Newly elected Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield, a Democrat, will succeed Ellen Rosenblum, who is retiring. (Michael Romanos/Oregon Capital Chronicle)
Oregon’s newly elected Attorney General Dan Rayfield has tapped a dozen prominent Oregonians working in areas such as health care, law and labor to advise his office as it tries to defend against potential threats to Oregon’s policies from the new administration -Trump.
Rayfield, who takes office in January, on Thursday announced the members of the Federal Oversight and Accountability Cabinet, which he will chair. The cabinet formation comes as newly elected President Donald Trump returns to the White House, raising concerns about the potential impact on areas such as immigration, access to reproductive health care and weaker environmental regulations.
Cabinet leaders will help the Oregon Department of Justice and Oregon communities work together to defend against potential federal consequences, Rayfield said.
“In an era of uncertainty, we must be proactive in our outreach efforts and work to protect the interests and values of Oregonians,” Rayfield said in a statement. “The leaders who serve on the Federal Oversight and Accountability Cabinet create a critical connection between what is happening on the ground in communities across our state and the work we can do at the Oregon Department of Justice to defend all Oregonians.”
Members of the cabinet are: Joe Baessler, executive director of Oregon AFSCME; Sandy Chung, executive director of the ACLU of Oregon; Greg Dotson, professor at the University of Oregon School of Law; Julie Hanna, vice president of government affairs at Oregon Health & Science University; Dr. Sara Kennedy, CEO of Planned Parenthood Columbia Willamette; Kyndall Mason, executive director of Basic Rights Oregon; Isa Peña, director of strategy at the Innovation Law Lab; Jeremiah Rigsby, chief of staff at CareOregon, a Medicaid insurer; Lindsey Scholten, executive director of the Oregon League of Conservation Voters; Graham Trainor, president of Oregon AFL-CIO; Melissa Unger, executive director of SEIU 503; and Norman Williams, a professor at Willamette University College of Law.
Rayfield also appointed Dustin Buehler to a special counsel position in the executive office to lead the department’s federal accountability work. Buehler is currently responsible for civil appeals at the Oregon Department of Justice, where he represents the state in lawsuits in state and federal courts. He also served as general counsel to former Governor Kate Brown.
Fay Stetz-Waters will continue to serve as director of civil rights and social justice and will work with Buehler to lead the work of the Federal Oversight and Accountability Cabinet. Stetz-Waters has been in the role since 2019.
SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES IN YOUR INBOX
