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Legislatures create private attorneys general by statute, but before they did and when they have not, courts have created them by judicial decision, and executive agencies by fiat. Congress creates private attorneys general, but so do state legislatures, state courts, and state administrative agencies.
- William B. Rubenstein
- 2004
A private attorney general or public interest lawyer is an informal term originating in common law jurisdictions for a private attorney who brings a lawsuit claiming it to be in the public interest, i.e., benefiting the general public and not just the plaintiff, on behalf of a citizen or group of citizens. [ 1 ][ 2 ] The attorney may, at the ...
For example, Congress has no general authority to investigate the purely private affair of an ordinary citizen. The doctrine of separation of powers also places limits on congressional authority to investigate. Congress cannot, under the guise of an investigation, usurp the power of another branch of government.
Oct 7, 2019 · Thompson, [11] where the Supreme Court held that Congress does not have “the general power of investigating the private affairs of a citizen,” the President argued that, since the inquiry focused on activity that preceded his time in office, and the inquiry was not legislative in nature, Congress had no authority to request his private records. [12]
Mar 30, 2023 · Congress’s Authority to Influence and Control Executive Branch Agencies Congressional Research Service 2 Congress does not always need to act through legislation to impact agency decisionmaking. The House, Senate, congressional committees, and even individual Members of Congress may employ tools to influence agency action.
Dec 2, 2020 · On Dec. 1, Attorney General William Barr announced that he had appointed John Durham, the U.S. attorney for the District of Connecticut, as a special counsel to investigate the FBI’s probe of Russian interference in the 2016 election. Though Barr appointed Durham formally on Oct. 19, he did not notify Congress until December.
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Does Congress create a private attorney general?
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Who appoints the Attorney General?
The United States attorney general (AG) is the head of the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) and is the chief law enforcement officer of the federal government of the United States. The attorney general serves as the principal advisor to the president of the United States on all legal matters. The attorney general is a statutory member ...
