For Immediate Release Contact Information: Rep. Rob Teilhet
Monday, April 6, 2009 404-435-7499
Teilhet Announces Candidacy for Attorney General
Crime Victim Advocacy, Consumer Protection, and Ethics to be Themes of Campaign
SMYRNA, Ga. – State Representative Rob Teilhet (D-Smyrna) today officially announced his candidacy to become Georgia's next Attorney General. This morning Teilhet filed the necessary paperwork to form his campaign committee, called “Teilhet for a Safer Georgia.”
“As Attorney General, I will fight every day for Georgia families,” said Representative Rob Teilhet. “I will work with law enforcement to ensure that the Attorney General's office is a powerful partner in the fight for victims and their families. Consumer protection and ethics in government will be top priorities of this campaign.”
Teilhet says his campaign for Attorney General will focus on three things: advocacy for crime victims, consumer protection and ethics in government. His campaign will be chaired by former State Representative Nick Moraitakis.
During his tenure in the Georgia House of Representatives, Teilhet has earned a reputation as a tough-on-crime legislator, passing legislation to expand background checks on people who work with children, the elderly, and Georgians with disabilities. Teilhet reliably supports law enforcement as a member of the House Judiciary Committee.
Teilhet has also carved out a strong reputation for protecting Georgia consumers. He passed several laws to protect Georgians from identity theft, led the fight to stop the legalization of payday lending, and sponsored legislation to eliminate fraud in refund anticipation loans, marketed as “instant tax refunds.”
He has been a consistent proponent of stronger ethics laws, fighting for limits on lobbyist gifts to legislators, stricter rules regarding conflict of interest in Georgia's General Assembly, and a stronger Open Records Act.
“As a husband and father, there is nothing more important to me than protecting Georgians who work hard and play by the rules,” said Teilhet. “When I'm Attorney General, violent criminals, rip-off artists and government officials who violate the public's trust will find no safe haven.”
Teilhet (pronounced tuh-lay) has represented parts of Smyrna and Marietta in the General Assembly since his election in 2002 at the age of 28. He serves on the Education, Judiciary and Industrial Relations Committees in the Georgia House of Representatives. He has been named one of Georgia's Most Influential People by James Magazine and a “Star to Watch” by the National Journal's Hotline.
In the community, Teilhet serves on the board of the Georgia Network to End Sexual Assault. He was named by the State Bar of Georgia to serve on its Lawyer Advertising Task Force, and also serves on the advisory committee of the Cobb Literacy Council. In September of 2007 he joined the Executive Committee of the Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education, a non-profit group of business and community leaders committed to increasing student achievement in Georgia schools.
Teilhet lives in Smyrna with his wife, Heather, and their two daughters. He is a partner in the law firm of Rogers, Strimban & Teilhet in Marietta. He received both his undergraduate and law degree from the University of Georgia.
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