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Jonathan Skrmetti
28th Attorney General of Tennessee
Incumbent
Assumed office
September 1, 2022
GovernorBill Lee
Preceded byHerbert Slatery
Personal details
Born1977 (age 46–47)
New London, Connecticut, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
EducationGeorge Washington University (BA)
Hertford College, Oxford (BA)
Harvard University (JD)
Signature

Jonathan Thomas Skrmetti (born 1977) is an American attorney and public official. He currently serves as the 28th Attorney General and Reporter for the state of Tennessee.

Education

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Skrmetti earned degrees from George Washington University and Hertford College, Oxford. While earning his Juris Doctor from Harvard Law School, he served as the editor-in-chief of the Harvard Journal of Law & Public Policy.[1]

Career

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Skrmetti previously clerked for Judge Steven Colloton on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit.[1] As an adjunct professor, he taught cyberlaw at the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphrey's School of Law. Before entering private practice, Skrmetti served as a federal prosecutor for almost a decade, first with the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice, and then as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in Memphis[1] from 2011 to 2014.[2] Skrmetti was also a partner at Butler Snow LLP in Memphis.[3]

He was one of eleven Tennessee attorneys who applied to fill the vacancy on the Tennessee Supreme Court when Justice Cornelia Clark passed away in 2021,[4] before serving as Chief Counsel to Governor Bill Lee from December 2021 to August 2022.[2][5]

Jonathan Skrmetti was Chief Deputy Attorney General under Herbert Slatery from December 2018[6] through December 2021.[2][7]

Arguing against Instagram Kids

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AG Slatery's office had attempted to specifically investigate Instagram back in 2021[8] and TikTok in 2022.[9] Skrmetti, as Chief Deputy Attorney General, argued against the then-planned Instagram for kids only, stating that the platform would be a means of having children become accustomed to social media when they are "psychologically vulnerable."[10]

Attorney General of Tennessee

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Skrmetti was appointed by the Tennessee Supreme Court to serve an eight-year term on August 10, 2022, and was sworn in on September 1, 2022.[11] Tennessee is the only state in the country where the State Supreme Court appoints the attorney general as a non-partisan member of the Judicial Branch.[12]

In his role as AG and Reporter of Tennessee, Skrmetti has instituted a strategic litigation unit with ten attorneys to focus on pending litigation involving the federal government, various Tennessee municipalities, and to focus on corporate activity within the state.[13]

Environmental issues

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State of Tennessee v. 3M et al.
[edit]

On May 31, 2023, Skrmetti filed suit against twenty-one named manufacturers of products using PFAs and ten unnamed. The suit focuses on the manufacture and sale of AFFF (aqueous film-forming foam) throughout the state rather than on the various consumer products which contain PFAs.[14] Skrmetti contends that the manufacturers not only knew about the risk PFAs pose to both organisms and the environment, but that they also concealed the level of harm the chemicals could cause in order to raise their profits.[15] The suit further claims that some of the named companies attempted to protect themselves from liability through fraud.[16][17]

Opposing changes to Title IX
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Shortly after being sworn into office, AG Skrmetti issued a letter to the US Department of Education in opposition to adding "gender identity" to the wording of Title IX.[18]

In January 2023, he filed a brief[19] in support of a 2022 injunction against a sports competition under West Virginia's 2021 "Save Women's Sports Act"[20] preventing transgender students from participating in athletics on teams of "the opposite biological sex".[21] The focus of the WV law is on transfemale athletes, claiming that their assigned gender at birth provides them an unfair advantage thus undoing the very protections established by Title IX.[22]

Friends of George's v. State of Tennessee
[edit]
Main article: Friends of George's v. State of Tennessee
See also: Tennessee Adult Entertainment Act

In March 2023, the LGBTQIA theatre company Friends of George's filed lawsuits against the State of Tennessee, AG Skrmetti, and Shelby County DA Steve Mulroy.[23][24] The suits argued that the vague language of a new state law restricting public drag performances (defining drag performers as cabaret and likening drag shows to strip clubs[25]) made it impossible to know what activity exactly it intended to curtail, especially in how the state law might be infringing on First Amendment protected speech.[26][27][28][29] When Judge Thomas Parker ruled on June 2, 2023, that the law did violate Constitutionally protected speech,[30][31] he pointed out that it was "substantially overbroad" despite the State's argument that the law would only apply to "expressive content that is harmful to a reasonable 17-year-old".[27][28][32]

