Brian Frosh

Legal career

Frosh joined the Maryland Bar in 1971 and the District of Columbia Bar in 1972. He was a partner at the law offices of Karp, Frosh, Lapidus, Wigodsky, & Norwood, P.A working in business litigation, commercial litigation, and real estate law.^[6]

Politics

As both a delegate and senator, Brian Frosh has represented Maryland's District 16,^[7] which includes parts of Chevy Chase, Bethesda, and Potomac.^[8] Frosh is Jewish.^[9]

Frosh represented Montgomery County in the Maryland House of Delegates from 1987 to 1995. In this role, he was a member of the Environmental Matters Committee, Tort and Insurance Reform Oversight Committee, and Joint Committee on Legislative Ethics.^[10]

Frosh brought state funding into the district to build the Capital Crescent Trail, build sound barriers, and fund programs like those at the National Center for Children and Families, the Ivymount School, Imagination Stage, Adventure Theatre and Glen Echo Park.^[11]

Elections

2014

Main article: 2014 Maryland Attorney General election

On October 9, 2012, Frosh announced that he had formed an exploratory committee for election to Attorney General. On July 30, 2013, he officially announced his decision to run.^[28]

Frosh, who was endorsed by Michael Bloomberg and The Washington Post, won a 3-way primary with 50% of the vote.^[29] He then won the general election, defeating Republican Jeffrey Pritzker 56% to 41%.^[30][31][32]

Tenure

Frosh expanded the range of the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic Heroin Task Force.^[39]

Frosh has argued against bail that defendants can't afford, which he believes could be unconstitutional.^[40]

Frosh is leading a coalition of 12 state attorneys general opposing the federal government's plans to expand the scope of offshore drilling for oil and gas, including in waters off the coast of Maryland.^[41] Frosh joined other state attorneys general in an effort to block the Trump administration from suspending higher penalties on automobile manufacturers that fail to comply with federal fuel efficiency standards.^[42] He also is part of a multistate coalition challenging EPA's decision to roll back greenhouse gas emission standards for cars and light trucks.^[43] Frosh negotiated a $33.5 million settlement agreement with Volkswagen AG and its affiliates, Audi AG and Porsche AG. The agreement settles an enforcement action for the auto manufacturers' use of "defeat devices" in certain models of their vehicles in violation of Maryland's air quality control laws.^[44]

Frosh reached a settlement with VietNow National Headquarters, Inc., resulting in the organization's dissolution. VietNow, which also used the name VeteransNow, had been raising money using deceptive telemarketing solicitation scripts.^[45]

In August 2017, Frosh issued a cease and desist order against We Can Cer-Vive! The investigation found violations of the Maryland Solicitations Act by the organization and its owner.^[46]

Lawsuits against the Trump administration

As Maryland Attorney General, Frosh has joined lawsuits against the Trump Administration. Frosh joined a Washington State lawsuit against President Donald Trump's immigration executive order.^[47] He joined a coalition of high-tax states suing the Trump Administration over the 2017 tax reform law.^[48] He has also joined lawsuits against Trump over a citizenship question on the 2020 Census, the Emoluments Clause, greenhouse gasses, regulatory rollbacks, vehicle emissions standards, airplane noise, contraception coverage in health insurance, regulation of for-profit colleges, offshore drilling, Obamacare subsidies, what he described as Trump's "attempts to sabotage" Obamacare, air pollution, his declaration of a national emergency at the Mexican border, and pesticide labelling.^{[49][50][51][52][53][54][55][56][57][58]}

The Maryland legislature appropriated $1 million for Frosh to hire five additional attorneys to handle the anti-Trump lawsuits, but Maryland Governor Larry Hogan withheld the funds, saying that it wasn't a good use of the state's money.^[59][60]

First Amendment lawsuit

In January 2019, a former Maryland Delegate filed a lawsuit against Governor Hogan and Frosh relating to a violation of First Amendment rights. Specifically, through an executive order, Maryland has banned citizens who support the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign from bidding on state contracts.^[61]

Adnan Syed case

Frosh has consistently opposed Adnan Syed's petitions in the case of the killing of Hae Min Lee, which resulted in Syed's imprisonment. In June 2016, the Baltimore City Circuit Court granted Syed's request for a new trial and vacated his conviction, ruling that Syed's attorney "rendered ineffective assistance". In May 2018, Frosh filed a petition with the Maryland Court of Appeals to deny Syed a new trial.^[62] In October 2019, Frosh authored a legal brief^[63] in opposition to Adnan Syed's petition for writ of certiorari to the United States Supreme Court. This case has been covered extensively in the podcast Undisclosed.^[64] In late 2018, according to HBO, Frosh offered Syed a plea deal for his conviction that would have required him to admit guilt and serve an additional four years in prison. Syed rejected the deal.^[65]

Task force, boards, and commissions

In 2012, Frosh was appointed by Maryland legislative leaders to chair a task force to study the impact of a Maryland Court of Appeals ruling regarding the liability of owners of pit bulls and landlords that rent to them.^[66]