Candidate Answers to JOLDC: Letitia James for Attorney General

Candidate Name: Letitia James

Office Seeking Election for: Attorney General

1. Explain, based on life experiences and accomplishments, why you believe you are best qualified for the role you are seeking.

Born and raised in Brooklyn, I’ve spent my entire career working for the public good. I was the first woman of color to hold statewide office in New York, and the first woman to be elected New York Attorney General.

I’ve been a public defender, worked as a legislative staffer in Albany, and served on the New York City Council, where I passed legislation forcing landlords to improve living conditions in the city’s worst buildings, and helped to uncover the $600 million CityTime fraud, the biggest in city history. In 2013, I was elected Public Advocate for the City of New York. My office handled over 32,000 constituent complaints and passed more legislation than all previous Public Advo- cates combined, including a groundbreaking pay equity law that banned questions about salary history from the hiring process. As Public Advocate, I stood up for our most vulnerable commu- nities and served as a watchdog over New York City government agencies. My leadership trans- formed the Public Advocate’s office into a formidable engine of change.

Now, as Attorney General and head of the state’s Department of Law, I have used my office as both a sword and a shield to tangibly benefit all New Yorkers. Over the last four years, I have taken on the forces that would drag this nation backward: From the Trump Administration to the greed at the NRA. And we’ve stood up to the toxic forces in our state, most notably exposing the true and devastating number of New Yorkers who died in nursing homes during the pandemic and the painful and unlawful pattern of sexual harassment that was pervasive in the former gov- ernor’s administration.

2. Please identify any openly LGBTQ candidates for public office you have previously or presently endorsed?

As a public servant for decades, I have endorsed and supported a host of LGBTQ+ candidates and will continue to endorse and support candidates that represent the LGBTQ+ community.

3. If applicable, what legislation directly affecting the LGBTQ community have you intro- duced or co-sponsored?

4. What LGBTQ organizations have you been involved with, either on a volunteer or profes- sional basis?

Over my years in public service, I have worked with many different LGBTQ organizations. Be- low is a list of some.

Brooklyn Community Pride Center Callen-Lorde Community Health Center CNY Pride

Destination Tomorrow: The Bronx LGBTQ+ Center The Door

Empire Justice Center Evergreen Health

Hetrick-Martin Institute for LGBTQIA+ Youth Gender Equality New York

The HIV League Housing Works

In Our Own Voices, Inc.

Lambda Independent Democrats of Brooklyn

The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center The LOFT: LGBTQ+ Community Center

The Marsha P. Johnson Institute The NEW Pride Agenda

Pride Center of Western New York SAGE

Spectrum Transgender Group of Western New York Stonewall Democratic Club

Stonewall Democrats of Western New York Trillium Health Center in Rochester

5. If applicable, what LGBTQ organizations have you allocated funds to?

6. Do you consider yourself a member of the LGBTQ community?

I do not. But throughout my years of public service, I have always been a strong ally to the LGBTQ community.

7. Have you marched in any Pride parades? Which marches and for approximately how many years?

I have proudly marched in the NYC Pride, Brooklyn Pride, Queens Pride, and many other pride parades for as long as I’ve been a public servant.

8. Have you employed openly LGBTQ individuals previously? Do you employ any currently?

Yes and yes!

9. If you receive the Jim Owles endorsement, do you agree to identify the club on all literature and electronic materials where you list endorsements?

Yes!

10. What press conferences, demonstrations, rallies and protests in support of LGBTQ is- sues, pro choice legislation, criminal justice reform issues and the Resist Trump Move- ment have you attended and/or participated in?

I have participated in a host of different actions on all of these topics. To list a few recent exam- ples:

• In advance of a possible negative Supreme Court ruling on Roe v. Wade, I called for state fund- ing to help women from states that prohibit or severely constrain access to abortion to travel to NY to receive abortion services and other related health services.

• I led a coalition of 23 attorneys general fighting to support transgender rights in an anti-dis- crimination lawsuit against the Gloucester County School Board in Virginia in support of Gavin Grimm, a former student at Gloucester High School who sued the local school board for discrimination that banned him from using the common male restrooms at his high school.

• I introduced legislation last year that amends the law that justifies use of force by law en- forcement officers to require that officers only use lethal force as a last resort.

• I have sued the Trump administration and the former president’s enablers dozens of times and stopped some of his most pernicious attempts to denigrate our values and our democracy in- cluding suing to prevent the 2020 census from including a question about citizenship; halting

repeated encroachments on our environmental laws; blocking the public charge rule; and pro- tecting Title X funding.

