Attorney General
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Update: N.J. Attorney General's Office Releases Video Footage and Radio Communications From September 28, 2025 Fatal Crash in North Bergen, N.J.
TRENTON, New Jersey, Jan. 14 -- The New Jersey Attorney General Office of Public Integrity and Accountability issued the following news release:
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UPDATE: Attorney General's Office Releases Video Footage and Radio Communications from September 28, 2025 Fatal Crash in North Bergen, N.J.
The Attorney General's Office of Public Integrity and Accountability (OPIA) today released video footage and radio recordings related to a fatal vehicle crash that occurred on September 28, 2025, in North Bergen, New Jersey. The civilian drivers who died during the incident were previously identified as Joseph
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TRENTON, New Jersey, Jan. 14 -- The New Jersey Attorney General Office of Public Integrity and Accountability issued the following news release:
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UPDATE: Attorney General's Office Releases Video Footage and Radio Communications from September 28, 2025 Fatal Crash in North Bergen, N.J.
The Attorney General's Office of Public Integrity and Accountability (OPIA) today released video footage and radio recordings related to a fatal vehicle crash that occurred on September 28, 2025, in North Bergen, New Jersey. The civilian drivers who died during the incident were previously identified as JosephAziz, 20, of Jersey City, and Bryan Rivera, 24, of North Bergen.
The fatal collision is under investigation by OPIA. The recordings are being released pursuant to policies established by the Attorney General's Office in 2019 designed to promote the fair, impartial, and transparent investigation of fatal police encounters. Representatives of the families of Mr. Aziz and Mr. Rivera were given an opportunity to review the recordings prior to their public release.
According to the preliminary investigation, North Bergen Police Lieutenant Jason Appello was driving northbound on Tonnelle Avenue in a marked police vehicle and made a U-turn near 70th Street and Tonnelle Avenue and started to travel southbound on Tonnelle Avenue. He activated the vehicle's emergency lights and began following a Honda Accord driven by Mr. Aziz after the Accord was allegedly involved in a traffic violation at the intersection of 69th Street and Tonnelle Avenue. Mr. Aziz fled southbound on Tonnelle Avenue at a high speed. In two separate instances, Mr. Aziz passed several vehicles in the southbound lane and drove into the northbound lanes of oncoming traffic. In the last instance, in the area of 51st Street and Tonnelle Avenue, Mr. Aziz continued driving in the oncoming lane of traffic.
At the same time, an uninvolved Toyota Corolla driven by Mr. Rivera and occupied by three passengers was travelling in the northbound lane of Tonnelle Avenue. At approximately 11:18 p.m., the Accord collided with Mr. Rivera's Toyota Corolla on Tonnelle Avenue, between 50th and 51st streets. Mr. Aziz and Mr. Rivera were seriously injured in the collision and were later pronounced deceased. One passenger in the Accord and three passengers in the Corolla were all taken to a hospital for treatment. The investigation later determined that the Honda Accord driven by Mr. Aziz was a stolen vehicle.
The recordings are available here: https://njoag.box.com/s/8ebncmqexyrh4onesjof2knfcjzlgj53
An ongoing investigation is being conducted by OPIA into this incident, and no further information is available at this time.
A 2019 law, 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.
The investigation is ongoing and no further information is being released at this time.
Further information about how fatal police encounters are investigated in New Jersey under the Independent Prosecutor Directive can be found here: https://www.nj.gov/oag/dcj/agguide/directives/ag-Directive-2019-4.pdf
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Original text here: https://www.njoag.gov/update-attorney-generals-office-releases-video-and-radio-communications-from-september-28-2025-fatal-crash-in-north-bergen-n-j/
S.D. A.G. Jackley Releases Official Opinion On Use of Campaign Funds for Childcare or Security Expenses
PIERRE, South Dakota, Jan. 14 -- South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley issued the following news release:
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Attorney General Jackley Releases Official Opinion On Use of Campaign Funds for Childcare or Security Expenses
South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley has issued an official opinion stating that childcare and security expenses directly incurred due to campaign activity or holding office are permissible expenditures from a candidate's campaign fund under current law and subject to statutory restrictions.
