Latest news with #RepublicanAttorneysGeneralAssociation
Irish Independent
23-05-2025
- Business
- Irish Independent
Guinness maker Diageo funding powerful US campaign group fighting climate change laws
Multinational drinks company Diageo, which makes Guinness and other alcoholic drinks, is coming under fire from environmental experts after a new investigation revealed that it donated to a powerful US organisation lobbying against climate-change laws. Diageo donated a total of $25,000 (€22,143) to the Republican Attorneys General Association (Raga) in April last year, according to IRS documents analysed by the Irish Independent in partnership with the investigative organisations Danwatch and Point Source.
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Mississippi attorney general nearly collapses, is aided by Utah AG Brown during GOP tour of the southern border
Temperatures at the southern border in Yuma, Arizona, teetered at the 100-degree line on Wednesday, as members of the Republican Attorneys General Association leadership took a tour of the U.S.-Mexico border, described by the tour participants as hot, dusty and dry. Members of the association, including Utah Attorney General Derek Brown, were quick to respond when their colleague, Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch, appeared to become lightheaded from the conditions, nearly falling before Brown and others caught her in time. 'I am so relieved Attorney General Lynn Fitch is doing OK and we were able to help her,' Brown told the Deseret News. 'I'm proud to have her as a colleague.' Fitch's communications director, MaryAsa Lee, also told the Desert News that Fitch is doing well, as she managed to offer her remarks after the incident, though noting, 'The temperatures are well into the triple digits today in Arizona!' Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman, who was speaking at the time of the incident, emphasized that it's a 'difficult environment that we ask men and women to serve in every day.' During President Joe Biden's four years in office, Sheriff David Rhodes, who serves Yavapai County in Arizona, said America's southern border created 'the most difficult, unsafe, unsanitary, unreasonable time in the history of this country when it comes to public safety and national security.' He added that in those fours years, law enforcement spent countless hours in Washington, D.C., pushing for more aid, stricter legislation and policy enforcement, 'because we knew the one thing which has been true until the end of time,' he said, 'which is that when people believe that the laws are going to be enforced, they don't break them, and that is the only way that you're going to have a safe and secure nation is to enforce the nation's laws.' Rhodes' comments were made Wednesday morning in Yuma at the southern border tour and discussion with federal officials and the Republican Attorneys General Association. Much of the conversation centered around collaborative efforts between state and federal law enforcement to crack down on criminals who came through the U.S. border under the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's 287(g) program. As of this week, 'ICE has signed 603 Memorandums of Agreement for 287(g) programs covering 40 states.' One of those states is Utah, where most fentanyl distributed within the state is coming from the southern border. Brown said that though Utah isn't a direct border state with Mexico, it still faces the same issues. 'We have highways traversing our state, and when drugs cross the border here, they're in Utah, within a matter of hours,' he said, adding that Utah was just recently included in the United States Drug Enforcement Administration's largest fentanyl bust in American history. The operation targeted the Sinaloa Cartel. Federal law enforcement arrested 16 people and 'seized record-breaking quantities of fentanyl, cash, firearms, and vehicles across multiple states, dismantling one of the largest and most dangerous drug trafficking organizations in U.S. history.' During Wednesday's discussion, officials said that there is a significant difference between when laws are enforced and when they are not, as shown by the variation in the number of border crossings since last year. The White House posted that in October 2024, border crossings were nearly 60,000 in just one month, down to 7,000 in March of this year. 'It turns out we didn't need a new law. We just needed a new president,' Arizona Senate President Warren Petersen said. 'Under Biden's unprecedented open borders, America suffered from drugs, from human trafficking, from unprecedented crime,' he said. 'Now that we have the Trump administration, things have shifted. Instead of playing defense, now we can play offense and collaborate with President Trump as we help him to protect the border.'
