1 00:00:00,640 --> 00:00:04,120 Speaker 1: Thank you, Catherine. George Jepson has been the Democratic Attorney 2 00:00:04,160 --> 00:00:06,760 Speaker 1: General of the state of Connecticut since twenty eleven. He 3 00:00:06,840 --> 00:00:09,840 Speaker 1: served sixteen years in the Connecticut General Assembly as a 4 00:00:09,880 --> 00:00:13,080 Speaker 1: state representative and a state senator, and was in private 5 00:00:13,119 --> 00:00:17,040 Speaker 1: practice before he was elected attorney general. Attorney General Jeffson 6 00:00:17,160 --> 00:00:20,400 Speaker 1: is president of the National Association of Attorneys General and 7 00:00:20,480 --> 00:00:23,439 Speaker 1: is emerging as a leader in the legal resistance to 8 00:00:23,480 --> 00:00:26,360 Speaker 1: the Trump agenda. We're happy to have him joining us 9 00:00:26,400 --> 00:00:29,480 Speaker 1: on Bloomberg Law. Thanks for being here in these busy days, 10 00:00:29,560 --> 00:00:33,760 Speaker 1: General Jeffson, These are interesting times. Indeed, there are so 11 00:00:33,840 --> 00:00:40,159 Speaker 1: many issues where democratic ages opposed Trump's position. What issues 12 00:00:40,240 --> 00:00:43,280 Speaker 1: do you see yourself in court for Connecticut on a 13 00:00:43,440 --> 00:00:47,000 Speaker 1: regular basis, Well, it all remains to be seen. How 14 00:00:48,120 --> 00:00:51,240 Speaker 1: how executive orders are other action taken by the Trump 15 00:00:51,240 --> 00:00:54,440 Speaker 1: administration unfolded. Depending on what they do and how they 16 00:00:54,480 --> 00:00:58,840 Speaker 1: do it will determine whether we're in court opposing what 17 00:00:58,880 --> 00:01:02,400 Speaker 1: we use a violation intitution or federal law, or supporting 18 00:01:02,400 --> 00:01:05,480 Speaker 1: another state with an amicus brief, or just opposing some 19 00:01:05,600 --> 00:01:08,240 Speaker 1: plaring as a matter of policy through a letter or 20 00:01:08,200 --> 00:01:13,200 Speaker 1: a press conference. But the already Connecticut's been uh taken 21 00:01:13,280 --> 00:01:17,560 Speaker 1: legal action on the UH Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. We've 22 00:01:17,600 --> 00:01:23,600 Speaker 1: also supported California's efforts on on medium and heavy trucks 23 00:01:23,720 --> 00:01:27,319 Speaker 1: UH fuel and MILDE standards UH. And I we've been 24 00:01:27,360 --> 00:01:31,240 Speaker 1: in consultation with Planned Parenthood, both at the at our 25 00:01:31,280 --> 00:01:34,000 Speaker 1: state level but also the national level for possible defunding 26 00:01:34,040 --> 00:01:36,280 Speaker 1: issues and what a legal hook might be there. I'm 27 00:01:36,319 --> 00:01:39,880 Speaker 1: sure there's gonna be civil rights issues, not just with immigration, 28 00:01:40,000 --> 00:01:43,800 Speaker 1: but with l l G B, T QU issues, you know, 29 00:01:43,840 --> 00:01:48,280 Speaker 1: women's health issues, UH, people of color UH. You know, 30 00:01:48,360 --> 00:01:50,840 Speaker 1: voting rights is going to be I'm sure part of 31 00:01:50,840 --> 00:01:54,960 Speaker 1: the mix U at some point going forward, and Affordable 32 00:01:55,040 --> 00:01:58,960 Speaker 1: Care Act to state one obvious example again they I 33 00:01:59,000 --> 00:02:04,120 Speaker 1: think states have of um UH a lot of opportunities 34 00:02:04,440 --> 00:02:08,320 Speaker 1: to take legal action on clean air, clean water issues. 