John Kroger Begins Oregon Attorney General Campaign

Kroger joins state Rep. Greg Macpherson in the Democratic field.

Photo courtesy: Lewis & Clark College

(PORTLAND, Ore. ) - Lewis & Clark College Associate Professor of Law John Kroger announced has his candidacy in the 2008 election for Oregon attorney general.

Kroger citing his experience as a former federal prosecutor, said if elected he will help Oregon confront challenges such as methamphetamine manufacturing and corporate pollution, employing an aggressive approach modeled after New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer.

Kroger, who teaches criminal law and jurisprudence, vowed to protect consumers and uphold civil rights, noting his outspoken criticism of the domestic surveillance program.

Kroger joins state Rep. Greg Macpherson in the Democratic field; no Republicans have yet announced plans to run.

Academic Credentials
B.A. magna cum laude 1990 Yale College
M.A. 1990 Yale University
J.D. magna cum laude 1996 Harvard Law School

Professional Background

Professor Kroger teaches criminal law and jurisprudence.

He regularly comments on criminal law for national and local media outlets, including the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, the Washington Post, Salon, and the Oregonian.

In 2004, he won the Leo Levenson award for teaching excellence, awarded by the graduating class.

Before joining the faculty, Professor Kroger was a federal prosecutor.

Kroger successfully prosecuted over two hundred federal criminal cases involving the mafia, public corruption, white collar crime, and narcotics trafficking.

Kroger also argued frequently before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.

In 1999, Kroger received the Director's Award from Attorney General Janet Reno for convicting two mafia captains of multiple murders.

In 2001, Kroger worked on the emergency response to the 9/11 terrorist attack on the World Trade Center.

From 2002 to 2003, Kroger served as a prosecutor on the U.S. Justice Department's Enron Task Force.

Kroger has also worked as an economic and domestic policy adviser to a number of leading Democratic politicians.

He was Deputy Policy Director of Bill Clinton's 1992 Presidential Campaign, a legislative assistant to Speaker of the House Thomas Foley and to Congressman (now senator) Chuck Schumer, and a senior policy analyst at the U.S. Treasury Department.

Kroger served in the United States Marine Corps for three years prior to college.

He clerked for the Honorable Judge Anthony Scirica, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.

He is a member of the Connecticut Bar and admitted to practice before the U.S. Courts of Appeals for the Second and Third Circuits.
Source: Lewis & Clark College