FRANKFORT, Ky. (December 17, 2020) – Attorney General Daniel Cameron today marked the one-year anniversary of taking the oath of office as Kentucky’s 51st Attorney General. In a historic ceremony last December, Cameron was sworn in as the first African-American Attorney General in the Commonwealth and the first independently elected to statewide office in Kentucky’s history.
At his inauguration, Attorney General Cameron committed to renewing the credibility of the Attorney General’s Office by upholding the rule of law and defending Kentucky’s laws, acting as a voice for the voiceless, and improving the public safety outcomes for all Kentuckians. One year later, he, together with the men and women who serve in the Office of the Attorney General, have made significant strides toward these goals.
“As I look back on my first year as Attorney General, I remain grateful to Kentuckians for the opportunity to serve in this capacity and work each day on their behalf to address both long-standing and new public safety challenges,” said Attorney General Cameron. “While no one could have anticipated the changes brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, our team has risen to the challenge to make sure that we’re rapidly responding to the changing environment while also delivering on our core mission as the chief law officer for the Commonwealth. This has meant a sustained commitment to tackling public safety challenges like child abuse and human trafficking, while also doubling our efforts to address consumer protection matters such as price gouging and scams and leading the fight to protect the constitutional rights of all citizens. As we enter the new year, I look forward to continuing to work diligently every day on behalf of Kentuckians.”
Under Attorney General Cameron’s leadership, the Office of the Attorney General has worked tirelessly this year to defend the Commonwealth and protect Kentuckians.
The Appellate Division has fought to uphold the rule of law and ensure that Kentucky’s laws were defended against legal challenges. During 2020, the Appellate Division:
- Defended Casey’s Law, the live dismemberment abortion ban, fetal heartbeat law, transfer agreement law, and the abortion discrimination ban.
- Fought to defend the First Amendment rights of Kentuckians from executive overreach during the COVID-19 pandemic by engaging in cases related to drive-in and in-person worship services and religious schooling.
- Led or co-led 14 multi-state amicus briefs in the U.S. Supreme Court and Courts of Appeals. These briefs addressed a variety of complex legal issues, ranging from the First Amendment to the Commerce Clause.
The Criminal Division worked to decrease instances of child abuse and human trafficking, support prosecutors across the Commonwealth, advocate for crime victims, and prosecute Medicaid Fraud and Abuse. During the last year, the Division:
- Worked with House Leadership to champion House Bill 2, which raises awareness about human trafficking and provides more resources for law enforcement and prosecutors in the investigation and prosecution of human trafficking cases.
- Received a $100,000.00 grant from the Department of Justice to launch a human trafficking awareness campaign.
- Launched a child abuse prosecution toolkit to assist Kentucky prosecutors in investigating and prosecuting child abuse and neglect cases and convened child abuse roundtables to engage child welfare stakeholders from across the Commonwealth in the conversation.
- Examined 35.32 Terabytes of data and 354 mobile devices and assisted 144 unique law enforcement agencies with forensic examinations through the Office’s electronic crime lab.
- Closed 214 investigations and opened 225 cases.
- Participated in the recovery of $32,965,743.99 from Medicaid Fraud and Abuse cases during the federal fiscal year.
- Assisted 702 callers through the Crime Victim Information Hotline.
- Operated the Election Fraud Hotline during the June primary and November general election.
- Processed hundreds of conflict requests from local prosecutors and acted as special prosecutors in numerous cases, including the investigation and Grand Jury presentation surrounding the death of Ms. Breonna Taylor.
The Civil Division worked to protect Kentucky consumers from fraudulent business practices, represent the interests of Kentuckians in utility rate cases, issue open record and open meetings decisions, and assist consumers by mediating cases and offering tips to avoid common scams. In 2020, the Civil Division:
- Recovered $28,612,698.55 on behalf of Kentuckians for consumer protection violations.
- Secured $18,045,531.00 in savings for utility consumers by intervening in rate cases before the Public Service Commission.
- Obtained $510,811.96 in restitution for Kentuckians by mediating complaints between consumers and businesses.
- Continued to work on a number of different cases relating to various drug companies’ role in the opioid epidemic. Some of these cases are in active litigation, while others are in mediation or undergoing settlement negotiations.
- Brought lawsuits against Facebook and Google for anti-competitive business practices.
- Halted a multi-state personal protective equipment (PPE) price-gouging scheme run by two Tennessee brothers.
- Developed online scam and price-gouging complaint forms, making it easier for Kentuckians to file a report during COVID-19.
- Authored 17 Opinions of the Attorney General, including guidance to agencies on the Open Meetings Act during the COVID-19 pandemic.
To download a recap of the Attorney General’s first year in office, click here.