State Sen. Liz Larson had requested the opinion. Attorney General Jackley
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PIERRE, South Dakota, Jan. 14 -- South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley issued the following news release:
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Attorney General Jackley Releases Official Opinion On Use of Campaign Funds for Childcare or Security Expenses
South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley has issued an official opinion stating that childcare and security expenses directly incurred due to campaign activity or holding office are permissible expenditures from a candidate's campaign fund under current law and subject to statutory restrictions.
State Sen. Liz Larson had requested the opinion. Attorney General Jackleywrote in his official opinion that state law restricts the use of campaign expenditures to the following criteria:
1. A purpose related to a candidate's campaign;
2. Expenses incident to being a public official or former public official; or
3. Donations to any other candidate, political committee, or nonprofit charitable organization.
"Based on my research, childcare and security expenses directly incurred as a result of campaign activity or holding public office, which would not exist but for the campaign or officeholder duties, would be considered permissible expenditures so long as there is a clear nexus to the campaign or office and are not for personal benefit," wrote Attorney General Jackley. "The Legislature has the power to create and revise statutes and has the duty to clarify the relevant statutes if desired."
The advisory opinion can be found here (https://atg.sd.gov/OurOffice/Media/pressreleasesdetail.aspx?id=2987)
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Original text here: https://atg.sd.gov/OurOffice/Media/pressreleasesdetail.aspx?id=2987
R.I. A.G. Neronha Co-leads Coalition in Suing HHS for Conditioning Funding on Discriminatory Policy
PROVIDENCE, Rhode Island, Jan. 14 -- Rhode Island Attorney General Peter F. Neronha issued the following news release on Jan. 13, 2026:
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Attorney General Neronha co-leads coalition in suing HHS for conditioning funding on discriminatory policy
Attorney General Peter F. Neronha today co-led a coalition of 12 attorneys general in suing the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for unlawfully conditioning hundreds of billions of dollars in federal funding on states' agreement to discriminate against transgender people. Under a new HHS policy, recipients of federal health, education,
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PROVIDENCE, Rhode Island, Jan. 14 -- Rhode Island Attorney General Peter F. Neronha issued the following news release on Jan. 13, 2026:
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Attorney General Neronha co-leads coalition in suing HHS for conditioning funding on discriminatory policy
Attorney General Peter F. Neronha today co-led a coalition of 12 attorneys general in suing the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for unlawfully conditioning hundreds of billions of dollars in federal funding on states' agreement to discriminate against transgender people. Under a new HHS policy, recipients of federal health, education,and research funding must certify compliance with a presidential executive order that seeks to harm transgender people and impose rigid, unscientific definitions of sex.
"A year into this Administration and they continue to impose illegal conditions on federal funding; a colossal waste of time and resources on their part since we have yet to lose a case of this kind," said Attorney General Neronha. "A few issues are at play here. First, Congress has the power of the purse, not the President. It follows that discriminatory policies by the executive branch that attempt to condition funding and bully states into compliance are unlawful. Second, this new policy directly contradicts existing state law, in Rhode Island and elsewhere, which protects the rights of transgender people. This is yet another distraction from an Administration that would rather target marginalized groups than do anything to help the American people. It hasn't worked before and it won't work here."
This new HHS policy requires states, public universities, health agencies, hospitals, and other recipients of federal funds to certify compliance with Title IX protections, which it characterizes as "including the requirements" of the President's executive order redefining sex in a way that excludes transgender people. HHS has made this certification a condition of funding across the agency and has warned that recipients could face termination of grants, repayment of funds, and even civil or criminal liability if they are found to be out of compliance. The policy not only applies to new grants, but also to existing funding, placing ongoing programs at immediate risk. At the same time, HHS has failed to clearly explain what compliance requires.
The attorneys general argue that HHS lacks the authority to impose these conditions and is unlawfully attempting to rewrite Title IX through executive action and agency policy. The lawsuit alleges that the policy violates the U.S. Constitution by overriding Congress' power of the purse, breaks federal law by attaching vague and retroactive conditions to funding, and violates the Administrative Procedure Act by imposing a major policy change without notice or explanation. The policy also contradicts decades of court opinions and settled federal guidance recognizing that Title IX protects people from discrimination based on gender identity.