35 00:02:08,639 --> 00:02:12,800 Speaker 1: So I think that the the Clean Power Plan will 36 00:02:12,840 --> 00:02:16,800 Speaker 1: be in jeopardy. So we're gonna have a full plate. Botomline. General, 37 00:02:16,840 --> 00:02:18,359 Speaker 1: you definitely sound like you're going to be busy. I 38 00:02:18,560 --> 00:02:21,320 Speaker 1: do want to ask you, Sains. Everybody's talking about immigration 39 00:02:21,320 --> 00:02:23,800 Speaker 1: and the travel band UH in the last few days. 40 00:02:24,040 --> 00:02:26,080 Speaker 1: I want to ask you about that, and in particular, 41 00:02:26,480 --> 00:02:29,040 Speaker 1: why should states be involved in this This fight at 42 00:02:29,080 --> 00:02:32,799 Speaker 1: all immigration. UM, and certainly the Obama administration argued that 43 00:02:32,840 --> 00:02:36,480 Speaker 1: immigration is predominantly a federal issue and one in which 44 00:02:36,520 --> 00:02:39,200 Speaker 1: the president has an awful lot of authority. Why should 45 00:02:39,200 --> 00:02:42,240 Speaker 1: states be involved in that? Presidents do have a lot 46 00:02:42,240 --> 00:02:45,520 Speaker 1: of authority on immigration issues, but that doesn't mean that 47 00:02:45,600 --> 00:02:48,480 Speaker 1: the states have no authority whatsoever. And we view that 48 00:02:48,639 --> 00:02:55,440 Speaker 1: this is uh resulting in measurable harm to our constituents, 49 00:02:55,480 --> 00:02:59,080 Speaker 1: whom we take an oaf of office to protect and 50 00:02:59,200 --> 00:03:02,760 Speaker 1: UH and so UM we view this as a unlike 51 00:03:02,800 --> 00:03:08,799 Speaker 1: the Obama directive, this is in our judgment, clear discrimination 52 00:03:09,320 --> 00:03:12,760 Speaker 1: on the basis of religion, which is clearly unconstitutional. So 53 00:03:13,200 --> 00:03:17,760 Speaker 1: there's you're absolutely right to raise uh the executive powers 54 00:03:17,760 --> 00:03:20,160 Speaker 1: in this area, but they are not plantary and and 55 00:03:20,440 --> 00:03:23,120 Speaker 1: we have rights to Well, you can ask the same 56 00:03:23,200 --> 00:03:26,240 Speaker 1: question general about the cfp B. It's a it's created 57 00:03:26,240 --> 00:03:29,320 Speaker 1: by federal law. It's a federal agency, and whether or 58 00:03:29,320 --> 00:03:32,519 Speaker 1: not it should be uh, it should exist or be 59 00:03:32,600 --> 00:03:35,360 Speaker 1: funded as part of the federal government's responsibilities. What what's 60 00:03:35,400 --> 00:03:38,560 Speaker 1: Connecticut's position in other states position as to why it 61 00:03:38,680 --> 00:03:42,160 Speaker 1: is that you're getting involved in a lawsuit to defend it. Well, 62 00:03:42,200 --> 00:03:48,040 Speaker 1: the CFP b M is UH set up to protect consumers, 63 00:03:49,040 --> 00:03:53,440 Speaker 1: and state Attorney's General exists to protect consumers as well, 64 00:03:53,440 --> 00:03:59,200 Speaker 1: but more significantly, under the DoD Frank legislation, it's state 65 00:03:59,240 --> 00:04:02,480 Speaker 1: attorney's general on the ground who have enforcement powers over 66 00:04:02,520 --> 00:04:06,640 Speaker 1: the regulations that the cf CFPB promulgates. And so UH 67 00:04:06,880 --> 00:04:09,800 Speaker 1: this this gets the core of what state attorneys general do. 68 00:04:10,920 --> 00:04:15,680 Speaker 1: We are strongly of the perspective that the CFPB was 69 00:04:15,720 --> 00:04:19,120 Speaker 1: set up to be independent of political influence, and that's 70 00:04:19,160 --> 00:04:22,120 Speaker 1: why the director was given a five year term of office, 71 00:04:22,520 --> 00:04:25,280 Speaker 1: much as the director of the FBI has a has 72 00:04:25,320 --> 00:04:28,159 Speaker 1: a term of office and same reason to protect the 73 00:04:28,200 --> 00:04:32,119 Speaker 1: independence of the agency. And we see Trump as trying 74 00:04:32,160 --> 00:04:35,919 Speaker 1: to gut the CFPB and to fire Rich Cordray, the 75 00:04:35,960 --> 00:04:41,880 Speaker 1: excellent executive director before his five years around General you 76 00:04:42,040 --> 00:04:45,000 Speaker 1: spoke before about Planned Parenthood and you said, you know 77 00:04:45,440 --> 00:04:47,000 Speaker 1: that you're in a wait and have to wait and 78 00:04:47,000 --> 00:04:49,600 