Lori Swanson

Lori Swanson
29th Minnesota Attorney General
Incumbent
Assumed office January 2, 2007
Preceded by	Mike Hatch
Personal details
Born	(1966-12-16) December 16, 1966
Political party	Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party
Profession	Attorney

Lori Swanson is the Attorney General of the U.S. state of Minnesota. She received her undergraduate degree from the University of Wisconsin and her law degree from William Mitchell College of Law. Swanson was elected on November 7, 2006, and took office on January 2, 2007. She succeeded Mike Hatch, who declined to run for reelection as Attorney General in order to run for governor. She became the first woman elected Attorney General of Minnesota. She has worked with former Attorney General Mike Hatch both in the public and private sector. Prior to her election, Swanson served as the deputy attorney general under Mike Hatch's first term as Attorney General, and solicitor general in his second term. Swanson has been a tenacious consumer advocate. She filed several lawsuits against life insurance companies that sold long term annuities with high surrender charges to senior citizens. Some of these lawsuits, profiled on ABC's Dateline, have been resolved with consent orders in which insurers made over $500,000,000 in refund offers to Minnesota seniors. Swanson also drafted and secured passage of legislation to reform the mortgage market in Minnesota. She has filed almost a dozen lawsuits against mortgage companies alleging fraud and deceptive practices. Many of these lawsuits have been resolved with injunctions against the companies.

However, it has been suggested that she is still influenced to a large extent by her mentor and former boss, the prior attorney general, Mike Hatch. Evidence has emerged that Hatch has answered politically sensitive emails sent to Swanson. In addition, in June of 2008, the Minnesota Legislative Auditor issued a report substantiating allegations that the Attorney General's office, under Swanson, forced employees to: (1) sign and issue a civil investigative demand without sufficient merit; (2) insert unsubstantiated information in an affidavit; (3) give advice that was not in the best interest of a client; (4) find defendants to help the Attorney General's Office bring certain types of lawsuits; and (5) post comments favorable to the office and Attorney General Swanson on an internet blog and record the time used for blogging as annual leave even though state time was used. In late March of 2009, media inquiries were made into remodeling of Swanson's offices that amounted to $400,000, including $15,000 sound-proof doors. Legislative leaders have called for an investigation, and on April 10, 2009, the Minnesota Legislative Auditor re-opened a closed investigation into misconduct in the Attorney General's office under Swanson and Hatch. .

See also: Politics of Minnesota

Electoral history

• 2006 Race for Attorney General - General Election
  • Lori Swanson (DFL) 53.24%
  • Jeff Johnson (GOP) 40.72%
  • John James (IP) 4.05%
• 2006 Race for Attorney General - DFL Primary
  • Lori Swanson 41.75%
  • Steve Kelley 37.34%
  • Bill Luther 20.91%

References

Attorney General of Minnesota