Richard Blumenthal, '62
Connecticut Attorney General,
1991-present
Richard Blumenthal was first elected to serve as Connecticut's 23rd Attorney General in 1990, re-elected in 1994 and 1998, and then re-elected to an unprecedented fourth term in 2002. Since his first term, Attorney General Blumenthal has been a tireless advocate for consumers, the environment, our children and the civil rights of Connecticut's citizens.
The Attorney General's leadership and innovative use of his office have helped to stop the hostile takeover of New Britain-based Stanley Works, a major Connecticut employer; drastically reduce unjustified utility rate increases; stop chronic polluters from endangering people's health; and protect consumers from misuse of their charitable donations. Attorney General Blumenthal has personally argued in court on critical issues affecting Connecticut's citizens, including defending the State's ban on assault weapons and its welfare-reform law.
He also has saved taxpayers money through aggressive litigation, forced companies violating consumers' rights to reimburse them, enforced measures to reduce health insurance fraud through the creation of a health care fraud unit, and worked to preserve access to quality health care and protect the rights of senior citizens.
He has been a leader in the fight against the tobacco industry, initiating legal action, legislation and other measures to combat its deceptive marketing -- aimed particularly at children -- and Big Tobacco's campaign to suppress the truth about the disease and addiction it causes. The Attorney General was at the forefront of seeking a comprehensive national measure through the courts and Congress to reduce teen tobacco use and reimburse taxpayers for tobacco-caused medical costs.
He has further sought to protect children by aggressively enforcing abuse and neglect protections, and pursuing parents who owe child support payments -- in many cases, tens of thousands of dollars. The Attorney General's "Wanted" Posters, coupled with arrest sweeps of delinquent debtors and other initiatives, have helped to apprehend hundreds of deadbeat parents.
Before being elected Attorney General, Richard Blumenthal was a member of the Connecticut State Senate from 1987 to 1990, and the Connecticut House of Representatives from 1984 to 1987.
He also served as United States Attorney for Connecticut from 1977 to 1981. His leadership as the chief federal prosecutor in our State resulted in the successful prosecution of many major cases against drug traffickers, organized crime, white collar criminals, civil rights violators, consumer frauds and environmental polluters.
Mr. Blumenthal also served as administrative assistant to United States Senator Abraham A. Ribicoff, as aide to United States Senator Daniel P. Moynihan when Moynihan was Assistant to the President of the United States, and as a law clerk to Supreme Court Justice Harry A. Blackmun. From 1981 to 1986, he was a volunteer counsel for the NAACP Legal Defense Fund.
Graduated with honors from Harvard College (Phi Beta Kappa; Magna Cum Laude) and Yale Law School, Mr. Blumenthal was Editor-in-Chief of the Yale Law Journal. He also served as a sergeant in the United States Marine Corps Reserves.
Attorney General Blumenthal lives in Greenwich with his wife, Cynthia, and their four children.
The Attorney General can be reached via e-mail at Attorney.General@po.state.ct.us, or constituents may view the Attorney General's Web page at http://www.cslib.org/attygenl
Webwriter's note: The text and picture for this page was copied (with a few minor edits) from the web site of the Connecticut Attorney General, http://www.cslib.org/attygenl/mainlinks/linkpic1.htm on 6/11/04.
FEEDBACK: D. Jensen, Librarian : : : :
: : : : 06/11/04