News Releases

ICYMI: Attorney General Jones Announces Federal Accountability Unit

RICHMOND, Va. – Attorney General Jones announced the creation of the Federal Accountability Unit, a new team within the Office of the Attorney General dedicated to confronting Trump administration actions that exceed federal authority and threaten Virginia’s interests. This is the first cross-functional team of its kind within the Office of Attorney General, establishing permanent capacity to identify emerging threats, respond quickly, and take legal action. 

PRESS RELEASE: Attorney General Jones Forms Dedicated Legal Unit to Confront Unprecedented Trump Administration Overreach 

“I have a fundamental responsibility as Attorney General to defend the Commonwealth and protect Virginians when the federal government exceeds its authority,” said Attorney General Jay Jones. “I promised to put Virginia first, and the Federal Accountability Unit will take on Trump administration actions that hurt Virginians, from tariffs that exacerbate the cost crisis, to the damage left behind by DOGE. My team will be ready to act when Trump holds critical funding hostage, when federal policies threaten Virginia workers and families, or when the President attacks our democracy. The creation of this unit ensures dedicated personnel and resources are in place to fight back in court and protect the people we serve.” 

Richmond Times Dispatch: Va. Attorney General creates unit to act on federal overreach 

Attorney General Jay Jones is launching another new enforcement unit, this time to respond to actions by the federal government that he said overreach their authority in Virginia. 

Jones said Wednesday that the new "federal accountability unit" would allow the state to quickly challenge actions by President Donald Trump that the attorney general said threaten Virginia's interests, such as the cuts in government employment and spending under the so-called Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE.

He said the new unit also would respond to federal actions affecting elections, healthcare, consumers, constitutional rights, tariffs and other economic policies. 

"I have a fundamental responsibility as attorney general to defend the Commonwealth and protect Virginians when the federal government exceeds its authority," Jones said in a statement on Wednesday. "The Federal Accountability Unit will take on Trump administration actions that hurt Virginians, from tariffs that exacerbate the cost crisis, to the damage left behind by DOGE."

"My team will be ready to act when Trump holds critical funding hostage, when federal policies threaten Virginia workers and families, or when the president attacks our democracy," he said. "The creation of this unit ensures dedicated personnel and resources are in place to fight back in court and protect the people we serve."

[...] 

Deputy Solicitor General Megan Keenan will lead the new enforcement unit, which will include four attorneys from her office and the Civil Litigation Division.

"We understand the weight of the work and the stakes for Virginians," Keenan said in a statement. "We will move quickly, defend the Commonwealth and meet unlawful action with the full force of the law."

"Our charge is to anticipate emerging threats, build the strongest cases possible, and ensure the state is prepared with its interests or its people are put at risk," she said.

The new unit will work with other states and attorneys general to coordinate multistate litigation and what the office called "consequential cases involving Trump administration policies and actions."

WJLA and The Baltimore Sun: Virginia attorney general creates unit to challenge Trump administration actions 

Virginia Attorney General Jay Jones announced the creation of a new legal unit Thursday dedicated to challenging what his office describes as federal overreach by the Trump administration.  

The Federal Accountability Unit will have four attorneys working across the Office of the Solicitor General and Civil Litigation Division. Deputy Solicitor General Megan Keenan will lead the team. 

According to Jones’ office, the unit will give Virginia a permanent legal team focused on identifying emerging federal actions, responding quickly and potentially challenging them in court. 

“I have a fundamental responsibility as Attorney General to defend the Commonwealth and protect Virginians when the federal government exceeds its authority,” Jones said. 

Jones said the unit will focus on federal policies affecting Virginia, including tariffs, federal funding, cuts to the federal workforce and actions by the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE. 

The office said the team’s work will also cover elections, health care, immigration, environmental protections, consumer issues, constitutional rights and other economic policies. 

Officials said the unit will bring lawsuits when necessary, defend Virginia’s interests in court and coordinate with attorneys general from other states on multistate litigation. 

“I promised to put Virginia first, and the Federal Accountability Unit will take on Trump administration actions that hurt Virginians, from tariffs that exacerbate the cost crisis, to the damage left behind by DOGE. My team will be ready to act when Trump holds critical funding hostage, when federal policies threaten Virginia workers and families, or when the President attacks our democracy. The creation of this unit ensures dedicated personnel and resources are in place to fight back in court and protect the people we serve," Jones said. 

The attorney general’s office said the unit is the first cross-functional team of its kind within the office. 

The Center Square: 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. 

[...] 

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. 

[...] 

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. 

Published on: August 27, 2026

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