Skrmetti had been a named defendant in the suit,[28] and joined filings before Judge Parker reached his decision: a motion to dismiss the case due to failure to state a claim and a motion to dismiss due to lack of jurisdiction.[33] Both of these motions were granted as Skrmetti was determined to be acting in his role as AG. Skremtti has filed a Notice of Appeal of Judge Parker's decision, pointing out that the same language Parker found to be vague is present throughout the Tennessee Code.[34][35]

Hannah Miyamoto v. Bill Lee, et. al.
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Retired attorney Hannah Miyamoto (registered with the Hawaii bar) filed suit against Bill Lee, AG Skrmetti, and Davidson County DA Glenn R. Funk (all named) on March 8, 2023, in the Southern District of California, where she currently resides. The suit has been assigned Tennessee case number 3:23cv-00233.[36] She alleges that the TAEA, which AG Skrmetti has held is still in effect throughout Tennessee except in Shelby County,[37] prevents her from being able to perform her play, Twelve Nights with Viola and Olivia, in Nashville at TPAC. The play is based on Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, or What You Will, in which one of the main characters, Viola, spends the majority of the play impersonating a man. The case is currently pending.[38][39][40]

Governor Lee has stated that he is deferring to Skrmetti with respect to whether the TAEA is enforceable outside of Shelby County.[41]

Consumer protection

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Ticketmaster
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Main article: 2022 Ticketmaster controversy

After ticket sales for Taylor Swift's Eras Tour rose to as much as $28,000 per ticket on Ticketmaster,[42] Skrmetti opened an investigation into possible violations of antitrust laws, saying that the issue consumers experienced in obtaining tickets might be an indication of not enough competition,[43][44] though Ticketmaster and LiveNation's merger has been approved through 2025 by the US Department of Justice.[45] The incident did result in the DOJ once again probing the companies for breach of antitrust laws.[46] A statement from one of Ticketmaster's shareholders stated that the fiasco was caused by bots,[47] which may have put the company in violation of a 2008 bot-ban law passed in Tennessee.[48]

One area of concern Skrmetti said would be investigated was whether Ticketmaster/LiveNation profited off of the sales of the tickets twice,[49] as well as what consumers were promised regarding ticket availability.[50] Skrmetti clarified that the concern isn't that everyone who wants a ticket be able to purchase one, but that Ticketmaster made specific claims regarding the service they offer and the quality of that service, and because there is little to no competition, Ticketmaster has no incentive to provide what was promised.[51]

Though there hasn't been an official update from the AG's office since December 14, 2022,[52] Skrmetti did tell Time magazine in January 2023 that the investigation is still ongoing and that the evidence found so far "is not entirely consistent" with Ticketmaster's statement that their large market share is due to the difference in quality between their system and "the next best primary ticketing system."[53] When opening the investigation, Skrmetti stated, "If it's a consumer protection violation and we can find exactly where the problems are, we can get a court order that makes the company do better."[54]

State of Tennessee et al v. AdoreMe.com
[edit]

Thirty-one states and the District of Columbia filed suit against AdoreMe.com in response to consumer complaints, alleging unfair trade practices against the retailer. Specifically at issue was the VIP program, in which customers were automatically charged a monthly fee of $39.95 unless they either made a purchase or logged into their account.[55] The state AGs argued that the program was deceptive as it did not properly disclose the terms, and customers were charged the monthly rate without understanding they would be required to take action before the sixth of every month to avoid the fee. Additionally, those who attempted to cancel their memberships found it extremely difficult and were forced to forfeit accrued store credit in order to do so. The retailer also misled consumers regarding discounts with a "countdown" that didn't actually affect purchase eligibility.[56][57]

The suit settled in June 2023, with the blanket amount of $2.35 million to be paid amongst the thirty-one states and D.C.[58][59][60] and refunds to be offered to the affected customers. AdoreMe.com was required to contact all eligible customers as part of the settlement agreement. As with many suits of this type, the retailer admits no wrongdoing as part of the settlement.[57][61]

Recognition from private organizations

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In May 2023, Skrmetti accepted an award from the Tennessee Faith & Freedom Coalition, who proclaimed him a "Defender of Freedom" for his work as AG.[62][63] The group is a self-proclaimed conservative, Christian, anti-Marxist organization.[64]

Personal life

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He is married and has four children, and resides in Franklin, Tennessee.

