Aaron Gulbransen, executive director of the Tennessee Faith and Freedom Coalition, said former U.S. Representative Matt Gaetz withdrawing his nomination by president-elect Donald Trump to serve as U.S. Attorney General signals his future ambitions to run in the 2026 Florida gubernatorial election.
Read the full storyTag: Jonathan Skrmetti
Tennessee Attorney General Leads Coalition in Sending Letter Urging Congress to Pass the Kids Online Safety Act
Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti led a bipartisan coalition of 31 state attorneys general in sending a letter to Congressional leadership on Monday urging the passage of U.S. Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and Richard Blumenthal’s (D-CT) Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) before the end of the year.
Read the full storyTennessee Senator Sends Letter to FEMA Director Demanding Accountability for Political Discrimination After Hurricane Helene
Tennessee U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) sent a letter to Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator Deanne Criswell on Monday demanding accountability within the federal agency after it was reported that FEMA workers were advised to discriminate against Trump supporters who needed assistance after Hurricane Helene.
Earlier this month, The Daily Wire reported that a FEMA supervisor ordered workers to bypass the homes of Donald Trump’s supporters as they surveyed the damage caused by Hurricane Milton in Florida.
Read the full storyTennessee AG Joins Coalition in Demanding End to Political Prosecutions of President-Elect Trump
Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti joined a coalition of 23 state attorneys general in sending a letter to Special Counsel Jack Smith, New York Attorney General Letitia James, and Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis demanding that their offices’ prosecutions of President Donald Trump end “immediately.”
Read the full storyTennessee Governor Asks Attorney General to Investigate FEMA for Political Discrimination After Hurricane Helene
Tennessee Governor Bill Lee on Sunday revealed he is working with Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti to investigate whether the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) discriminated against Tennesseans affected by Hurricane Helene based on their political views.
Lee made the announcement after a FEMA official directed relief workers to avoid homes advertising support for President-elect Donald Trump after Hurricane Milton in Florida, specifically through guidance that told workers to “avoid homes advertising Trump” and “practice de-escalation and preventative measures” as best practices when providing relief.
Read the full storyKroger to Pay $42.9 Million Settlement to Tennessee for Role in Opioid Crisis
Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti announced Monday that the state will receive approximately $42.9 million from a settlement with Kroger over the grocery chain’s opioid-related misconduct.
The Volunteer State’s settlement with Kroger is part of a combined $1.37 billion settlement agreement between the grocery chain and a bipartisan coalition of 30 state attorneys general.
Read the full storySkrmetti: Federal Government’s Responsibility to Enforce Immigration Laws
The Tennessee General Assembly has been “unequivocally clear ” that illegal immigration is a high priority for them, but there’s only so much a state can do, the state’s attorney general said.
Jonathan Skrmetti told The Center Square in a telephone interview when he goes out and talks to people across Tennessee, he can’t think of a time when he hasn’t gotten questions about the subject.
Read the full storyICE Released Nearly 500 Illegal Immigrants from China Before Lawsuit over Chinese National with ‘Rare, Aggressive,’ Tuberculosis
Documents published by Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti on Wednesday reveal U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) released almost 500 illegal immigrants from China, in just its New Orleans Area of Responsibility, between November 2022 and February 2023.
The documents were published on the same day Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill, a Republican, filed an “emergency lawsuit” against top immigration officials in the Biden-Harris administration, seeking to prevent additional releases from Louisiana ICE facilities after the federal agency allegedly transported an illegal immigrant from China who is suffering a “rare, aggressive, and drug resistant form of tuberculosis which carries high mortality rates,” through its facilities in the state.
Read the full storyBiden-Harris Admin Colluded with Nonprofits to Send Thousands of Illegal Immigrants to Tennessee Before Lawsuit by A.G. Skrmetti Lawsuit Halted Process
The Biden-Harris administration worked with former Nashville Mayor John Cooper and non-profit organizations to move thousands of illegal immigrants from federal facilities in Louisiana to Nashville, according to internal emails and documents published Wednesday by Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti, whose office successfully sued to stop the practice.
A press release from the attorney general’s office reveals that the plan was enacted by officials at Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), with cooperation from Cooper’s office. However, Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and Bill Hagerty (R-TN), as well as Governor Bill Lee, opposed it.
