Eric Schneiderman

Eric Schneiderman
Lonnie Tague, United States Department of Justice · Public domain · source
Name	Eric Schneiderman
Birth date	31 December 1954
Birth place	New York City
Alma mater	Princeton University; Harvard Law School
Occupation	Attorney; Politician
Party	Democratic Party
Office	Attorney General of New York
Term start	January 1, 2011
Term end	May 8, 2018
Predecessor	Andrew Cuomo
Successor	Barbara Underwood

Eric Schneiderman is an American attorney and politician who served as the Attorney General of New York from 2011 until his resignation in 2018. A member of the Democratic Party, he had previously served in the New York State Senate and built a profile enforcing consumer protection, financial regulatory actions, and civil rights litigation. His tenure included high-profile actions against financial institutions, pharmaceutical companies, and technology firms, and ended amid allegations that prompted investigations and a succession by a state solicitor general.

Early life and education

Born in New York City, Schneiderman attended Fieldston School before matriculating at Princeton University, where he completed undergraduate studies. He later earned a law degree from Harvard Law School, joining a network that includes alumni who served in the United States Congress, Supreme Court of the United States, and executive branch appointments. During his formative years he clerked and worked with legal practitioners connected to civil litigation and public interest law, interacting with organizations such as American Civil Liberties Union affiliates and local New York County Lawyers' Association networks.

Legal and political career

Schneiderman began his career in private practice and advocacy, engaging with firms and nonprofits active in New York City legal circles and connecting with figures from the Civil Rights Movement lineage and contemporary consumer protection advocates. He won election to the New York State Senate representing parts of Manhattan and the Upper West Side, aligning with lawmakers involved in committees that intersected with policy areas covered by the New York City Council and statewide legislative caucuses. In Albany he worked alongside legislators associated with initiatives linked to the Housing Authority of the City of New York, Metropolitan Transportation Authority, and statewide commissions addressing public corruption and regulatory oversight. Schneiderman developed relationships with national figures from the Democratic National Committee, elected executives such as the Mayor of New York City, and attorneys general from other states, coordinating multi-state efforts with counterparts like the Attorney General of California and Attorney General of Massachusetts.

Tenure as New York Attorney General

As Attorney General of New York, Schneiderman led litigation and enforcement actions involving major institutions including Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, and large healthcare entities such as Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson. He participated in multistate coalitions with offices like the California Department of Justice and the Office of the Attorney General (Massachusetts) to challenge practices in the mortgage-backed securities market after the 2008 financial crisis and pursued settlements tied to the U.S. Department of Justice actions. Schneiderman's office filed suits and negotiated agreements concerning pharmaceutical pricing, opioid distribution with companies including Purdue Pharma and distributors like McKesson Corporation, and consumer privacy cases involving technology firms such as Facebook, Google, and Apple Inc..

He also advanced enforcement in civil rights and labor arenas, bringing cases under state statutes alongside advocacy groups like Human Rights Campaign and labor unions including the Service Employees International Union. Schneiderman supported investigations into corporate tax practices with coordination involving the Internal Revenue Service-connected inquiries and pursued initiatives on environmental enforcement with entities such as the Environmental Protection Agency and state environmental agencies. His office issued legal opinions and litigated on matters implicating elected executives, interacting with figures such as Andrew Cuomo (politician) and participating in oversight connected to state regulatory bodies like the New York State Comptroller.

Controversies and resignation

In 2018, Schneiderman faced multiple allegations of abusive conduct by several women, leading to investigations and public reporting by outlets including The New Yorker, The New York Times, and broadcast organizations such as CNN and NBC News. The allegations prompted political responses from leaders in the United States Senate and New York State Assembly, and calls for resignation from members of the Democratic National Committee (DNC). Schneiderman announced his resignation amid pressure from state legislators, civic groups like Women's March-aligned organizations, and advocacy networks including Time's Up. His departure activated succession protocols under state law, resulting in Barbara Underwood assuming the duties of Attorney General of New York as the New York State Solicitor General-turned-acting attorney general while the office arranged for a special election and interim appointments.

Post-resignation activities and legacy

After resigning, Schneiderman's public profile diminished as inquiries by local prosecutors and civil litigants were discussed among legal commentators in publications such as The Atlantic and The New Republic. Debates about accountability for elected officials referenced mechanisms used in similar cases involving figures like Al Franken, Harvey Weinstein, and other high-profile resignations during the period of the Me Too movement. Schneiderman's record remains cited in analyses of multistate litigation strategies, consumer protection jurisprudence, and enforcement against financial misconduct, with comparisons drawn to successors including Letitia James and other state attorneys general who continued coordinated actions on issues such as opioid litigation, antitrust investigations into technology platforms, and corporate accountability. His career is discussed in legal scholarship appearing in journals associated with Columbia Law School, New York University School of Law, and policy research institutes that study executive branch ethics and prosecutorial conduct.

Category:1954 births Category:Living people Category:Attorneys General of New York Category:New York (state) Democrats