The President's discriminatory executive order conflicts with laws in many states, including Rhode Island, that protect the rights of transgender individuals. In Rhode Island, state law explicitly prohibits state agencies from discriminating on the basis of gender identity or expression (R.I. Gen. Laws Sec. 28-5.1-7) and prohibits state hiring practices and state educational programs that discriminate on the basis of gender identity or expression (R.I. Gen. Laws Sec.Sec. 28-5.1-4, 8).
This policy will have far-reaching consequences across healthcare and social services. Rhode Island receives billions of dollars in funding annually, a significant portion of which would be subject to the newly imposed gender conditions, and therefore at risk. Further, because these conditions are inconsistent with state law, Rhode Island state agencies would have to determine whether to reject the funding, to the detriment of the state, or to accept the funds at the risk of criminal action under the False Claims Act if the agencies do not comply with these certifications.
The coalition is asking the court to declare the policy unlawful and block HHS from enforcing it, allowing states to continue providing health care, education, and other essential services without being forced to discriminate.
Attorney General Neronha co-leads this lawsuit with Attorney General Rob Bonta of California, Attorney General Letitia James of New York, and Attorney General Dan Rayfield of Oregon, and is joined by the attorneys general of Colorado, Delaware, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, Vermont, and Washington.
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Original text here: https://riag.ri.gov/press-releases/attorney-general-neronha-co-leads-coalition-suing-hhs-conditioning-funding
New Jersey Traffic Fatalities Decline by Approximately 15% in 2025
TRENTON, New Jersey, Jan. 14 -- New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin issued the following news release on Jan. 13, 2026:
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New Jersey Traffic Fatalities Decline by Approximately 15% in 2025
Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin and the New Jersey Division of Highway Traffic Safety (HTS) announced today a significant decrease in traffic-related fatalities in New Jersey in 2025.
According to preliminary data, fatal crashes declined by nearly 16%, from 647 in 2024 to 547 in 2025. The number of people who died in those crashes - including drivers, passengers, cyclists, and pedestrians
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TRENTON, New Jersey, Jan. 14 -- New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin issued the following news release on Jan. 13, 2026:
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New Jersey Traffic Fatalities Decline by Approximately 15% in 2025
Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin and the New Jersey Division of Highway Traffic Safety (HTS) announced today a significant decrease in traffic-related fatalities in New Jersey in 2025.
According to preliminary data, fatal crashes declined by nearly 16%, from 647 in 2024 to 547 in 2025. The number of people who died in those crashes - including drivers, passengers, cyclists, and pedestrians- dropped by approximately 15%, from 684 in 2024 to 582 in 2025.
Pedestrian deaths fell by nearly 24%, from 230 in 2024 to 175 in 2025. Driver fatalities also decreased by approximately 15%, from 350 in 2024 to 299 in 2025. Motorcyclist fatalities in 2025 showed an approximate 40% decline, down to 72 from the historic high of 120 in 2024.
"The decline in traffic fatalities in New Jersey in 2025 is a clear step in the right direction," said Attorney General Platkin. "Targeted traffic enforcement, driver education, and engineering safety improvements statewide have all made our state's drivers and pedestrians safer. Our office works tirelessly to keep our residents safe on the roads. But there is still more work for us to do to drive down traffic fatalities, as even one traffic fatality is one too many. We will continue to take targeted action to drive down traffic fatalities in New Jersey."
"While we are encouraged that traffic fatalities in New Jersey declined significantly in 2025, each of those numbers represents a life lost and a family forever changed," said Michael J. Rizol Jr., Director of the Division of Highway Traffic Safety. "This decrease shows that our collective efforts are making a difference, but it also reminds us that there is still urgent work to do."
Preliminary data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) indicates an 8% decline in fatalities on the nation's roads during the first half of 2025. Encouragingly, New Jersey is among the 38 states and territories experiencing a decline in traffic fatalities during that period.
New Jersey saw a decline in fatalities in 15 of its 21 counties, with only Camden, Cape May, Morris, Hudson, Ocean, and Salem counties experiencing more fatalities than the previous year. Ocean County experienced the most traffic fatalities (63), while Hunterdon County had the fewest (6).