In May 2023, he was elected to the board of the Jason Foundation, Inc., a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that attempts to provide support and educational tools for youth at risk of suicide.[65] He had previously been an ambassador of the foundation.[66]

References

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  1. ^ a b c Royse, Mary Alice (2022-09-01). "Jonathan Skrmetti sworn in as Tennessee's 28th Attorney General". News Channel 4 Nashville. Retrieved 2023-08-07.
  2. ^ a b c Satterfield, Jamie (2022-08-10). "Tennessee Supreme Court taps Skrmetti for Attorney General". Tennessee Lookout. Retrieved 2023-08-07.
  3. ^ "Tennessee Supreme Court Selects Jonathan Skrmetti As Attorney General | Tennessee Administrative Office of the Courts". www.tncourts.gov. Retrieved 2023-07-18.
  4. ^ Elliott, Stephen (2021-11-22). "11 apply for Supreme Court vacancy | Former U.S. attorney, embattled Nashville judge among high court hopefuls". Nashville Post. Retrieved 2023-07-27.
  5. ^ Elliott, Stephen (2021-12-08). "Supreme Court candidate takes job in governor's office | AG aide is Lee's new top lawyer". Nashville Post. Retrieved 2023-07-27.
  6. ^ "Tennessee Bar Association - Continuing Legal Education (CLE) Faculty profile". Tennessee Bar Association | Continuing Legal Education. Retrieved 2023-08-08.
  7. ^ "Skrmetti Takes Over Tennessee Attorney General Office". U.S. News & World Report. Associated Press. 2022-09-01. Retrieved 2022-10-21.
  8. ^ "AG Slatery Leads Nationwide Investigation Into Instagram's Impact on Young People". www.tn.gov. Retrieved 2023-08-07.
  9. ^ Royca, Mary Alice (2022-03-02). "Tennessee Attorney General investigates mental illness impacts of Tik Tok". WSMV-TV. Retrieved 2023-08-06.
  10. ^ "AGs Urge Zuckerberg to Halt Plans for Kids' Instagram | OnTargetNews.com". On Target News. The Bowman Media Company. 2021-05-16. Retrieved 2023-08-06.
  11. ^ Timms, Mariah (August 10, 2022). "Tennessee Supreme Court taps Gov. Lee adviser Jonathan Skrmetti for attorney general seat". The Tennessean. Retrieved 21 October 2022.
  12. ^ "Supreme Court". Tennessee Courts. Retrieved October 21, 2022.
  13. ^ Stockard, Sam (2023-05-04). "Attorney General beefs up office to take on feds, cities". Tennessee Lookout. Retrieved 2023-07-15.
  14. ^ "CASE NO. 23C1259" (PDF). 2023-05-31. Retrieved 2023-07-18.
  15. ^ "TN Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti Sues More Than 20 PFAS Manufacturers". www.tn.gov. 2023-06-29. Retrieved 2023-07-15.
  16. ^ WTVC (2023-06-29). "Manufacturers who create 'forever chemicals' in Tennessee sued by state's attorney general". WTVC. Retrieved 2023-07-18.
  17. ^ D'Abrosca, Peter (2023-06-30). "AG Skrmetti Files Lawsuit Against Massive Chemical Companies for Negative Health Effects on Tennesseans". Tennessee Star. Retrieved 2023-07-18.
  18. ^ West, Emily (2022-09-12). "New Tennessee AG opposes placing 'gender identity' into Title IX law". WTVF. Retrieved 2023-07-16.
  19. ^ "pr23 05 Brief | PDF | Title Ix | Standing (Law)". Scribd. Retrieved 2023-07-16.
  20. ^ "HB 2917 Text". www.wvlegislature.gov. Retrieved 2023-07-16.
  21. ^ Mojica, Adrian (2023-01-27). "Tennessee defends injunction to halt to transgender sports competition, use of facilities". WZTV. Retrieved 2023-07-16.
  22. ^ "TN Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti Joins Amicus Brief Filed with U.S. Supreme Court in Support of Fairness in Women's Sports". www.tn.gov. Retrieved 2023-07-16.
