlements, Drummond filed in two federal courts today. In the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Oklahoma, the State filed a notice urging the court to act on the pending settlements. In the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals, the State filed an opposition to a motion by the settling defendants that could, if granted broadly, allow Simmons and Cal-Maine to pause their own obligations in the case.
Drummond also put the district court on notice that if the settling defendants' motion results in any relief for Simmons and Cal-Maine, Oklahoma will have no choice but to withdraw all pending settlements entirely. Should that happen, all defendants - including those who negotiated in good faith - would be forced back into full, active litigation.
The State of Oklahoma v. Tyson Foods litigation was originally filed in 2005 to address decades of phosphorus runoff from poultry litter that has polluted the Illinois River Watershed. In December 2025, U.S. District Judge Gregory Frizzell issued a final judgment finding all defendants jointly liable and ordering a 30-year court-supervised remediation program.
Read the notice filed in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Oklahoma (https://oklahoma.gov/content/dam/ok/en/oag/news-documents/2026/april/405-cv-00329-GKF-SH%20Notice.pdf)
Read the response filed in the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals (https://oklahoma.gov/content/dam/ok/en/oag/news-documents/2026/april/26-5000_Documents.pdf)
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Original text here: https://oklahoma.gov/oag/news/newsroom/2026/april/drummond-acts-to-defend-illinois-river-watershed-settlements.html
N.J. A.G. Davenport Co-Leads Letter Demanding That Federal Attorneys Adhere to Ethics Standards
TRENTON, New Jersey, April 8 -- New Jersey Attorney General Jennifer Davenport issued the following news release on April 7, 2026:
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Attorney General Davenport Co-Leads Letter Demanding That Federal Attorneys Adhere to Ethics Standards
Coalition Files Comment Letter Opposing Rule Proposal by Department of Justice That Weakens Misconduct Discipline Process
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Attorney General Jennifer Davenport co-led a coalition of 22 Attorneys General in filing a comment letter opposing a proposed rule by the Department of Justice (DOJ) that seeks to limit state bar disciplinary proceedings related to
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TRENTON, New Jersey, April 8 -- New Jersey Attorney General Jennifer Davenport issued the following news release on April 7, 2026:
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Attorney General Davenport Co-Leads Letter Demanding That Federal Attorneys Adhere to Ethics Standards
Coalition Files Comment Letter Opposing Rule Proposal by Department of Justice That Weakens Misconduct Discipline Process
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Attorney General Jennifer Davenport co-led a coalition of 22 Attorneys General in filing a comment letter opposing a proposed rule by the Department of Justice (DOJ) that seeks to limit state bar disciplinary proceedings related toalleged ethical misconduct by DOJ attorneys.
If the proposed rule were adopted, the Justice Department may be able to request that state bar organizations pause any investigation or disciplinary proceeding involving DOJ attorneys. States that decline such a request may be subject to undefined retaliatory actions by the federal government.
"Attorneys must be held to the highest standards of professional and ethical conduct, not because of where they work, but because of what they represent," said Attorney General Davenport. "The Department of Justice is an institution built on the tradition that those who wield the power of the law must do so with unwavering integrity, independence, and fidelity to the truth. This proposed rule seeks to shamefully lower that standard. In New Jersey, we work every day to build public trust in the legal system."
The licensing and regulation of lawyers has been handled by the States since the Nation's founding. Federal law specifies that DOJ attorneys are subject to State laws and rules in the same manner as other attorneys in that State. This comment letter seeks to hold DOJ attorneys to that basic standard and pushes back on DOJ's attempts to circumvent that process.
Attorney General Davenport was joined in co-leading the letter by the attorneys general of Minnesota, the District of Columbia, and Colorado. The letter was also joined by the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Virginia, and Washington.
View Comment Letter (https://www.njoag.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Final_CommentLetterDOJDiscipline.pdf)
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Original text here: https://www.njoag.gov/attorney-general-davenport-co-leads-letter-demanding-that-federal-attorneys-adhere-to-ethics-standards/
Attorney General Brenna Bird Announces Lawsuit against Meta for Harming Iowa Children
DES MOINES, Iowa, April 8 -- Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird issued the following news release:
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Attorney General Brenna Bird Announces Lawsuit against Meta for Harming Iowa Children
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DES MOINES -Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird announced she has filed a lawsuit against Meta and several of its subsidiaries, including Instagram and Facebook, for breaking Iowa's consumer protection laws. The Attorney General's Office alleges Instagram represents itself as being safe for Iowa's children and teenagers, yet there is explicit content readily available. The state also asserts that Meta designed
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DES MOINES, Iowa, April 8 -- Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird issued the following news release:
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Attorney General Brenna Bird Announces Lawsuit against Meta for Harming Iowa Children
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DES MOINES -Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird announced she has filed a lawsuit against Meta and several of its subsidiaries, including Instagram and Facebook, for breaking Iowa's consumer protection laws. The Attorney General's Office alleges Instagram represents itself as being safe for Iowa's children and teenagers, yet there is explicit content readily available. The state also asserts that Meta designedInstagram to be addictive, particularly to Iowa youth, and that this addiction harms Iowa children by substantially affecting their health.
