Description: The Office of the Attorney General of Massachusetts is the Commonwealth's chief legal office, led by an elected Attorney General; it enforces state law, represents Massachusetts in civil and criminal litigation, issues legal opinions to state agencies, protects consumers and civil rights, oversees charities and nonprofits, and brings enforcement actions on environmental, antitrust, healthcare, securities, and consumer-protection matters. Type: State government office (executive branch — Attorney General's office) Policies: Consumer protection, civil rights and civil liberties enforcement, criminal justice and public safety, environmental and natural-resources enforcement, antitrust and competition, healthcare and Medicaid integrity, securities and financial enforcement, privacy and data-security, oversight of charities and nonprofits, and participation in multistate litigation and enforcement actions. Funding: Primarily funded through state budget appropriations (general fund), supplemented by federal grants, fees, and recoveries from settlements and fines. Affiliates: The elected Attorney General and the AGO's internal divisions, Massachusetts state agencies and the Governor's Office, county district attorneys and local law enforcement, and national organizations such as the National Association of Attorneys General and multistate enforcement coalitions.
