PARTNERS FOR DEMOCRACY:

Working Together for Government Access

Awards Luncheon Guest Speaker

Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott

        Attorney General Greg Abbott has served as the 50th Attorney General of Texas since December 2, 2002. Prior to his election as Attorney General, he was a Justice on the Texas Supreme Court and a State District Judge in Harris County.

        As the state's chief law enforcement official, Attorney General Abbott has made protecting children and families a priority.  He established the Cyber Crimes Unit, which has arrested more than 75 criminals who used the Internet to prey upon children.  His Fugitive Unit has arrested more than 300 sex offenders who violated their parole.  An expanded Medicaid Fraud Control Unit has cracked down on senior abuse and waste in the Medicaid program, recovering more than $135 million in fraudulent overpayments.  Attorney General Abbott has collected more than $5 billion in child support for Texas children and developed new programs to build strong families.  In less than three years, he has shut down more than two dozen illegal immigration consulting businesses that cheated Hispanic consumers.  He also filed suits enforcing Texas' tough Do Not Call laws; took action against nuisance e-mail spam merchants; increased the speed and efficiency of the Texas Crime Victims Compensation program; and has been a national leader on open government and open records.

        He oversees a team of nearly 700 attorneys who represent the people of Texas in courtrooms throughout the state, but Attorney General Abbott is more than a proven administrator.  He is himself recognized as one of the state's top legal advocates, and has personally obtained indictments against criminals charged with offenses ranging from attempted assault of a child to multiple counts of capital murder.  In March of 2005, Attorney General Abbott appeared before the U. S. Supreme Court to successfully defend the constitutionality of the Ten Commandments monuments on the grounds of the Texas Capitol against those who sought to have it removed.

        Attorney General Abbott's career in public service began in 1992 in Houston, where he served as a highly rated state trial judge in the 129th District Court.  In 1995, then-Governor George W. Bush appointed him to the Texas Supreme Court, a post to which he subsequently was twice elected.  His abilities as a legal scholar and jurist earned him numerous awards, including “Jurist of the Year” from the Texas Review of Law & Politics; “Trial Judge of the Year” from the Texas Association of Civil Trial and Appellate Specialists; and “Appellate Judge of the Year” from the Texas Chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates.

        Attorney General Abbott has held leadership positions in numerous community organizations, including the Central Texas Chapter of Goodwill Industries, the Governor's Committee to Promote Adoption, Justice for All, and the Texas Institute for Rehabilitation and Research Foundation.  He also served as Honorary State Chairman of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Texas.

        A native Texan, Attorney General Abbott was born in Wichita Falls and raised in Duncanville.  After graduating from the University of Texas with a B.B.A. in Finance, he received his law degree from Vanderbilt University.