  23. ^ "Federal judge temporarily blocks Tennessee's anti-drag law". AP News. 2023-04-01. Retrieved 2023-07-16.
  24. ^ "Case 2:23-cv-02163-TLP-tmp" (PDF). Free Law Project. 2023-03-31. Retrieved 2023-07-16.
  25. ^ Roush, Ty. "Trump-Appointed Judge Rules Tennessee's Drag Ban Unconstitutional". Forbes. Retrieved 2023-07-16.
  26. ^ Kennin, Lydian (2023-03-31). "Non-profit theater company sues DA Mulroy over drag legislation". WMC-TV. Retrieved 2023-07-16.
  27. ^ a b "Case 2:23-cv-02163-TLP-tmp" (PDF). Free Law Project. 2023-06-02. p. 13. Retrieved 2023-07-16.
  28. ^ a b c "Friends of Georges, Inc. v. Steven J. Mulroy, 2:23-cv-02176 - CourtListener.com". CourtListener. Retrieved 2023-07-16.
  29. ^ "Take Their Crowns: Conservatives' Subtly Sinister[1] Criminalization of Drag and Gender Expression". University of Baltimore Law Review. 2023-04-28. Retrieved 2023-07-16.
  30. ^ Gans, Jared (2023-06-03). "Federal judge rules Tennessee restrictions on drag shows unconstitutional". The Hill. Retrieved 2023-07-16.
  31. ^ "Trump-appointed judge says Tennessee anti-drag law is unconstitutional". The Guardian. Associated Press. 2023-06-03. Retrieved 2023-07-23.
  32. ^ McCall, Holly (2023-06-03). "Federal Judge overturns Tennessee's ban on drag shows". Tennessee Lookout. Retrieved 2023-07-23.
  33. ^ "Friends of Georges, Inc. v. Steven J. Mulroy, in his official and individual capacity". Justia Dockets & Filings. Retrieved 2023-07-16.
  34. ^ Kennin, Lydian (2023-06-30). "State AG appeals federal judge's decision to allow public drag shows in Tennessee". WMC-TV. Retrieved 2013-07-16.
  35. ^ "Case 2:23-cv-02163-TLP-tmp Document 94" (PDF). TN.gov. 2023-06-30. Retrieved 2023-07-16.
  36. ^ "Miyamoto v. Lee et al". Justia Dockets & Filings. Retrieved 2023-07-24.
  37. ^ Sainz, Adrian; Kruesi, Kimberlee (2023-06-06). "Ruling on Tennessee's anti-drag law leaves questions about enforcement, next steps". PBS. Retrieved 2023-07-20.
  38. ^ Sampson, Dee (2023-02-24). "DRAG BILL LAWSUIT ALERT: I'm about to sue Tennessee, and you can too!". Daily Kos. Archived from the original on 2023-02-26. Retrieved 2023-07-24.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  39. ^ Sampson, Dee (2023-03-05). "UPDATE: Tennessee anti-Drag Bill Lawsuit to be filed this week!". Daily Kos. Archived from the original on 2023-03-07. Retrieved 2023-07-24.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  40. ^ Gomes, Paula (2023-03-06). "Left Threatens Lawsuits After Lee Signs Bills Protecting Children From Gender Mutilation & Exposure To Sexually Provocative Drag". Tennessee Conservative. Retrieved 2023-07-24.
  41. ^ Stockard, Sam (2023-06-06). "Governor hands drag show court case to attorney general". Tennessee Lookout. Retrieved 2023-07-20.
  42. ^ Richwine, Lisa (2022-11-16). "Taylor Swift resale ticket prices soar past $28,000 amid fan frenzy". Reuters. Archived from the original on 2022-11-17. Retrieved 2023-08-06.
  43. ^ Ighodaro, Omose (2022-11-16). "Tennessee, North Carolina AGs Investigating Taylor Swift Ticket Presale". Bloomberg. Retrieved 2023-08-06.
  44. ^ Hearing, Alice (2022-11-17). "Taylor Swift's Eras presale disaster sets off investigation into Ticketmaster over possible antitrust violations". Fortune. Archived from the original on 2022-11-17. Retrieved 2023-08-06.