Speaker 1: see what Trump does. We know that he has stated 79 00:04:49,600 --> 00:04:53,000 Speaker 1: that he's going to try to defund Planned Parenthood, as 80 00:04:53,120 --> 00:04:58,279 Speaker 1: has the Republican Congress. When you're meeting with representatives of 81 00:04:58,320 --> 00:05:02,599 Speaker 1: Planned Parenthood, what kind of a strategic decisions are you 82 00:05:02,720 --> 00:05:05,920 Speaker 1: coming up with? Well, we haven't made any decisions yet 83 00:05:05,960 --> 00:05:09,960 Speaker 1: on planned parenthood defunding. UH. We're again waiting to see 84 00:05:10,000 --> 00:05:13,480 Speaker 1: exactly how they act of that long list of issues 85 00:05:13,480 --> 00:05:16,440 Speaker 1: that I enumerated there somewhere where the role of the 86 00:05:16,440 --> 00:05:19,760 Speaker 1: state attorneys general are pretty clear. We we clearly have 87 00:05:19,839 --> 00:05:23,839 Speaker 1: standing and on issues of clean air and clean clean water. 88 00:05:24,279 --> 00:05:28,599 Speaker 1: It's less clear what our hook would be on planned parenthoods. However, 89 00:05:28,640 --> 00:05:34,240 Speaker 1: we'll wait and see. I would add though, that as 90 00:05:34,240 --> 00:05:38,839 Speaker 1: state attorneys general, UM, you know, we we talk frequently 91 00:05:39,160 --> 00:05:45,280 Speaker 1: and UH and have different kinds of groups examining these issues, 92 00:05:46,800 --> 00:05:49,400 Speaker 1: and have you come up with any ideas for ways 93 00:05:49,440 --> 00:05:53,560 Speaker 1: that you might attack that. I'd rather not comment at 94 00:05:53,560 --> 00:05:58,640 Speaker 1: the time because it's actively in discussion. General. Federal Appeals 95 00:05:58,680 --> 00:06:02,239 Speaker 1: Court last week, UH rejected your effort, in the effort 96 00:06:02,279 --> 00:06:04,840 Speaker 1: of some other states to get involved in the cfpb 97 00:06:05,600 --> 00:06:08,960 Speaker 1: H litigation. UM, is that a bad sign for you 98 00:06:09,000 --> 00:06:11,800 Speaker 1: in terms of your ability to to play a role 99 00:06:11,839 --> 00:06:15,080 Speaker 1: in these big national fights. No, the rejection of the 100 00:06:15,080 --> 00:06:18,200 Speaker 1: Federal Court of our petition, we knew it was an 101 00:06:18,240 --> 00:06:22,160 Speaker 1: iffy proposition because we were intervening very late in the 102 00:06:22,279 --> 00:06:25,320 Speaker 1: in the process, and so UH, they chose not to 103 00:06:25,360 --> 00:06:29,560 Speaker 1: accept our petition, but it was it didn't get to 104 00:06:29,640 --> 00:06:32,000 Speaker 1: the merits of that issue at all. It was strictly 105 00:06:32,040 --> 00:06:36,359 Speaker 1: a procedural motion. General on some of the environmental issues, 106 00:06:36,720 --> 00:06:39,880 Speaker 1: you've been very active and the state of training in generals, 107 00:06:40,279 --> 00:06:42,080 Speaker 1: you know, seem more generally to it too. Want to 108 00:06:42,080 --> 00:06:45,839 Speaker 1: get involved there. What are the specific things you expect 109 00:06:46,640 --> 00:06:49,400 Speaker 1: the Trump administration to do legally that are going to 110 00:06:49,600 --> 00:06:52,440 Speaker 1: cause you to want to intervene or bring on a 111 00:06:52,480 --> 00:06:59,479 Speaker 1: legal fight. Uh, the they are likely to roll back 112 00:07:00,520 --> 00:07:07,080 Speaker 1: regulations and proposed regulations that that um UH promote cleaner air, 113 00:07:07,320 --> 00:07:11,880 Speaker 1: cleaner water, And in particular, it appears that on the 114 00:07:11,920 --> 00:07:18,200 Speaker 1: agenda is to roll back the Clean Power Plan President Obama's, 115 00:07:18,240 --> 00:07:25,440 Speaker 1: which is directed at reducing greenhouse emissions. Is it more 116 00:07:25,560 --> 00:07:28,840 Speaker 1: of an uphill battle than the Republican attorneys general had 117 00:07:30,120 --> 00:07:33,320 Speaker 1: during Obama's time when they were they were suing him frequently. 