Read the full storyAttorney General Jonathan Skrmetti Files Response Brief in U.S. Supreme Court Case over Tennessee Law Banning Transgender Surgery for Minors
Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti filed a response brief with the U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday defending a Tennessee law that bans “gender-affirming care” on minors – including puberty blockers, hormone therapy, and sex-change surgeries.
Read the full storyTennessee AG Files Motion Seeking Intervention to Address TikTok’s Failure to Preserve and Produce Evidence amid State-Led Investigation
Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti filed a motion on Tuesday in the Twentieth Judicial District of Tennessee as part of his office’s ongoing investigation into the social media platform TikTok.
Read the full storyTennessee Attorney General Warns of Price Gouging, Scammers in Aftermath of Hurricane Helene
Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti’s office is warning Tennesseans impacted by Hurricane Helene to be wary of scammers and knowledgeable of price gouging in the aftermath of the storm.
Read the full storyTennessee AG Skrmetti Will Not Pursue Charges Against Nashville District Attorney Glenn Funk
Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti sent a letter to Nashville District Attorney Glenn Funk on Wednesday announcing that he would not pursue charges against the 20th Judicial District Attorney General’s Office following a 19-month investigation into wiretapping concerns.
On February 10, 2023, Skrmetti launched a criminal probe into Funk’s office after revelations of listening devices being installed around the district attorney’s offices in downtown Nashville, as previously reported by The Tennessee Star.
Read the full storyTennessee Attorney General Applauds Appeals Court for Rejecting Challenge to State Law Banning Public Drag Shows
Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti applauded the U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals decision to reject a full circuit review of the Friends of George’s, Inc. v. Steven Mulroy case which challenges Tennessee’s Adult Entertainment Act.
Read the full storyTennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti Provides Update on Litigation Led by His Office
Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti provided an update on prominent lawsuits his office has filed under his leadership and discussed his goals for the remainder of his eight-year term during an exclusive sit-down interview this week on The Michael Patrick Leahy Show.
Skrmetti, who began serving as attorney general in 2022 after being appointed by the Tennessee Supreme Court, said, “I’ve been blessed with a great team and there is a lot of work for us to do.”
Read the full storyCommentary: Three Cheers for Tennessee A.G. Skrmetti on His First Two Years in Office
We just passed the two-year anniversary of Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti taking office, and it has to be said that he has exceeded even the loftiest expectations we conservatives could have had. For the first time, we have an Attorney General who is on the same page with the Legislature and the vast majority of the population, fighting the fights we want to see fought, and doing us proud in the process. Now seems like a fine moment to reflect on the gift we’ve been given, and marvel at what we might come in his next six years, if he gets the resources to keep this up.
Read the full storyJudge Mary Wagner Officially Sworn In as Newest Tennessee Supreme Court Justice
Mary L. Wagner was officially sworn in as a Tennessee Supreme Court justice by Governor Bill Lee this week.
Lee appointed Wagner to serve on the Tennessee Supreme Court earlier this year after Justice Roger A. Page announced his retirement from the bench.
Read the full storyCommentary: The Government Is Making Housing Shortage Worse
Nearly every city across the country is experiencing some of the highest home prices and rents in decades. And in Tennessee, a recent statewide listening tour by the Beacon Center confirmed that housing remains the top concern among voters. So it’s no surprise that politicians on the left and right—from Vice President Kamala Harris to Tennessee’s attorney general—are talking quite a bit about housing prices.
Read the full storyTennessee AG Applauds Texas U.S. District Judge’s Ruling to Halt DHS’ ‘Parole in Place’ Program
Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti celebrated U.S. District Judge J. Campbell Barker’s ruling on Monday to halt the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) new program allowing hundreds of thousands of illegal aliens who are the spouse or stepchild of a U.S. citizen to “parole in place” from taking effect.
Barker’s ruling comes just three days after 16 state attorneys general and America First Legal filed a 56-page complaint challenging DHS’ “Keeping Families Together” program, which began accepting applications last week.