In addition to Instagram's addictive nature and design, Instagram tells consumers that it contains only "infrequent" or "mild" content related to things like drug use, sexual content or nudity, and other mature themes, leading Instagram to rate itself as 12+, 13+ or T for Teen (i.e., suitable for teens 17 and under). However, the lawsuit asserts Instagram allows rampant "sexual content and nudity, alcohol, tobacco, and drug use and references, and mature/suggestive themes on the Instagram platform, including readily accessible hardcore pornography." The platform has also been found in third-party investigations to promote or allow child pornography, sexual extortion of teenagers, and open dealing of opioids and other drugs.
The Attorney General's lawsuit seeks a preliminary and a permanent injunction to force Instagram to change or stop altogether its deceptive and unfair statements about the frequency and severity of drug and alcohol content, sexual content, nudity, mature/suggestive themes, and profanity on the Instagram platform; its inaccurate age-ratings in the App Store and other online marketplaces; and its deceptive public assurances in the Instagram Community Guidelines and elsewhere.
"Instagram says their content is safe for kids. It's not. And Instagram was designed to get our children addicted to it, causing harm to their mental health and physical safety," said Attorney General Bird. "What's worse, they know it is harming children, but deliberately continue to hide the truth from parents, saying it is safe for kids to use. As a prosecutor and a mom, I am committed to protecting the rights of all Iowans. Social media companies must comply with our state laws and prioritize the safety and privacy of all Iowans, especially our most vulnerable."
The lawsuit was filed in Polk County District Court.
Read the full petition here (https://www.iowaattorneygeneral.gov/media/cms/4_7D631E55C33E2.pdf).
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Original text here: https://www.iowaattorneygeneral.gov/newsroom/attorney-general-brenna-bird-announces-lawsuit-against-meta-for-harming-iowa-children/
Ariz. A.G. Mayes Issues Statement on Warren Petersen's Referral to the U.S. Attorney
PHOENIX, Arizona, April 8 -- Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes issued the following statement on April 7, 2026:
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Attorney General Mayes Issues Statement on Warren Petersen's Referral to the US Attorney
Attorney General Mayes today issued the following statement in response to Warren Petersen's referral to the US Attorney:
Despite multiple court challenges, investigations and audits that all showed the 2020 election in Arizona was conducted fairly, transparently and securely, Warren Petersen inexplicably remains an election denier six years later.
After wasting taxpayer dollars on the
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PHOENIX, Arizona, April 8 -- Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes issued the following statement on April 7, 2026:
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Attorney General Mayes Issues Statement on Warren Petersen's Referral to the US Attorney
Attorney General Mayes today issued the following statement in response to Warren Petersen's referral to the US Attorney:
Despite multiple court challenges, investigations and audits that all showed the 2020 election in Arizona was conducted fairly, transparently and securely, Warren Petersen inexplicably remains an election denier six years later.
After wasting taxpayer dollars on thelaughable Cyber Ninja's audit, Petersen again wasted Arizona's taxpayer dollar on a legal opinion that painstakingly tries to justify his failure to uphold Arizona's constitutional right to protect its voters' privacy. This is yet another example of Petersen desperately seeking favor from a president who cannot accept that he lost his re-election in 2020 fair and square. Arizonans will not be fooled.
Unable to win in court in their efforts to seize the private data of Arizona voters, the Trump administration is attempting an end run around the rulings against them in these cases by weaponizing the federal grand jury process. It won't work.
But make no mistake -- this is not about 2020. This is about laying the groundwork to deny the results of the 2026 election if they don't go their way. No matter what Warren Petersen or the Trump administration have to say, I took an oath to uphold our Constitution and defend our elections and I will not be deterred from doing so.
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Original text here: https://www.azag.gov/press-release/attorney-general-mayes-issues-statement-warren-petersens-referral-us-attorney