118 00:07:33,440 --> 00:07:35,680 Speaker 1: I believe they sued him like forty eight times over 119 00:07:35,720 --> 00:07:39,120 Speaker 1: eight years. Because you have a Republican House and a 120 00:07:39,160 --> 00:07:45,320 Speaker 1: Republican senator and Senate and the Republican president. Well, it 121 00:07:45,520 --> 00:07:48,760 Speaker 1: might even it might be easier because of the draconian 122 00:07:48,920 --> 00:07:52,800 Speaker 1: nature of of what they are proposing and I'll use 123 00:07:52,920 --> 00:07:57,680 Speaker 1: the travel ban as an example. This was very poorly conceived. 124 00:07:57,960 --> 00:08:01,400 Speaker 1: They didn't run the plan, uh, didn't vet the plan 125 00:08:01,520 --> 00:08:07,280 Speaker 1: with the legal authorities within the state department in other places, 126 00:08:07,280 --> 00:08:09,760 Speaker 1: as I understand it, uh, And so it was kind 127 00:08:09,760 --> 00:08:12,920 Speaker 1: of slapped together. And when you slap something together and 128 00:08:12,960 --> 00:08:16,640 Speaker 1: impose it overnight, you can get sloppy and you can 129 00:08:16,640 --> 00:08:19,440 Speaker 1: be error prone. So we may actually have an easier 130 00:08:19,480 --> 00:08:22,880 Speaker 1: time in part because they're going to go push the 131 00:08:23,000 --> 00:08:25,880 Speaker 1: edge of the envelope very very far and because of 132 00:08:26,080 --> 00:08:29,800 Speaker 1: unless they get their act better together, their their prone 133 00:08:29,880 --> 00:08:33,120 Speaker 1: is to be sloppy. Legal fights like these are are 134 00:08:33,200 --> 00:08:37,000 Speaker 1: quite expensive. How much is Connecticut willing to spend on 135 00:08:37,080 --> 00:08:38,800 Speaker 1: this type of litigation? And where are you going to 136 00:08:38,880 --> 00:08:40,480 Speaker 1: get the funds from? Are you going to be getting 137 00:08:40,679 --> 00:08:46,280 Speaker 1: help from the outside to make your challenges the excellent question. 138 00:08:46,440 --> 00:08:51,280 Speaker 1: We are resource challenged in Connecticut. Budgets are tight and 139 00:08:52,240 --> 00:08:57,000 Speaker 1: we'll have to in a weigh um, and which means 140 00:08:57,040 --> 00:08:59,079 Speaker 1: I think we need to be strategic. We're not I'm 141 00:08:59,120 --> 00:09:03,120 Speaker 1: not interested in and filing lawsuits just forsake of filing 142 00:09:03,200 --> 00:09:09,720 Speaker 1: lawsuits because they can be resource demanding. But I think 143 00:09:09,760 --> 00:09:13,720 Speaker 1: that we're ready for the challenge. And um, but it 144 00:09:13,800 --> 00:09:17,160 Speaker 1: was going to be an interesting few years, that's for sure. General, 145 00:09:17,280 --> 00:09:20,920 Speaker 1: a lot of Democrats supported President Obama and he did 146 00:09:20,960 --> 00:09:23,160 Speaker 1: a number of things by executive order. You were mentioning 147 00:09:23,480 --> 00:09:26,680 Speaker 1: the president's recent immigration executive order a few minutes ago. 148 00:09:27,840 --> 00:09:31,439 Speaker 1: Now that the other party is in control and President 149 00:09:31,440 --> 00:09:33,760 Speaker 1: Trump is seems to be using executive orders a lot, 150 00:09:33,800 --> 00:09:35,959 Speaker 1: and there are some leak drafts of other ones that 151 00:09:36,320 --> 00:09:40,320 Speaker 1: people think might be coming. Do you think that the 152 00:09:40,360 --> 00:09:42,320 Speaker 1: people on your side of the aisle are now going 153 00:09:42,360 --> 00:09:46,680 Speaker 1: to be less likely to want courts to uphold executive 154 00:09:46,679 --> 00:09:51,080 Speaker 1: action like this? We have to be strategic and and 155 00:09:51,840 --> 00:09:56,320 Speaker 1: as as I mentioned earlier, and um, you know, I