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Brian Frosh
Brian Frosh (Democratic Party) was the Attorney General of Maryland. He assumed office in 2015. He left office on January 3, 2023.
Frosh (Democratic Party) ran for re-election for Attorney General of Maryland. He won in the general election on November 6, 2018.
Frosh succeeded Doug Gansler (D), who served from 2007 to 2015.
While serving as attorney general, Frosh joined District of Columbia Attorney General Karl Racine (D) to file a lawsuit against President Donald Trump (R) on June 12, 2017. The lawsuit alleged that Trump had not fulfilled his pledge to separate his political activities from his business ventures while serving as president.
Prior to becoming attorney general, Frosh served as a Democratic member of the Maryland State Senate, representing District 16 from 1995 to 2015.
Biography
Frosh earned his bachelor's degree from Wesleyan University in 1968 and his J.D. from the Columbia University School of Law in 1971.
Political career
- 2015 - 2023: Maryland Attorney General
- 1995 - 2015: Maryland State Senate, District 16
Elections
2022
- See also: Maryland Attorney General election, 2022
Brian Frosh did not file to run for re-election.
2018
- See also: Maryland Attorney General election, 2018
General election
General election for Attorney General of Maryland
Incumbent Brian Frosh defeated Craig Wolf in the general election for Attorney General of Maryland on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Brian Frosh (D) | 64.8 | 1,474,833 |
 | Craig Wolf (R) | 35.1 | 799,035 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.1 | 1,920 | ||
| Total votes: 2,275,788 | |||
 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Attorney General of Maryland
Incumbent Brian Frosh advanced from the Democratic primary for Attorney General of Maryland on June 26, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Brian Frosh | 100.0 | 505,897 |
| Total votes: 505,897 | |||
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Republican primary election
Republican primary for Attorney General of Maryland
Craig Wolf advanced from the Republican primary for Attorney General of Maryland on June 26, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Craig Wolf | 100.0 | 175,429 |
| Total votes: 175,429 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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2014
- See also: Maryland attorney general election, 2014
Frosh officially entered the 2014 race to replace retiring incumbent attorney general Doug Gansler on July 30, 2013.[1][2]
Frosh won the Democratic nomination in the primary on June 24, 2013, and faced Republican Jeffrey Pritzker and Libertarian Leo Wayne Dymowski in the general election on November 4, 2014.
Results
Primary election
| Maryland Attorney General, Democratic Primary, 2014 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes | ||
 Brian Frosh |
49.6% | 228,360 | ||
| Jon Cardin | 30.3% | 139,582 | ||
| Aisha Braveboy | 20.1% | 92,664 | ||
| Total Votes | 460,606 | |||
| Election results via Maryland State Board of Elections. | ||||
General election
| Attorney General of Maryland, 2014 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic | Brian Frosh |
55.8% | 935,846 | |
| Republican | Jeffrey Pritzker | 40.7% | 682,265 | |
| Libertarian | Leo Wayne Dymowski | 3.4% | 57,069 | |
| Nonpartisan | Write-in votes | 0.1% | 2,089 | |
| Total Votes | 1,677,269 | |||
| Election results via Maryland State Board of Elections | ||||
2010
- See also: Maryland State Senate elections, 2010
Frosh defeated Republican candidate Jerry Cave by a margin of 30,762 to 12,815 in the November 2 general election.[3]
In the September 14 primary election, Frosh ran unopposed.[4]
| Maryland State Senate, District 16 (2010) General Election | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Votes | Percent | ||
| Brian Frosh (D)
|
30,762 | 70.6% | ||
| Jerry Cave (R) | 12,815 | 29.4% | ||
2006
- See also: Maryland State Senate elections, 2006
On November 7, 2006, Frosh ran for District 16 of the Maryland State Senate, beating Robert Dyer.[5]
Frosh raised $135,296 for his campaign.[6]
| Maryland Senate, District 16 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Votes | Percent | ||
| Brian Frosh | 35,290 | 75.7% | ||
| Robert Dyer | 11,317 | 24.3% | ||
| Write-Ins | 28 | 0.1% | ||
Campaign finance summary
Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.