In 2025, HTS allocated over $20 million to various law enforcement agencies and strategic partners statewide, reinforcing their traffic safety initiatives. HTS remains committed to implementing a comprehensive highway traffic safety plan that combines high-visibility enforcement mobilization with educational awareness campaigns to maximize impact. These efforts were coordinated with law enforcement and nonprofit agencies across the state.
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Original text here: https://www.njoag.gov/new-jersey-traffic-fatalities-decline-by-approximately-15-in-2025/
Mo. A.G. Hanaway Issues Statement After Court Upholds Ban On Sex-Change Procedures For Minors
JEFFERSON CITY, Missouri, Jan. 14 -- Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway issued the following statement on Jan. 13, 2026:
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Attorney General Hanaway Issues Statement After Court Upholds Ban On Sex-Change Procedures For Minors
Today, Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway issued the following statement after the Court unanimously upheld the SAFE Act, Missouri's law that bans Medicaid from funding sex-change procedures and bans gender transition procedures for children:
"Today's unanimous ruling marks a landmark victory for Missouri families. By upholding the SAFE Act, the Missouri
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JEFFERSON CITY, Missouri, Jan. 14 -- Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway issued the following statement on Jan. 13, 2026:
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Attorney General Hanaway Issues Statement After Court Upholds Ban On Sex-Change Procedures For Minors
Today, Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway issued the following statement after the Court unanimously upheld the SAFE Act, Missouri's law that bans Medicaid from funding sex-change procedures and bans gender transition procedures for children:
"Today's unanimous ruling marks a landmark victory for Missouri families. By upholding the SAFE Act, the MissouriSupreme Court confirmed the legislature's authority to safeguard the health and well-being of our state's most vulnerable citizens.
This win sends a clear message: Missouri will always protect children from dangerous, untested, and experimental procedures. The Attorney General's Office will continue to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with parents, lawmakers, and communities to defend Missouri's laws and preserve the future of our youth."
Read the Court opinion here (https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/ago.us20.list-manage.com/track/click?u=55bd24fd8f5e7d3dc227d1072&id=5dbf92ca61&e=db9c683b19__;!!EErPFA7f--AJOw!Fnshe66K3MjfZNFcmLFDWDBucdjHKphuSMr7edmMIYg7rm6Fztl9GOGfxaFFUevR7k27Bl08UybTa7CYvsOraKam$).
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Original text here: https://ago.mo.gov/attorney-general-hanaway-issues-statement-after-court-upholds-ban-on-sex-change-procedures-for-minors/
Mo. A.G. Bailey Issues Opinion Letter to Secretary of State Hoskins on Fair Ballot Language for Congressional Redistricting
JEFFERSON CITY, Missouri, Jan. 14 -- Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey issued the following opinion letter (No. 1-2026) on Jan. 12, 2026:
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To: Honorable Denny Hoskins, CPA, Missouri Secretary of State, James C. Kirkpatrick State Information Center, 600 West Main Street, Jefferson City, MO 65101
Dear Secretary Hoskins:
This opinion letter responds to your request dated January 2, 2026, for our review under Sec. 116.025, RSMo, of a proposed fair ballot language statement for House Bill No. 1 relating to the composition of congressional districts (2026-R004). The proposed fair ballot
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JEFFERSON CITY, Missouri, Jan. 14 -- Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey issued the following opinion letter (No. 1-2026) on Jan. 12, 2026:
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To: Honorable Denny Hoskins, CPA, Missouri Secretary of State, James C. Kirkpatrick State Information Center, 600 West Main Street, Jefferson City, MO 65101
Dear Secretary Hoskins:
This opinion letter responds to your request dated January 2, 2026, for our review under Sec. 116.025, RSMo, of a proposed fair ballot language statement for House Bill No. 1 relating to the composition of congressional districts (2026-R004). The proposed fair ballotlanguage statement is as follows:
A "yes" vote will approve the act of the General Assembly entitled "House Bill No. 1 (2025 Extraordinary Session)," which redraws the congressional district boundaries.
