Why I'm Running for Attorney General

For nearly two decades, I've represented Minnesotans who've been victimized. by identity thieves, by predatory lenders, by institutions that were supposed to protect them. I've spent my career in the trenches of consumer law, fraud litigation, and civil rights. Before that, I served as a Captain in the United States Air Force JAG Corps, where I prosecuted criminal cases and upheld the rule of law in the most rigorous legal environment on earth.

So when people ask me why I'm running for Attorney General the answer is simple: the Attorney General is the People's Lawyer, and this office needs a prosecutor, not a politician.

The Office Has Lost Its Way

Look at what the AG's office has become. It's a launching pad for national political careers. It's a tool for filing politically-motivated lawsuits designed to generate headlines rather than protect Minnesotans. It's become a partisan weapon. and the people it's supposed to serve are an afterthought.

Meanwhile, Minnesota is in the middle of a historic fraud crisis. Billions of dollars. taxpayer money meant to feed hungry children, care for the elderly, support working families. have been stolen through systematic fraud schemes. The Feeding Our Future scandal alone represents one of the largest pandemic fraud cases in American history. And it happened right here.

Where was the AG's office? Why wasn't the state's chief legal officer aggressively pursuing these cases before federal prosecutors had to step in?

Why Now?

I believe the AG's office should enforce the law. period. Not selectively. Not politically. For everyone.

When I was a military prosecutor, I didn't ask what party the defendant belonged to before deciding whether to pursue a case. The law was the law. That's how it should work in the Attorney General's office.

I answer to the people of Minnesota. I have no ambitions for governor or senator. I have one job: protect the people of Minnesota.

What I'll Do Differently

On day one, I will establish a dedicated Fraud Enforcement Division within the AG's office. with real prosecutors, real investigators, and real authority to pursue fraud across every state program. Not task forces. Not press conferences. Prosecutions.

I'll expand the consumer protection division to aggressively go after identity theft, predatory lending, and the scams that target our seniors and veterans. This is what I've done for nearly twenty years in private practice. I know these cases. I know how to win them.

And I'll depoliticize the office. No more filing suits designed to trend on Twitter. No more using taxpayer-funded legal resources to fight national culture wars. The AG's office will focus on Minnesota. on fraud, consumer protection, public safety, civil rights, and government accountability.

This Is a Grassroots Campaign

What I have is a record of fighting for Minnesotans, the legal expertise to do this job, and a belief that there are enough people in this state. Minnesotans who are tired of politics as usual and want an AG who actually does the job.

If that sounds right to you, I'm asking for your help. Volunteer. Donate what you can. Share this campaign with someone who feels the same way. This is how we win. one Minnesotan at a time.

— Dave Madgett