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
KY's GOP attorney general travels to border to show solidarity with Trump crackdown
Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman speaks during a press conference with the Republican Attorneys General Association at the U.S.-Mexico border. (Screenshot via YouTube) Kentucky Republican Attorney General Russell Coleman joined some of his counterparts from other states at the U.S. border with Mexico Wednesday to back Trump administration efforts to bolster security at the site. In a press conference live streamed by the Republican Attorneys General Association, Coleman said the attorneys general heard in an earlier briefing that during the Biden administration, the border had an average of 1,500 illegal crossings a day, now down to an average of four a day — the result, Coleman said, of 'solid leadership' by President Donald Trump. Coleman pointed to Trump administration efforts to tackle smuggling illegal drugs like fentanyl across the border and thanked border agents for their work. In 2024, 1,410 Kentuckians died from a drug overdose, according to the 2024 Drug Overdose Fatality Report. While that report found Kentucky's overdose deaths have declined over the last three years, the state still has one of the highest rates of opioid use disorder in the United States. 'The lack of border security has resulted in empty chairs at kitchen tables, empty seats at pews and workers not clocking in in the Commonwealth of Kentucky,' Coleman said. Ahead of the press conference, Coleman said in a post on X that he and the other attorneys general are joining Trump 'to secure the southwest border and keep deadly drugs and violent criminals out of Kentucky.' Coleman led a coalition of attorneys general earlier this year asking Trump administration officials via a letter for greater scrutiny of an import pilot program, Entry Type 86. It allows small packages to enter the U.S. with minimal customs screening. A press release from Coleman's office argued the program could be 'used by adversaries and drug traffickers to flood deadly fentanyl into the United States.' The Republican Attorneys General Association, or RAGA, backs Republican attorneys general candidates across the country. Coleman, who was elected as Kentucky's attorney general in 2023, ran on national issues like securing the southwest border. Last year, he was among Republican attorneys general and Kentucky politicians voicing solidarity with Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott against the Biden administration over blocking U.S. Border Patrol access to part of the border with Mexico. This year, Coleman joined other Republican attorneys general in court to back the Trump administration's efforts to deport Venezuelan migrants. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
11-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
As Democrats regroup outside DC, GOP attorneys general adopt new playbook to defend Trump agenda
GOP state attorneys are taking on a renewed role during President Donald Trump's second administration as "freedom's front line," Republican Attorneys General Association (RAGA) incoming executive director Adam Piper told Fox News Digital, arguing that Democrats – deflated from losing control of both houses of Congress – are turning to left-leaning state attorneys to "undermine" the White House's America First agenda. Right now, there are 29 Republican attorneys general in the United States who are "uniquely qualified to be the tip of the spear, to be freedom's front line and be a foundation for the future and a foundation for freedom every single day," Piper told Fox News Digital. "These men and women are working tirelessly to ensure their states are the safest places possible. But they're also working tirelessly to defend freedom, to help President Trump to ensure the American people have the system of government they voted for, they expect, and they deserve one that is free and one that is fair." In Trump's first three weeks in office, Democratic attorneys general have sued the Trump administration on several matters related to the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). That includes New York Attorney General Letitia James leading 19 state attorneys in suing over DOGE leader Elon Musk's access to Treasury Department records. U.S. District Judge Paul A. Engelmayer issued a preliminary injunction in that case Saturday. Trump Has Higher Approval Rating Than At Any Point During First Term: Poll Democratic attorneys general also partnered with the country's largest federal labor unions to sue over Trump's deferred resignation offer that would allow workers eight months of paid leave if they agree to leave their jobs voluntarily. In turn, Montana's Republican attorney general, Austin Knudsen, led 22 states in an amicus brief Sunday asking the court to deny a motion for a temporary restraining order and allow Trump to manage the federal workforce how he sees fit. U.S. District Judge George O'Toole in Boston federal court on Monday proceeded to push back the deadline a second time on Trump's "Fork in the Road Directive," which gives most federal employees the option to resign with pay and benefits until Sept. 30. Read On The Fox News App "During the Biden administration, Republican AGs were the last line of defense. We were the goal line