| Formation | 1907 |
|---|---|
| Type | 501(c)(3) nonprofit |
| Purpose | "The nonpartisan national forum providing collaboration, insight and expertise to empower and champion America's attorneys general." |
President | Ellen Rosenblum (D) |
| Affiliations | NAAG Mission Foundation |
| Website | www |
The National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization of state and territory attorneys general in the United States which therefore means that the United States Attorney General in the federal government is not a member.
NAAG is governed by member attorneys general, with a president and executive committee serving as the primary decision-making body. The current NAAG president is Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum (D). The president-elect is New Hampshire Attorney General John Formella (R). NAAG's vice president is Connecticut Attorney General William Tong (D), and the group's immediate past president is Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost (R). Maine Attorney General Aaron Frey (D), Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost (R), Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch (R), and South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley (R) serve as region chairs.[1][2]
NAAG finances itself on an annual basis mostly through dues from member offices. Annual dues are paid with taxpayer dollars. NAAG's annual budget is about $5.1 million, with annual membership dues accounting for $3.2 million of the group's proceeds.[citation needed] In addition, NAAG and its sister group, the NAAG Mission Foundation, have amassed over $250 million as part of companies resolving civil enforcement actions with state attorneys general. NAAG has lent millions of dollars to state attorneys general to facilitate investigations and lawsuits against companies and industries. Loans are repaid to NAAG when the case or investigation is resolved. For example, in the 2021 McKinsey Opioid Settlement, NAAG received $15 million (more than many states) to repay a $7 million loan. NAAG also negotiated a direct payment to itself in the 1998 tobacco settlement, which infused NAAG with $103 million, mostly from Philip Morris. NAAG also obtained $15 million as part of a $25 billion settlement with Bank of America and other mortgage lenders in 2012.[3]
In recent years the group has been accused of being increasingly aligned with the Democratic Party, with five Republican attorneys general resigning from the group since 2021. In May 2022, Attorney General of Kentucky Daniel Cameron led a multi-state letter to NAAG expressing concerns about the group's perceived partisanship. The letter said NAAG needs structural reform, greater transparency, and less partisan programming, and it asked NAAG to explain how its holding of capital from enforcement settlements is consistent with state constitutional and statutory restrictions.[4] In September 2022, twelve Republican state attorneys general and various consumer advocates called for NAAG to return its $280 million in assets to the states.[5]
- ^ "NAAG Leadership". National Association of Attorneys General. Retrieved 13 May 2022.
- ^ "Committees". National Association of Attorneys General. Retrieved 20 May 2022.
- ^ Fisher, Daniel (February 4, 2021). "Attorneys general take $15M from McKinsey opioid settlement for their professional association". Legal Newsline. Retrieved 6 October 2022.
- ^ "Eight Republican AGs Express Concerns About Perceived Liberal Partisanship at NAAG". JD Supra. May 27, 2022. Retrieved 6 October 2022.
- ^ Crabtree, Susan (September 18, 2022). "GOP Attorneys General Press To Return $280 Million to States". Real Clear Politics. Retrieved 6 October 2022.