Virginia Attorney General creates unit to challenge federal actions

Virginia Attorney General Jay Jones is creating a four-attorney unit dedicated to challenging actions by the Trump administration that his office says exceed federal authority or threaten the commonwealth’s interests.The Federal Accountability Unit will work across the Office of the Solicitor General and Civil Litigation Division and will be led by Deputy Solicitor General Megan Keenan.
Jones’ office said the unit will give the Attorney General’s Office permanent staff dedicated to identifying federal actions, responding to them and pursuing litigation.
“I have a fundamental responsibility as Attorney General to defend the Commonwealth and protect Virginians when the federal government exceeds its authority,” Jones said.
The unit will focus on issues including federal funding, elections, health care, immigration, environmental protections, consumer issues, constitutional rights, tariffs and other economic policies.
Jones also pointed to federal workforce reductions tied to the Department of Government Efficiency as an area the unit could address.
The team will be able to bring lawsuits on Virginia’s behalf, defend the commonwealth’s interests and work with attorneys general in other states on multistate litigation involving federal policies and actions.
State job postings show the Attorney General’s Office is recruiting for the new unit.
An assistant or senior assistant attorney general position for the Federal Accountability Unit carries a hiring range of $105,000 to $148,000.
A separate posting for a deputy or assistant solicitor general assigned to the unit lists a range of $117,000 to $148,000. Both postings list Sept. 8 as the application deadline and allow applicants to work from Abingdon, Fairfax or Richmond.
Jones, who took office in January, has made challenges to federal actions a focus of his first months as attorney general.
Since taking office, Jones has participated in cases involving tariffs, federal control over elections, conditions placed on emergency and counterterrorism funding, access to voter information, commercial driver data and federal housing funds.
His office has also challenged multiple rounds of Trump administration tariffs and joined litigation over executive actions affecting state election authority.
“We understand the weight of this work and the stakes for Virginians,” Keenan said. “We will move quickly, defend the Commonwealth, and meet unlawful action with the full force of the law.”
Jones’ office said it has joined dozens of multistate cases and pursued litigation involving federal workers, public funding, essential services, economic issues and constitutional rights since he took office.

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