stand, keeping the equivalent of a 'tush push' out of the end zone," Piper told Fox News Digital. "During the Trump administration, we have to play offense, defense and special teams," he continued. "We have to be freedom's front line. Working with the administration to ensure this DOGE regulatory reform agenda gets done, that we return to America's Golden Age. But we also have to play defense and special teams. You're going to see Democratic AGs take our playbook, bastardize it, and push back on the Trump administration. You will see states like New York and California get more aggressive, and Republican AGs are there to defend the rule of law, to promote freedom, and to ensure we work with President Trump to return America's Golden Age." As for the DOGE injunction led by James, Piper said it equates to "partisan gamesmanship from Democratic attorneys general who want to do everything possible to thwart President Trump's agenda." "This is why Republican attorneys general are so critical to the success of the Trump administration in pushing back against Democratic attorneys general and their attempts to crowbar what President Trump and his team are trying to accomplish in Washington, D.C., which is returning freedom to the American people, returning government efficiency, eliminating fraud, waste and abuse," he said. Republican Ags Back Trump Federal Employee Buyout As Judge Decides 'Fork In The Road' Directive's FateRegarding James, in particular, Piper noted how New York's attorney general led cases against Trump during his 2024 re-election campaign that are now defunct and have failed. "A lot of her push back on the Trump administration is more about political theater than it is the rule of law in a court of law," he said. "And today and moving forward, you will see Republican attorneys general being President Trump's best friend from a policy standpoint. We will be his best champion from a policy standpoint. There's no more effective elected official in the United States than the state attorney general. We're more effective than the members of Congress, more effective than U.S. senators, more effective than even governors… You know, we can push back on some of this lawfare that you'll see from Democratic attorneys general." The Republican Attorneys General Association has seen alumni advance to the federal level in the Department of Justice. Most notably, that includes the newly sworn-in U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi. Piper said he also hopes to see the Senate confirm Aaron Rice, an alum of the Texas Attorney General's Office, to join the DOJ's Office of Legal Policy. He noted 51 Republican attorneys general or staff alumni held Senate confirmed positions in the first Trump administration. "Republican attorneys general and their staffs are truly America's farm team. You know where the best incubator of talent to ensuring President Trump has known conservative fighters who are willing to fight every day for the American people," Piper said. "And from Attorney General Bondi. There's no better person to be the attorney general of the United States of America." As RAGA looks ahead, Virginia Attorney General Jason Myares is defending his office this year in what's expected to be a competitive race, and then 30 attorneys general races will be on the ballot in 2026. "There's an urban myth that Richmond goes the opposite way of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. We are going to make sure that myth is just an urban myth and just a fable. Attorney General Jason Myers is truly one of our best when you look at the issues across the board. We will have probably an uphill battle," Piper said. "Virginia is a state the Republicans carried by two points four years ago. We have to have a good ground game. We have to have a good turnout operation… We have to make sure voters in the Commonwealth of Virginia understand the importance of attorney general, understand the public safety issues and understand that they need someone who every day will ensure Virginia is the safest place to live, work and raise a family."Original article source: As Democrats regroup outside DC, GOP attorneys general adopt new playbook to defend Trump agenda
Fox News
11-02-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
As Democrats regroup outside DC, GOP attorneys general adopt new playbook to defend Trump agenda
GOP state attorneys are taking on a renewed role during President Donald Trump's second administration as "freedom's front line," Republican Attorneys General Association (RAGA) incoming executive director Adam Piper told Fox News Digital, arguing that Democrats – deflated from losing control of both houses of Congress – are turning to left-leaning state attorneys to "undermine" the White House's America First agenda. Right now, there are 29 Republican attorneys general in the United States who are "uniquely qualified to be the tip of the spear, to be freedom's front line and be a foundation for the future and a foundation for freedom every single day," Piper told Fox News Digital. "These men and women are working tirelessly to ensure their states are the safest places possible. But they're also working tirelessly to defend freedom, to help President Trump to ensure the American people have the system of government they voted for, they expect, and they deserve one that is free and one that