8 race for attorney general, former federal prosecutor and longtime defense attorney Nathan Hochman. It’s a contrast with Bonta’s opponent in the Nov. For a department known for its prosecutors and its gun-toting officers, academic research is an unusual pivot.Īnd as Los Angeles weathers scandal after scandal, Bonta has now stepped in in lieu of local prosecutors, announcing that his office will investigate potential voting rights violations during the local redistricting process, a subject at the center of racist conversations that forced the city council president to resign Wednesday.īonta, who visited CalMatters’ office for an hour-long interview this week, said he’s never been one to limit himself to just a handful of issues.Įarly in his political career, he said he was told to “focus on a handful of things - maybe one, two or three - make those your signature issues, get known for those and make a difference there,” he said. The office still only exists on paper, but the proposal itself says a lot about Bonta’s view of his office’s expansive domain. Just last month, Bonta announced the creation of a new office tasked with researching and disseminating gun violence prevention tactics. With new bureaus and empowered by new laws, his office now serves as an investigative unit for discriminatory law enforcement and police shootings of unarmed civilians. Taking on the role of housing enforcer, Bonta has threatened lawsuits against apartment-averse cities, while issuing guidance to locals on where they can permit new construction.
Gavin Newsom appointed him to the role in March 2021, Bonta has broadened the scope and emphasis of the Department of Justice into areas of the law once considered the principal domain of local prosecutors, elected officials and private litigants. At least not according to Rob Bonta, the current holder of that office. California’s attorney general is often described as the state’s top prosecutor, but that shorthand doesn’t do the position justice.
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