11. Have you ever been arrested in pursuit of legislation or for protesting an injustice? Please elaborate.

12. If you are an incumbent, what have you accomplished in your most recent term?

As Attorney General, I have fought to stand up to the powerful on behalf of the vulnerable.

My office sued Big Pharma for causing the opioid crisis and successfully settled with manufac- turers and distributors in exchange for delivering up to $1.5 billion in payments to communities throughout New York’s 62 counties to remediate the crisis that they caused. We published our investigation into the conduct of nursing homes that showed that New York state’s Department of Health undercounted COVID-19 deaths and that nursing homes failed to comply with infection control protocols. We have sued the National Rifle Association (NRA) and its executives for fail- ing to manage the NRA’s funds and not following numerous state and federal laws or the NRA’s own bylaws. We filed a lawsuit against the New York City Police Department for its pattern of excessive force and false arrests during peaceful protests.

My office also protected New Yorkers from the Trump administration’s harmful and unlawful attacks. We successfully protected the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program in the United States Supreme Court. We won significant victories against the Trump administra- tion to protect our environment, preserve access to reproductive care, support workers’ rights, and protect the right to vote. We launched an investigation into Donald Trump, members of the Trump family, and the Trump organization, and our arguments won in court in the face of con- stant efforts by the Trump team to delay and publicly undermine us.

We have also worked to protect New Yorkers from those who seek to illegally profit from the pandemic. My office has gone after con artists selling fake COVID cures; companies that gouged prices on essentials – even forcing one of the nation’s largest egg producers to send 1.2 million

eggs to local food banks; and pharmacies that illegally charged for vaccines. We also took action against COVID testing companies for wrongful billing and failure to deliver results in the time promised.

If re-elected I will continue working to enforce the law and to hold people accountable, no matter how rich or powerful they are.

13. For the following pieces of legislation, please answer if you support and how you have publicly indicated such support:

A. Fair and Timely Parole (S.7514A / A.4231A): A bill pending in Albany that would ensure access to a fair parole release process for incarcerated people in New York State. This bill insures that decisions on parole are not solely based on the nature of the original crimes but centers incarcerated peoples’ record of rehabilitation and assessment of cur- rent risk to public safety.

I’m currently reviewing this legislation.

B. Elder Parole (S.15A / A.8855): A bill pending in Albany that would allow elderly in- carcerated people who have served at least 15 years in prison an opportunity to appear before the Parole Board for a chance at release.

Yes

14. If you do not support any of the above legislation, why not?

15. Do you oppose life without parole sentences and other extreme prison sentences that don’t allow incarcerated peoples’ cases to be reassessed regardless of how much they change?

More information is needed.

16. What is your position on the recent revisions to bail reform?

As a former public defender, I have seen firsthand how our criminal justice system has two stan- dards for two different types of people: One for those with money and another for those without.

It’s a system that for too long has criminalized poverty and mental illness. We must be able to reform our criminal justice system while also keeping people safe. We can and should be able to do both because that’s what the public deserves.

We must follow the data and really look at it from an analytical perspective. That means ensuring we are resisting the urge to overreact to spikes in crime that have occurred during this pandemic, without dismissing them outright. The challenge we have faced is getting accurate and complete data. The state Office of Court Administration released data at the end of December and had to immediately revise those numbers, which shows that we don’t yet have all of the information we need to guide us to a proper decision. We’ll continue to pay close attention to this and work with the legislature to make sure we are getting it right.

17. The recent changes to bail reform will criminalize people for crimes of poverty. If some- one is arrested for allegedly stealing diapers twice, judges are allowed to set bail and keep the person incarcerated pre-trial. Do you agree with this change to the bail law?

Some state laws, especially those that are controversial, may be challenged in court and my of- fice has a constitutional duty to defend those laws. In order to avoid compromising my role as the state’s counsel, I will not comment on legal hypotheticals regardless of my personal views.

18. Do you commit to visiting constituents who are incarcerated in state prisons and city jails? If incumbent, when did you do so last?

Yes. September of 2021 (details below).

19. Do you support legislation outlawing solitary confinement in all prisons statewide includ- ing city jails? Will you work to ensure that the HALT Solitary Confinement Act, which went into effect on April 1, is fully and effectively implemented?

I have grave concerns about solitary confinement. Given my office’s constitutional duty to de- fend state agencies and their employees including DOCCS, I will not comment beyond stating my serious concerns.