is fair." In Trump's first three weeks in office, Democratic attorneys general have sued the Trump administration on several matters related to the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). That includes New York Attorney General Letitia James leading 19 state attorneys in suing over DOGE leader Elon Musk's access to Treasury Department records. U.S. District Judge Paul A. Engelmayer issued a preliminary injunction in that case Saturday. Democratic attorneys general also partnered with the country's largest federal labor unions to sue over Trump's deferred resignation offer that would allow workers eight months of paid leave if they agree to leave their jobs voluntarily. In turn, Montana's Republican attorney general, Austin Knudsen, led 22 states in an amicus brief Sunday asking the court to deny a motion for a temporary restraining order and allow Trump to manage the federal workforce how he sees fit. U.S. District Judge George O'Toole in Boston federal court on Monday proceeded to push back the deadline a second time on Trump's "Fork in the Road Directive," which gives most federal employees the option to resign with pay and benefits until Sept. 30. "During the Biden administration, Republican AGs were the last line of defense. We were the goal line stand, keeping the equivalent of a 'tush push' out of the end zone," Piper told Fox News Digital. "During the Trump administration, we have to play offense, defense and special teams," he continued. "We have to be freedom's front line. Working with the administration to ensure this DOGE regulatory reform agenda gets done, that we return to America's Golden Age. But we also have to play defense and special teams. You're going to see Democratic AGs take our playbook, bastardize it, and push back on the Trump administration. You will see states like New York and California get more aggressive, and Republican AGs are there to defend the rule of law, to promote freedom, and to ensure we work with President Trump to return America's Golden Age." As for the DOGE injunction led by James, Piper said it equates to "partisan gamesmanship from Democratic attorneys general who want to do everything possible to thwart President Trump's agenda." "This is why Republican attorneys general are so critical to the success of the Trump administration in pushing back against Democratic attorneys general and their attempts to crowbar what President Trump and his team are trying to accomplish in Washington, D.C., which is returning freedom to the American people, returning government efficiency, eliminating fraud, waste and abuse," he said. REPUBLICAN AGS BACK TRUMP FEDERAL EMPLOYEE BUYOUT AS JUDGE DECIDES 'FORK IN THE ROAD' DIRECTIVE'S FATERegarding James, in particular, Piper noted how New York's attorney general led cases against Trump during his 2024 re-election campaign that are now defunct and have failed. "A lot of her push back on the Trump administration is more about political theater than it is the rule of law in a court of law," he said. "And today and moving forward, you will see Republican attorneys general being President Trump's best friend from a policy standpoint. We will be his best champion from a policy standpoint. There's no more effective elected official in the United States than the state attorney general. We're more effective than the members of Congress, more effective than U.S. senators, more effective than even governors… You know, we can push back on some of this lawfare that you'll see from Democratic attorneys general." The Republican Attorneys General Association has seen alumni advance to the federal level in the Department of Justice. Most notably, that includes the newly sworn-in U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi. Piper said he also hopes to see the Senate confirm Aaron Rice, an alum of the Texas Attorney General's Office, to join the DOJ's Office of Legal Policy. He noted 51 Republican attorneys general or staff alumni held Senate confirmed positions in the first Trump administration. "Republican attorneys general and their staffs are truly America's farm team. You know where the best incubator of talent to ensuring President Trump has known conservative fighters who are willing to fight every day for the American people," Piper said. "And from Attorney General Bondi. There's no better person to be the attorney general of the United States of America." As RAGA looks ahead, Virginia Attorney General Jason Myares is defending his office this year in what's expected to be a competitive race, and then 30 attorneys general races will be on the ballot in 2026. "There's an urban myth that Richmond goes the opposite way of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. We are going to make sure that myth is just an urban myth and just a fable. Attorney General Jason Myers is truly one of our best when you look at the issues across the board. We will have probably an uphill battle," Piper said. "Virginia is a state the Republicans carried by two points four years ago. We have to have a good ground game. We have to have a good turnout operation… We have to make sure voters in the Commonwealth of Virginia understand the importance of attorney general, understand the public safety issues and understand that they need someone who every day will ensure Virginia is the safest place to live, work and raise a family."