Read the full storyTennessee A.G. Jonathan Skrmetti Joins Federal Antitrust Lawsuit Alleging Algorithmic Fixing of Rental Prices
Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti on Friday joined seven other states and the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) in an antitrust lawsuit accusing the property management software company RealPage of using its service to algorithmically fix rental prices across the United States, allowing them to form a monopoly that allows rental owners to collaboratively set prices in a bid to avoid market pressures to lower rent.
The DOJ confirmed the legal action on Friday, alleging RealPage is engaged in an “unlawful scheme to decrease competition among landlords in apartment pricing and to monopolize the market for commercial revenue management software that landlords use to price apartments.”
Read the full storyTennessee AG Joins Lawsuit Against DHS Program to Grant ‘Parole in Place’ to Illegal Aliens
Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti was one of the state attorneys general who joined a lawsuit challenging the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) new program process to allow hundreds of thousands of illegal aliens who are the spouse or stepchild of a U.S. citizen to “parole in place.”
The 56-page complaint, filed in the Eastern District of Texas U.S. District Court on Friday, challenges DHS’ “Keeping Families Together” program, which began accepting applications on Monday.
Read the full storyTennessee AG Joins Coalition Seeking Answers About Online Retailer Temu’s Business Practices, Connections to the Chinese Communist Party
Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti was one of 21 state attorneys general who sent a letter to the online retailer Temu and the CEO of its parent company, PPD Holdings Inc., seeking information regarding the company’s alleged ties with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), data collection and sharing practices, and possible violations of the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA).
Read the full storyTennessee AG Skrmetti Applauds U.S. Supreme Court’s Ruling to Block the Education Department’s Title IX Rule from Taking Effect
Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti applauded the U.S. Supreme Court’s 5-4 ruling on Friday to block the U.S. Department of Education’s (DOE) Title IX rule from taking effect.
The DOE’s final rule, blocked from being implemented by the nation’s highest court, would have rewritten Title IX to encompass gender identity and sexual orientation.
Read the full storyDavidson County GOP Chairman Lonnie Spivak: Metro Nashville Council Should Begin Discussing Plans to Downsize
Lonnie Spivak, chairman of the Davidson County Republican Party, said the Metro Nashville-Davidson County City Council should begin to discuss what its makeup would look like if a Tennessee law currently being challenged in the Tennessee Court of Appeals is allowed to take effect.
Read the full storyTennessee AG Jonathan Skrmetti Joins Lawsuit Challenging the Biden Administration’s Plan to Extend Full Health Care Benefits to Illegal Immigrants
Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti joined a federal lawsuit on Thursday challenging the Biden administration’s plan of extending Affordable Care Act (ACA), or Obamacare, benefits to more than 200,000 illegal immigrants.
The lawsuit, led by Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach, was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of North Dakota Western Division.
Read the full storyTennessee Attorney General to Appeal Decision in Case Challenging Law Shrinking Size of the Metro Nashville Council
Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti announced Thursday that his office will appeal the July 29 ruling by the Davidson County Chancery Court in the case challenging a state law which caps the number of elected officials in the Metro Nashville-Davidson County City Council to 20.
Read the full storyIllegal Immigrant Accused of Killing Nashville Restaurant Owner in Hit-and-Run
A 24-year old man accused of murdering a Nashville restaurant owner in a hit and run crash has been identified as Ulises Martinez – a Mexican national who is in the U.S. illegally.
Read the full storyTennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti Leads Push Against Federal Housing Finance Agency Pilot Program
Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti led a coalition of 13 other state attorneys general in pushing back against a new pilot program launched by the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) that would remove title insurance requirements from certain loans sold to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
In March, the FHFA launched the pilot program, which “waives the requirement for lender’s title insurance or a legal opinion on certain low-risk refinance transactions where there is confidence that the property is free and clear of any prior lien or encumbrance.”
Read the full storyFederal Court Strikes Down Lawsuit Challenging Tennessee Law Banning Public Drag Shows
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit ruled 2-1 on Thursday to dismiss a challenge to Tennessee’s Adult Entertainment Act in the case Friends of George’s, Inc. v. Mulroy.
Read the full storyTennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti Joins Push for Congress to Pass the SAVE Act
Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti joined a coalition of 21 other state attorneys general in “strongly” urging congressional leaders to pass the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act.