20. When was the last time you were inside a correctional facility?

In September 2021, I visited Rikers Island with District Attorneys Clark, Katz, and Gonzalez, and I was deeply disturbed by what we saw. For years, Rikers has been plagued by dysfunction, neglect, and violence, and it’s clear we’ve reached a breaking point. These conditions have led to an unprecedented and devastating number of deaths, and action is desperately needed. I am ex- amining all of my office’s legal options to address this dire situation.

21. Do you believe sincere remorse and actions taken while incarcerated should be consid- ered over the original crime in determinations of parole?

22. Do you support the frequent, year-round use of executive clemency?

I support executive clemency when merited and I have repeatedly called for the governor to ex- ercise this important power in appropriate cases.

23. Will you publicly support calls to release 200 incarcerated New Yorkers within 200 days of the Governor’s re-election?

24. Will you affirmatively seek to hire formerly incarcerated individuals?

25. Do you support Clean Slate legislation (S1553C / A.6399) that allow for the automatic sealing of certain convictions and protect against the discrimination of formerly incarcer- ated people in housing and employment?

26. Do you believe in the decriminalization of sex work? Do you support the bill introduced by Julia Salazar (S.6419 / A. 8230), which fully decriminalizes sex work?

Any proposal to change the laws around sex work must ensure robust protections are in place for sex workers and vulnerable communities and that measures are in place to protect victims of traf- ficking.

27. Will you actively oppose legislation (S.6040 / A.7069) that would implement the dangerous Nordic model instead of the decriminalization of prostitution? Explain in detail your views on full decriminalization, the Nordic model, legalization, and the existing criminal- ization approach.

28. Do you support ending qualified immunity for police and other law enforcement individ- uals?

29. What proposals will you advocate for to protect immigrants and further New York as a “Sanctuary State”?

Among many other actions I’ve done to support immigrant communities, I’m proud to say that I co-led a coalition of 23 attorneys general in filing an amicus brief in support of the Deferred Ac- tion for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) policy in Texas v. United States. The coalition pushed back on the Texas-led efforts to end DACA by emphasizing the essential contributions of hundreds of thousands of DACA recipients (Dreamers) to public health, the economy, and communities across the country.

30. Do you support New York's Medical Aid in Dying Act (A.4321a/S.6471)?

31. Do you support the establishment of supervised drug consumption spaces?

Yes.

32. Have you ever endorsed any member of the IDC or any candidates who challenged IDC members? Please identify all candidates

On one occasion I endorsed Marisol Alcantara and the late Jose Peralta because of their support for immigrants and working people. I have long been on record calling for the end of the IDC and for the support of Andrea Stewart Cousins as Majority Leader.

33. Will you commit to ensuring diverse LGBTQ representation among your staff?

Yes

34. Who did you support for office in the following primaries or special elections: A) Mayor in 2021 B) President in 2016 and 2020 C) Governor and Attorney General in 2018?

(A) Did not endorse; (B) Hillary Clinton in 2016, did not endorse in the primaries in 2020; (C) Andrew Cuomo and myself.

35. Do you support term limits for statewide office holders? For State Legislators?

Yes for statewide office holders.

36. Describe any legislation and policy changes that you support in order to address the on- going effects of slavery, racism, colonialism, and discrimination.

My entire career’s work has been built on the foundation of social and economic justice for mar- ginalized communities, which inherently means challenging the legacy of the abusive systems mentioned above.

37. What legislation or other policy changes do you support in order to make college and graduate school affordable for poor, working-class, and middle-class Americans and to alleviate the crushing loan debt that many students and alumni are facing?

I am a strong believer in making college and graduate school more affordable, holding educa- tional institutions accountable when they mislead students, and overseeing the actions of student loan servicing companies. My office has taken dishonest for-profit colleges to task for making false representations about the quality and outcome of their degree-granting programs; I sued the Trump administration and former Education Secretary DeVos when they tried to loosen regula- tions on for-profit colleges; I’ve successfully sued student loan servicing companies for mislead- ing and taking advantage of student borrowers; and I’ve lobbied the legislature and governor about reducing the fees imposed on student borrowers who default on their student loans.

38. Do you support a single-payer universal health care system? Do you support the New York Health Act? Please elaborate.

As a principle, I support universal health care.