  45. ^ McLaughlin, David; Gilblom, Kelly (2019-12-19). "Live Nation Surges on U.S. Settlement Over Ticketmaster Deal". Bloomberg. Retrieved 2023-08-06.
  46. ^ Sisco, Josh (2022-11-18). "DOJ probing Live Nation and Ticketmaster for antitrust violations". Politico. Retrieved 2023-08-06.
  47. ^ Taylor, Chloe (2022-11-18). "Bots helped drive Taylor Swift ticket fiasco, Ticketmaster's largest shareholder says". Fortune. Retrieved 2023-08-06.
  48. ^ Kruesi, Kimberlee (2022-11-19). "Taylor Swift tickets breakdown probed by attorneys general". APNews. Retrieved 2023-08-06.
  49. ^ Da Silva, Chantal (2022-11-17). "Tennessee AG investigating Ticketmaster after Taylor Swift ticket chaos". CNBC. Retrieved 2023-08-06.
  50. ^ Bartiromo, Maria (2022-11-23). "Ticketmaster may require a 'government intervention': Tennessee AG Jonathan Skrmetti". Fox Business. 0:34-1:10. Retrieved 2023-08-06.
  51. ^ Bartiromo, Maria (2022-11-23). "Ticketmaster may require a 'government intervention': Tennessee AG Jonathan Skrmetti". Fox Business. 1:54-2:21. Retrieved 2023-08-06.
  52. ^ "Tennessee Attorney General Skrmetti Releases New Statement Regarding Ticketmaster". www.tn.gov. Retrieved 2023-08-07.
  53. ^ Racker, Mini (2023-01-24). "What Happened During Congress' Hearing on Ticketmaster and the Taylor Swift Concert Mess". Time. Retrieved 2023-08-06.
  54. ^ Jackson, Jon (2022-11-17). "Could Ticketmaster's Taylor Swift Fiasco Result in a Federal Probe?". Newsweek. Retrieved 2023-08-06.
  55. ^ Dobrosielski, Chelsea (2023-06-23). "Amazon and Adore Me Stumble on Subscriptions". Sourcing Journal. Retrieved 2023-07-18.
  56. ^ TFL (2023-06-20). "Adore Me Reaches $2.35M Settlement Over "Deceptive" Marketing". The Fashion Law. Retrieved 2023-07-18.
  57. ^ a b Stempel, Jonathan (2023-06-16). "Adore Me lingerie retailer settles US states' deceptive billing claims". Reuters. Retrieved 2023-07-18.
  58. ^ Alegre, J. P. (2023-06-21). "Exposed: Online Lingerie Retailer Pays Millions To Settle Deceptive Marketing Claims". the deep dive. Retrieved 2023-07-18.
  59. ^ Santoni, Matthew (2023-06-16). "Lingerie Co. Inks $2.3M Deal In 31 States Over Recurring Fees - Law360". www.law360.com. Retrieved 2023-07-18.
  60. ^ Housler, Kaitlin (2023-06-20). "Tennessee AG Skrmetti Secures Settlement Payout from Lawsuit Against Online Retailer". Tennessee Star. Retrieved 2023-07-23.
  61. ^ "Settlement Agreement, DocuSign: 0FD3876A-ABD2-4D16-BB17-890B17D27DF8" (PDF). Truth in Advertising (organization). 2023-06-09. Retrieved 2023-07-18.
  62. ^ "Twitter announcement: TN AG Skrmetti recognized as Defender of Freedom". Twitter. 2023-05-03. Retrieved 2023-08-08.
  63. ^ Housler, Kaitlin (2023-05-05). "Tennessee Faith and Freedom Coalition Presents Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti with Defender of Freedom Award". Tennessee Star. Retrieved 2023-08-08.
  64. ^ "Tennessee Faith & Freedom Coalition | About Us". Tennessee Faith & Freedom Coalition. Retrieved 2023-08-08.
  65. ^ "Jason Foundation Inc. | About Us". The Jason Foundation, Inc. Retrieved 2023-08-08.
  66. ^ "The Jason Foundation, Inc. Elects Two New Board Members". www.prnewswire.com. 2023-06-20. Retrieved 2023-08-08.
[edit]

Federalist Society membership page: [1]

Tennessee Bar Association page: [2]

TN Attorney General's YouTube: [3]

Legal offices
Preceded by Attorney General of Tennessee
2022–present 		Incumbent
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