Missouri’s newly-inaugurated Attorney General is looking forward to working with the incoming Trump administration.
Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley
Josh Hawley (R), a constitutional lawyer, says the Trump administration will be responsive to the needs of Missourians.
“We look forward to working with them, rather than working against them, and having an administration that’s going to protect the Constitution and the rights and liberties of our people,” says Hawley.
Hawley says he’s implemented the toughest ethics policy of any Attorney General’s office in the nation. Hawley tells Missourinet his office is not a political one.
“Missourians can count on me to defend them, to defend their livelihoods and their families, and that’s regardless of party by the way,” Hawley says. “This is not political office, I’m not going to run on a political basis. We’re going to defend all Missourians.”
Hawley was inaugurated on Monday. His new ethics policy says that neither the Attorney General nor any Attorney General office employees can accept gifts from lobbyists. The new policy also says that the Attorney General will not accept any campaign contributions from any person currently under investigation by the Attorney General’s office.
Hawley is also focused on consumer protection.
About 105,000 Missourians filed complaints in 2015 with the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division. The numbers are still being totaled for 2016.
Hawley says consumer protection complaints will be a top priority.
“So important, you know, protecting people from scam artists, particularly seniors, veterans, young people, college students,” says Hawley. “And that is a major function of our office. It’s something we’re going to take very seriously.”
The Attorney General’s office also mediates complaints between businesses and consumers. The Consumer Protection Hotline number is 1-800-392-8222.
Hawley spoke on ABC 17 News and Missourinet during Monday’s live inauguration coverage.