39. Do you oppose efforts to change laws that banned private contract labor for incarcerated people? Please elaborate.

40. Discuss your stance on reproductive rights, including access to contraceptives and abor- tion services.

I have been an unrelenting supporter and advocate for reproductive rights my whole career and, as AG, I have worked diligently to protect access to reproductive care both in New York state

and nationally. From defending the rights of patients to access healthcare clinics safely and con- fidently, to fighting back against regressive laws limiting reproductive healthcare, to successfully challenging baseless and harmful bans to access an abortion and/or prescription abortion drugs via telehealth, I will continue to take a stand against dangerous legislation and to ensure safe ac- cess to health and reproductive care services.

41. Will you refuse money from individuals or Political Action Committees representing the real estate industry or law enforcement unions/associations?

42. Will you refuse and refund any contributions from executives at corporations complicit in the Trump agenda?

43. Will you commit to not hire any vendors or consultants who are complicit in union-bust- ing?

My deep and unwavering support for unions is well known. My office has taken on the difficult fights for labor including suing Amazon and regularly stepping in on behalf of workers to sue employers that harm working people. I have been endorsed by unions across the board and my record for fighting on behalf of working people is well established.

44. Do you support the legislation to prohibit evictions without good cause (S.3082 / A.5573)? Please explain.

I support good cause eviction legislation.

45. Will you push for the passage of Home Stability Support (HSS) to bridge the difference between the public assistance shelter allowance and fair market rents for NY's 95,000 homeless? Do you support S.856 / A.6032, which amends the Social Services Law to create a statewide rent supplement for families and individuals who are eligible for public as- sistance benefits and who face eviction, homelessness, or loss of housing due to domestic violence or hazardous living conditions?

46. What should happen to 421-a? Would you end it, mend it, continue it?

47. Do you support legalizing accessory dwelling units?

I support maximizing the availability of safe, affordable housing for all New Yorkers and we should consider any idea that makes this possible.

48. Do you support more state funding for NYCHA? If so, how much?

Yes.

49. Do you support the Climate and Community Investment Act? (S.4264A / A.6967)? Please explain.

It is doubtless that we must take strong, decisive action on climate matters and this legislation does just that. In particular, I believe tracking emissions and holding companies accountable for the harm they do to our environment is vitally important.

50. Do you support the New York Public Banking Act (S.1762A / A. 8290)? Please elaborate.

Yes. I believe that public banks can play an important role in making banking services available to all New Yorkers and improving investment in programs and projects that serve the public good.

51. Do you support the New Deal for CUNY (S.4461 / A.5843)? Please elaborate.

As a proud CUNY grad, I have long called for increased funding for CUNY and support the principles of increasing faculty and mental health services.

52. In view of the fact that Ed Koch has been documented to have caused the deaths of hun- dreds of thousands of people with AIDS, and was blatantly racist, would you support a city bill to rename the former Queensboro Bridge? Do you authorize the use of your name for such a purpose?

53. What is your position on removing the Christopher Columbus statue in Columbus Circle and if so, what should replace it?

54. Do you support reducing the budget of law enforcement throughout the state, and if so, by how much

55. Are you in favor of removing police from any of the following? a) Schools; b) Mental health response calls; c) Homeless outreach and social services; or d) Traffic enforcement.

I’m on record supporting social services in lieu of police force where it's appropriate, particularly providing mental health services for people experiencing mental health crises.

56. Do you support New York City’s current initiatives to remove homeless New Yorkers from the subways and dismantle homeless encampments?

57. Should law enforcements "Vice Squads" be eliminated?

58. How would you recommend law enforcement officers be penalized for refusing to wear masks in public while on duty, in defiance of city and state rules?

59. Would you support state legislation to make CCRB disciplinary determinations binding?

60. What will you do to support nightlife in New York State?

61. State Democratic Chair Jay Jacobs is promoting the idea of creating a third party so that if a progressive candidate wins the primary race there would be a chance to defeat them in the general election. Do you oppose this effort?

I only intend on running with the Democratic and WFP party lines.

62. State Democratic Chair Jay Jacobs uses his title and organization to bash and demagogue against progressive Democrats to the point that he is now supporting a candidate who claims commemorating a Klan leader “has nothing to do with race.” Do you call for his removal

63. What are the top 3 issues you aim to address legislatively

In this legislative session, my office is seeking to reduce the financial burden on student borrow- ers; expand the OAG’s authority to deliver restitution and damages from our lawsuits to impact- ed people and groups, and strengthen the recently-established Law Enforcement Misconduct In- vestigative Office within the OAG.

64. How much money do you presently have in your campaign account?

65. What additional information would you like members The Jim Owles Liberal Democratic Club to consider when we are making our endorsement decision concerning your candi- dacy?

questionnaireJim Owles Liberal Democratic ClubMay 4, 2022ltgovernor 2022