Read the full storyEntire Tennessee Delegation Supports Former President Donald Trump after Assassination Attempt
All 11 members of the Tennessee congressional delegation have publicly issued statements following Saturday’s assassination attempt of former President Donald Trump during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
Read the full storyFederal Court Upholds Tennessee Policy Preventing Transgender Individuals from Changing Sex on Birth Certificate
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit ruled 2-1 to uphold a decades-long Tennessee policy that prohibits changes to a person’s sex on their birth certificate to reflect their gender identity instead of their biological sex at birth.
The policy treats the sex listed on a birth certificate as a historical fact unchangeable by an individual’s transition to a different gender identity.
Read the full storyU.S. District Court Hands Down Victory in Tennessee-Led Case Challenging HHS Rule on Gender Identity Under the Affordable Care Act
The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi has halted the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) from implementing its final rule which redefines the Affordable Care Act’s prohibition against discrimination based on “sex” to include “gender identity” at the request of Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti.
Read the full storyTennessee AG Sends Letter to Major Credit Card Companies Warning of Legal Action Upon Noncompliance with New State Law
Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti sent a letter to the CEOs of American Express, Visa, and Mastercard inquiring about the companies’ plans to comply with a state law set to take effect in the Volunteer State on Monday, July 1 concerning financial transaction data associated with firearm and ammunition purchases.
Read the full storyExclusive: Tennessee AG Jonathan Skrmetti Says SCOTUS Decision to Take Up Case Challenging State Law Banning Transgender Treatment for Minors Will Be a ‘Major Step Toward Clarity’
Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti joined Tuesday’s episode of The Michael Patrick Leahy Show for an exclusive interview where he discussed the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to hear arguments and rule on whether Tennessee’s law that bans “gender-affirming care” on minors violates the Constitution.
Read the full storyMichael Patrick Leahy on SCOTUS Decision to Take Up Case Challenging Tennessee Law Banning Transgender Surgery for Minors: ‘Transgender Youth is a Creation of the Left’
Michael Patrick Leahy, Editor-in-Chief and CEO of The Tennessee Star, reacted to Monday’s announcement by the U.S. Supreme Court that it would hear arguments and rule on whether a Tennessee law that bans “gender-affirming care” on minors violates the Constitution.
Read the full storyTennessee AG Skrmetti ‘Looks Forward’ to Defending State Law Banning Transgender Surgery for Minors in the Supreme Court
The U.S. Supreme Court announced it will hear arguments and rule on whether a Tennessee law that bans “gender-affirming care” on minors – including puberty blockers, hormone therapy, and sex-change surgeries – violates the Constitution.
Read the full storyVanderbilt University Medical Center Doctor Called Transgender Surgery ‘Big Money’ Year Before Covenant Killer Audrey Hale was Referred for Commitment
Born a biological female, Covenant School killer Audrey Elizabeth Hale began identifying as a transgender man and using the name Aiden prior to her devastating attack which claimed the lives of three 9-year-old students and three adults on March 27, 2023.
Police documents published by The Tennessee Star determined Hale was a 22-year mental health patient of Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC), the home of a controversial transgender program that is reportedly considered “big money” for the hospital.
Read the full storyFederal Judge Grants Tennessee AG’s Request to Block the Education Department’s Title IX Rule from Taking Effect
A federal judge with the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky granted Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti and Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman’s preliminary injunction request to block the Biden Administration’s new Title IX rule from taking effect on Monday.
Read the full storyTennessee AG Jonathan Skrmetti Urges Congress to Pass Child Safety Act
Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti is among the bipartisan coalition of 44 state and territory attorneys general endorsing the Child Exploitation and Artificial Intelligence Expert Commission Act of 2024.
Read the full storyTennessee AG Skrmetti Urges Federal Court to Block the Education Department’s Title IX Rule
Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti and Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman urged a federal judge in Kentucky to block the U.S. Department of Education’s (DOE) finalized rule to rewrite Title IX to encompass gender identity and sexual orientation.
