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Attorney General John Kroger
John Kroger has devoted his entire life to public service; as a United States Marine, federal prosecutor, public policy expert, and teacher. John was elected Attorney General of Oregon in November 2008 after winning the nominations of both the Democratic and Republican parties.
As a federal criminal prosecutor, John won major cases against Mafia killers, drug kingpins and corrupt government officials. He helped prosecute crooked Enron executives and served on the emergency response team to the 9/11 terrorist attack on the World Trade Center. In recognition of his work, John won awards and commendations from the FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration and the State Department. In 1999, John received the Director’s Award for Outstanding Performance as an Assistant United States Attorney from Attorney General Janet Reno for convicting two Mafia captains for violent crimes. John wrote about his experiences as a prosecutor in his book Convictions, published in 2008.
Following his career as a prosecutor, John taught criminal law and legal philosophy at Portland’s Lewis & Clark Law School. During his years as a professor, John won Lewis & Clark’s Levenson Award for Teaching Excellence three times.
John is an avid runner, cyclist and hiker. He has run Oregon’s Hood-to-Coast Relay seven times and biked across the United States. He received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in philosophy from Yale University and his law degree with honors from Harvard Law School.
Attorney General John Kroger
Justice Building, 1162 Court St. NE, Salem 97301; 503-378-4400
John Kroger, Portland; Democrat; elected 2008; term expires January 2013. The attorney general is the chief legal officer of the State of Oregon and heads the Department of Justice and its six operating divisions.
The attorney general controls and supervises all court actions and legal proceedings in which the state of Oregon is a party or has an interest. The attorney general also has full charge and control of all legal business of all state departments, boards and commissions that require the services of legal counsel. He prepares ballot titles for measures to be voted upon by the people of Oregon and appoints the assistant attorneys general to act as counsel for the various state departments, boards and commissions.
The attorney general gives written opinions upon any question of law in which the state or any public subdivision may have an interest when requested by the governor, any state agency official or any member of the Legislature. The attorney general and his assistants are prohibited by law from rendering opinions or giving legal advice to any other persons or agencies.
Services and responsibilities of the attorney general and the Department of Justice are: representation of the state’s interests in all civil and criminal cases before the state and federal courts; serving as legal counsel to state agencies and offices; consumer protection and information services; supervision of charitable trusts and solicitations; enforcement of state and federal antitrust laws in Oregon; assistance to the state’s district attorneys; administration of the state crime victims’ compensation program; investigations of organized crime and public corruption; and the establishment and enforcement of child support obligations for families who receive public assistance.
The term of office for attorney general is four years.