UM, 156 00:09:57,280 --> 00:10:01,240 Speaker 1: I've taught some constitutional one time, and you know, I 157 00:10:01,280 --> 00:10:06,440 Speaker 1: think that presidents are entitled to variously even deference on 158 00:10:06,480 --> 00:10:09,840 Speaker 1: their choices for cabinets and other appointments. And so I 159 00:10:09,920 --> 00:10:12,760 Speaker 1: personally did not sign onto any of the sign on 160 00:10:12,880 --> 00:10:17,960 Speaker 1: letters that opposing the confirmation of his nominees. I'd rather 161 00:10:18,080 --> 00:10:20,920 Speaker 1: stay in my lane and and fight these issues on 162 00:10:21,559 --> 00:10:24,920 Speaker 1: from a legal standpoint. Uh. And I also want to 163 00:10:24,920 --> 00:10:30,400 Speaker 1: point out that state attorneys general continued back when when 164 00:10:30,400 --> 00:10:32,800 Speaker 1: George Bush was president and Democrats were a little bit 165 00:10:32,840 --> 00:10:35,000 Speaker 1: more on the offensive, and the last eight years where 166 00:10:35,000 --> 00:10:36,760 Speaker 1: the Republicans are a little bit more on the offensive. 167 00:10:37,120 --> 00:10:39,959 Speaker 1: State attorneys general have worked very well on a bipartisan 168 00:10:40,320 --> 00:10:44,640 Speaker 1: basis on on a lot of national issues, and where 169 00:10:44,640 --> 00:10:47,240 Speaker 1: it's possible to find common ground of the Trump administration, 170 00:10:47,920 --> 00:10:50,880 Speaker 1: I'd love to find common ground. We're not reflexively opposing 171 00:10:50,960 --> 00:10:53,240 Speaker 1: everything that he does. And I'll give you an example, 172 00:10:53,679 --> 00:10:58,120 Speaker 1: UH where there's a multi state investor bipartisan, multi state 173 00:10:58,160 --> 00:11:04,080 Speaker 1: investigation going on. I let Connecticut on UH price fixing 174 00:11:04,120 --> 00:11:07,880 Speaker 1: in the in the generic drug space, and we have 175 00:11:08,120 --> 00:11:11,320 Speaker 1: a number of Republican attorneys general working on it as 176 00:11:11,440 --> 00:11:15,760 Speaker 1: as well. And I hope that the Trump administration will 177 00:11:15,840 --> 00:11:19,880 Speaker 1: continue to work through its Justice Department on this issue 178 00:11:20,320 --> 00:11:24,360 Speaker 1: as well. So we're not reflectively fighting everything. We're fighting 179 00:11:24,400 --> 00:11:26,719 Speaker 1: things that we think that in good faith are on 180 00:11:26,840 --> 00:11:32,520 Speaker 1: constitutional or illegal. About thirty seconds here, Attorney General, do 181 00:11:32,559 --> 00:11:36,240 Speaker 1: you feel that those who do fight everything, this idea 182 00:11:36,320 --> 00:11:42,839 Speaker 1: of just fight everything that that's harmful? Again, I phrase 183 00:11:42,880 --> 00:11:45,720 Speaker 1: it more m in a more positive way, that we 184 00:11:45,800 --> 00:11:49,120 Speaker 1: need to be strategic and and pick our fights carefully. 185 00:11:50,320 --> 00:11:53,040 Speaker 1: We are going to be talking more with the Attorney 186 00:11:53,120 --> 00:11:56,840 Speaker 1: General of Connecticut. Attorney General Jepson is also the president 187 00:11:56,840 --> 00:12:00,560 Speaker 1: of the National Association of Attorneys General and will take 188 00:12:00,559 --> 00:12:03,800 Speaker 1: a look at what he sees coming up his role 189 00:12:04,080 --> 00:12:07,320 Speaker 1: as the president and what kind of weight that carries, 190 00:12:07,720 --> 00:12:11,360 Speaker 1: who decides who leads these fights that we have seen 191 00:12:11,480 --> 00:12:17,160 Speaker 1: so many attorneys general across the country leading, and we've 192 00:12:17,200 --> 00:12:21,520 Speaker 1: also seen the Republican attorneys general during the administration of Obama. 193 00:12:21,559 --> 00:12:24,559 Speaker 1: That's coming up on Bloomberg Law. This is Bloomberg