26 | FEBRUARY 29 • 2024
J
N
P
ublic officials are subject to con-
stant scrutiny today — every
action and word, however casual,
can be captured on a cell phone and post-
ed on many platforms, sometime with
misleading descriptions. Often policy issue
differences are transformed into person-
al attacks and family members may be
caught in the crossfire.
Despite these challenges, some individu-
als still believe that public service is worth
it — hoping to make a difference and have
a positive impact.
Dana Nessel, 54, Michigan’s first Jewish
Attorney General, who is a Democrat, ran
for the Attorney General’s position in 2018
because “I saw things in government that
I wanted to change. It was the most mean-
ingful position I could run for.
”
Soon after that election, she spoke at a
fundraiser for the Michigan Democratic
Jewish Caucus. Nessel, who is Michigan’s
first openly gay elected state official, said
that she anticipated some negative feed-
back as a gay woman but was surprised
that antisemitic attacks were more com-
mon.
Antisemitism took a more ominous turn
last year when a Michigan man threatened
“to punish or kill” Jewish public officials
in Michigan. The man, who owned several
guns, was in Texas when he issued the
threats on social media. He was charged
by federal authorities and is in jail pending
his trial.
“It’s a scary time for Jews worldwide,
”
Nessel says. An executive protection unit
was established for the Department of
Attorney General in 2019 and security
staff members are assigned to her. Nessel
attributes the increase in antisemitism in
part to social media such as Reddit and
Truth Social, which provide “a place to
gather and recruit” and platforms such
as X, owned by Elon Musk, which have
allowed antisemitism to thrive. “It is like
an infection that grants widespread per-
mission to others,
” Nessel says.
FIGHTING HATE CRIMES
In 2019, she established a Hate Crimes and
Domestic Terrorism Unit (originally des-
ignated the Hate Crimes Unit) which has
investigated and prosecuted individuals for
threats and vandalism against a range of
government officials and other individuals,
some targeted because of their religion,
gender identity or race. The work of the
Michigan’s fi
rst Jewish
attorney general
focuses on protecting
consumers and
fi
ghting hate crimes.
Focused
on Serving
Michigan
Citizens
SHARI S. COHEN CONTRIBUTING WRITER
OUR COMMUNITY
The Role of Michigan’s
Attorney General
The attorney general, an elected
position, is the top lawyer within
state government. When public legal
matters arise, the Attorney General’s
office renders opinions on matters of
law and provides legal counsel for
the state legislature, all branches of
state government and boards of state
government. The department of the
Attorney General has three bureaus:
Criminal Justice, Environmental and
Government Operations, and Consumer
and Regulatory Enforcement.
The Attorney General may also
intervene in cases that cross multiple
jurisdictions within the state. In addition,
the Michigan Attorney General may join
with counterparts in other states. One
example is the multi-state settlement of
claims against the makers of OxyContin
and other painkillers that led to
widespread addiction and deaths across
the country.
Source: Michigan.gov
Dana
Nessel
PHOTOS BY LARRY LIPTON