Other LanguagesAttorneys General Meet to Discuss Critical Legal Issues of State-Federal Concern
Park City, Utah – Attorney General Rob McKenna along with thirty-two other Attorneys General, their staff, and members of law enforcement are in Utah today as part of the National Association of Attorneys General’s (NAAG) annual winter meeting. Attendees will be hearing from new U.S. Attorney General Michael B. Mukasey.
“Attorney General Mukasey honored us today by choosing to deliver his first public speech to our association,” Attorney General McKenna said. “By choosing to address the state Attorneys General first, he has signaled his genuine interest in collaborating with the states on critical issues of mutual concern such as countering terrorist threats and combating violent crime. In his remarks, General Mukasey was very specific in his suggestions for increased state-federal cooperation in those areas, discussing criminal intelligence fusion centers and violent crime task forces as key tools.”
NAAG holds a management issues meeting for all Attorneys General each winter to allow Attorneys General to conduct the business of the Association, including the consideration and adoption of NAAG policy positions and to convene committee meetings.
"At our conference this week, we have been discussing critical legal issues common to all the states, including the tobacco settlement agreement and mortgage foreclosure crisis,” McKenna continued. “As Co-Chair of the NAAG Tobacco Committee, I am continuing our state's leadership in addressing the massive public health impacts of tobacco addiction. We made significant progress this week in moving the states forward together in ongoing negotiations with the tobacco companies to increase public health protections under the 1998 Master Settlement Agreement.
“Mortgage foreclosure scams are a growing concern to my office. We continue working to educate and protect consumers from such “rescue” scams while we coordinate with other states in actions targeting predatory lenders.”
Michael B. Mukasey is the 81st Attorney General of the United States. He was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on Nov. 8 and entered duty on Nov. 9. Attorney General Mukasey was appointed to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York in 1988 and served until 2006, the last six years as chief judge until his retirement. Following his retirement, he returned to Patterson, Belknap, Webb & Tyler, serving in the firm’s litigation group.
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