Read the full storyTennessee AG Skrmetti Leads Coalition in Demanding the American Bar Association Stop Requiring Law Schools to Engage in Illegal Racial Discrimination
Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti led a coalition of 20 other state attorneys general in sending a letter to the Council of the American Bar Association (ABA) on Monday demanding that it make changes to its accreditation process to comply with the Supreme Court’s ruling on affirmative in the case Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard.
Read the full storyTennessee Attorney General Leads Lawsuit Challenging HHS Final Rule on Gender Identity Under the Affordable Care Act
Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti and Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch led a coalition of 13 other states in filing a lawsuit challenging the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) final rule, which redefines the Affordable Care Act’s prohibition against discrimination based on “sex” to include “gender identity.”
As of May 6, HHS’ final rule requires medical providers to perform surgeries and administer hormone drugs to both children and adults for the purpose of gender transition, without regard for a doctor’s medical judgment as to whether that treatment was appropriate.
Read the full storyScammers Who Attempted to Foreclose on Elvis Presley’s Iconic Graceland Home Admit to Failure: Report
An individual allegedly involved in a scheme to acquire Elvis Presley’s iconic Graceland home in Memphis reportedly reached out to CNN via email claiming responsibility for the scam, the outlet reported this week.
Graceland became the target of Nausanny Investments and Private Lending, LLC after the company claimed that the singer’s daughter, Lisa Marie Presley, who died in 2023, didn’t repay a loan using the home as collateral.
Read the full storyTennessee AG Skrmetti Launches Probe into Attempted Foreclosure of Elvis Presley’s Iconic Graceland Home
Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti announced Thursday that his office is “looking into” a private investment company’s attempt to foreclose on Elvis Presley’s iconic Graceland home in Memphis.
Graceland became the target of Nausanny Investments and Private Lending, LLC after the company claimed that the singer’s daughter, Lisa Marie Presley, who died in 2023, didn’t repay a loan that used the home as collateral.
Read the full storyTennessee A.G. Jonathan Skrmetti Leads Coalition in Lawsuit Challenging the EEOC’s New Guidance on Gender Identity in the Workplace
Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti led a coalition of 17 other states in filing a lawsuit challenging the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s (EEOC) final guidance on harassment in the workplace which went into effect on April 29.
Read the full storyTennessee AG Skrmetti Leads Coalition of States in Pushing Back on New Department of Energy Rule Targeting Household Refrigerators, Freezers
Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti led a coalition of 17 state attorneys general in a comment letter opposing the Department of Energy’s direct final rule regulating consumer refrigerators, refrigerator-freezers, and freezers.
The DOE’s rule, scheduled to be implemented on May 16, imposes new energy conservation standards for these consumer items.
Read the full storyFlorida, New York, and the District of Columbia Join Lawsuit Against the NCAA’s NIL Recruitment Ban Led by Tennessee AG Jonathan Skrmetti
The attorneys general of Florida, New York, and the District of Columbia have joined Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti and Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares’ lawsuit challenging the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s (NCAA) name, image, and likeness (NIL) recruitment ban.
Read the full storyExclusive: Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti Calls the Biden Administration’s Overhaul of Title IX ‘Extreme’
Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti said the Biden administration’s finalized rule to rewrite Title IX is “extreme,” noting how the administration’s determination to rewrite anti-discrimination rules to encompass gender identity issues appears to be one of its “highest priorities.”
On Tuesday, Skrmetti led six states in suing the Biden administration’s Department of Education on Tuesday over its finalized rule to rewrite Title IX to encompass gender identity and sexual orientation.
Read the full storyTennessee A.G. Jonathan Skrmetti Announces New Title IX Lawsuit Against Biden Administration in Press Conference with Riley Gaines
Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti announced on Tuesday that Tennessee, West Virginia and Kentucky are leading a coalition of states in a new lawsuit seeking to stop the Biden administration’s revisions to Title IX that critics argue endanger women and girls.
“The U.S. Department of Education has no authority to let boys into girls’ locker rooms,” Skrmetti stated. He charged, “Under this radical and illegal attempt to rewrite [Title IX], if a man enters a woman’s locker room and a woman complains that makes her uncomfortable, the woman will be subject to investigation and penalties for violating the man’s civil rights.”
Read the full story