Noteworthy events
Lawsuit against President Trump
On June 12, 2017, Maryland Attorney General Brian Frosh (D) and District of Columbia Attorney General Karl Racine (D) filed a lawsuit in federal court against President Donald Trump (R). The filing alleged that Trump had not fulfilled his pledge to separate his political activities from his business ventures while serving as president.[7]
This was the first suit of its kind to be filed against Trump by government officials.[8] The lawsuit was filed as a civil action and did not present criminal charges against Trump. The filing presented the following allegations:[7]
| “ |
President Trump, acting through companies he owns or controls, has violated both the Foreign Emoluments Clause and the Domestic Emoluments Clause by receiving millions of dollars in payments, benefits, and other valuable consideration from foreign governments and persons acting on their behalf, as well as federal agencies and state governments. His repeated, ongoing violations include remuneration derived from: (a) leases of Trump properties held by foreign-government-owned entities; (b) purchase and ownership of condominiums in Trump properties by foreign governments or foreign-government-controlled entities; (c) other property interests or business dealings tied to foreign governments; (d) hotel accommodations, restaurant purchases, the use of venues for events, and purchases of other services and goods by foreign governments and diplomats at hotels, restaurants, and other domestic and international properties owned, operated, or licensed by President Trump; (e) continuation of the General Services Administration lease for President Trump's Washington, D.C. hotel despite his breach of the lease's terms, and potential provision of federal tax credits in connection with the same property; and (f) payments from foreign-government-owned broadcasters related to rebroadcasts and foreign versions of the television program 'The Apprentice' and its spinoffs. Moreover, President Trump, by asserting that he will maintain the interests at issue, is poised to engage in similar constitutional violations for the duration of his presidency.[9] |
” |
The Foreign Emoluments Clause stipulates that "no Person holding any Office of Profit or Trust under them, shall, without the Consent of the Congress, accept of any present, Emolument, Office, or Title, of any kind whatever, from any King, Prince, or foreign State." The Domestic Emoluments Clause provides that the president "shall not receive within that Period [i.e., the term of office] any other Emolument from the United States, or any of them."[10][11]
On July 10, 2017, 35 of the 64 Republican members of the Maryland General Assembly sent a letter to Frosh asking that he end the lawsuit and calling on him to justify his involvement in the suit.[12]
On September 29, 2017, Trump filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit.[13] On November 29, 2017, United States District Court for the District of Maryland Judge Peter Messitte ordered businesses associated with the president to retain records with relevance to the suit ahead of potential subpoenas.[14]
On July 25, 2018, Messitte denied Trump's motion to dismiss the lawsuit. Messitte ruled that the plaintiffs had "plausibly alleged that the President has been receiving or is potentially able to receive 'emoluments' from foreign, the federal and state governments in violation of the Constitution."[15]
Messitte's ruling was the first made by a federal court establishing a definition of emolument. Messitte defined emolument as any "'profit,' 'gain,' or 'advantage.'" Messitte rejected the definition proffered by the United States Department of Justice, which defined an emolument as "a payment made in connection with a particular employment over and above one's salary."[16][17]
The Supreme Court of the United States brought an end to the lawsuit in January 2021, declaring it moot because Trump was no longer in office.[18]
Legislative career
Committee assignments
2011-2012
In the 2011-2012 legislative session, Frosh served on these committees:
- Executive Nominations
- Judicial Proceedings, Chair
- Rules, Vice Chair
2009-2010
In the 2009-2010 legislative session, Frosh served on these committees:
- Judicial Proceedings (Chair)
- Executive Nominations Committee
- Legislative Policy Committee
- Special Committee on State Employee Rights and Protections
- Joint Oversight Committee on the Department of Juvenile Services
- Rules (Vice Chair)
Scorecards
A scorecard evaluates a legislator’s voting record. Its purpose is to inform voters about the legislator’s political positions. Because scorecards have varying purposes and methodologies, each report should be considered on its own merits. For example, an advocacy group’s scorecard may assess a legislator’s voting record on one issue while a state newspaper’s scorecard may evaluate the voting record in its entirety.
Ballotpedia is in the process of developing an encyclopedic list of published scorecards. Some states have a limited number of available scorecards or scorecards produced only by select groups. It is Ballotpedia’s goal to incorporate all available scorecards regardless of ideology or number.
Click here for an overview of legislative scorecards in all 50 states. To contribute to the list of Maryland scorecards, email suggestions to editor@ballotpedia.org.
2014
In 2014, the Maryland General Assembly was in session from January 8 to April 7.
- Legislators are scored on votes related to animal issues.
- Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business and jobs in Maryland.
- Legislators are scored on bills related to consumer issues.
- Legislators are scored on environmental issues.
- Legislators are scored on bills related to public education.
- Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.
2013
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2013, click [show]. |
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In 2013, the Maryland General Assembly was in session from January 9 to April 8.
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Personal
Note: Please contact us if the personal information below requires an update.
Frosh is married and has two children.[19]
See also
- Attorney general of Maryland
- State attorneys general opposing the Trump administration
- Maryland Attorney General election, 2018
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ The Washington Post, "Sen. Brian Frosh says he is exploring attorney general bid," July 19, 2012
- ↑ Washington Post, "Brian Frosh to launch Maryland attorney general campaign Tuesday," accessed July 31, 2013
- ↑ Maryland State Board of Elections, "2010 General Election Official Results," accessed February 24, 2014
- ↑ Maryland State Board of Elections, "Official Primary Results," accessed February 24, 2014
- ↑ Maryland State Board of Elections, "Official 2006 Gubernatorial General Election results for State Senator," accessed February 24, 2014
- ↑ Follow the Money, "Frosh, Brian," accessed March 24, 2014
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Office of the Attorney General of Washington, D.C., "The District of Columbia and the state of Maryland v. Donald J. Trump - Complaint," filed June 12, 2017
- ↑ Reuters, "Attorneys general to sue over foreign payments to Trump hotels: source," June 12, 2017
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ United States Constitution, "Article I, Section 9," accessed July 30, 2018
- ↑ United States Constitution, "Article II, Section 2," accessed July 30, 2018
- ↑ The Baltimore Sun, "GOP lawmakers: attorney general is 'grandstanding' with Trump lawsuits," July 10, 2017
- ↑ Online Athens, "Trump asks judge to dismiss ‘emoluments’ case against him," September 30, 2017
- ↑ The Washington Post, "Maryland, D.C. get subpoena power in Trump emoluments suit," November 29, 2017
- ↑ NPR, "Federal Lawsuit Against President Trump's Business Interests Allowed To Proceed," July 25, 2018
- ↑ American Bar Association, "How Courts Work: Steps in a Trial: Discovery," accessed July 30, 2018
- ↑ United States District Court for the District of Maryland, "District of Columbia v. Trump: Opinion," July 25, 2018
- ↑ Federal News Network, "Supreme Court ends Trump emoluments lawsuits," January 25, 2021
- ↑ Project Vote Smart, "Frosh, Brian," accessed November 22, 2014
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by - |
Attorney General of Maryland 2015-2023 |
Succeeded by Anthony G. Brown (D) |
| Preceded by - |
Maryland State Senate 1994-2015 |
Succeeded by - |
| Preceded by - |
Maryland House of Delegates |
Succeeded by - |
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