A "no" vote will leave in place the congressional district boundaries enacted in 2022.
If passed, this measure will have no impact on taxes.
Pursuant to Sec.116.025, RSMo, we approve the legal content and form of the proposed fair ballot language statement.
Because our review of the fair ballot language statement is mandated by statute, no action we take with respect to such review should be construed as an endorsement of the joint resolution, nor as the expression of any view regarding the objectives of its proponents.
Very truly yours,
CATHERINE L. HANAWAY, Missouri Attorney General
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Original text here: https://ago.mo.gov/wp-content/uploads/001_2026.pdf
Md. A.G. Brown Announces That Federal Government Will Not Contest Order Blocking Unlawful Transport Funding Conditions
BALTIMORE, Maryland, Jan. 14 -- Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. Brown issued the following news release on Jan. 13, 2026:
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Attorney General Brown Announces that Federal Government Will Not Contest Order Blocking Unlawful Transport Funding Conditions
Pending court approval, case will be fully and permanently resolved in Maryland's favor
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Attorney General Anthony G. Brown today announced that the U.S. Department of Justice filed a motion to dismiss its appeal of the final judgment that permanently blocks the Trump administration's effort to unlawfully impose immigration enforcement
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BALTIMORE, Maryland, Jan. 14 -- Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. Brown issued the following news release on Jan. 13, 2026:
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Attorney General Brown Announces that Federal Government Will Not Contest Order Blocking Unlawful Transport Funding Conditions
Pending court approval, case will be fully and permanently resolved in Maryland's favor
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Attorney General Anthony G. Brown today announced that the U.S. Department of Justice filed a motion to dismiss its appeal of the final judgment that permanently blocks the Trump administration's effort to unlawfully impose immigration enforcementrequirements on U.S. Department of Transportation grants and other funding that amount to more than $1 billion a year for Maryland. By dropping its appeal, the Trump administration submits to the lower court ruling, fully resolving the case in favor of Maryland and the 21 other states that sued the administration.
"The Trump administration's unlawful actions threatened funding that keeps Marylanders safe and our State moving," said Attorney General Brown. "Our lawsuit protected the federal resources that maintain our roads and bridges, support public transit, reduce deadly crashes, and ensure people can get to work, school, and their homes safely. Those investments are essential to Maryland's economy, public safety, and daily life.
Maryland receives more than $1 billion a year in funding from the Department of Transportation to build and maintain vital travel infrastructure like the roads, highways, airways, and bridges that connect communities and carry their residents to their workplaces and homes. This includes the funding necessary to prevent fatal traffic accidents and stop drunk drivers; the funding to provide transit for seniors and those with disabilities; and the funding that protects and restores roads after environmental disasters like fires or flooding. Neither the purpose of these funding programs, nor the criteria that govern them, are in any way connected to immigration enforcement.
The Constitution is clear: Congress, not the President, decides how federal money is spent. And for decades, Congress has passed laws guaranteeing funding to states like Maryland to improve their roads and protect those who use them -- funds that the federal government generally has by virtue of the taxes it receives from the people of Maryland and other states. Yet despite the constraints imposed by Congress and the Constitution, the Trump administration attempted to seize Congress's power of the purse by imposing unlawful conditions on transportation funding. In doing so, the Trump administration violated two key principles that underlie the American system: agencies in the Executive Branch cannot act outside the authority conferred on them by Congress, and the federal government is subject to strict limits when it seeks to use the spending power to influence states to adopt its preferred policies.
On November 4, 2025, the district court issued final judgment in favor of Maryland and the states that challenged this unlawful conduct, issuing an order permanently enjoining the Trump administration from unlawfully imposing the conditions and vacating the conditions across all U.S. Department of Transportation funding programs. In issuing its decision, the Court found that the Trump administration has "blatantly overstepped their statutory authority, violated the APA, and transgressed well-settled constitutional limitations on federal funding conditions. The Constitutions demands the Court set aside this lawless behavior."
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Original text here: https://oag.maryland.gov/News/pages/Attorney-General-Brown-Announces-that-Federal-Government-Will-Not-Contest-Order-Blocking-Unlawful-Transport-Funding-Conditi.aspx
