Abbott thanks employees pledges to continue protecting children and families
Texas Insider Report: AUSTIN Texas Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott today formally began his third term as the States chief legal officer and top law enforcement official. Chief Justice Wallace Jefferson administered the oath of office during a ceremony performed at the Attorney Generals Office in the presence of agency employees. U.S. Senator and former Texas Attorney General John Cornyn delivered remarks at Abbotts inaugural ceremony today.
After swearing to defend the laws and constitution of the State of Texas Attorney General Abbott renewed his commitment to tough law enforcement and thanked agency employees for their service to Texas citizens.
Thanks to the hard work and dedication of the talented men and women who serve the Texas Attorney Generals Office we achieved some remarkable accomplishments over the last eight years" Attorney General Abbott said. During my first two terms as Texas Attorney General we arrested more than 2000 sexual predators collected billions of dollars in child support served thousands of crime victims saved millions of dollars for the taxpayers and provided expert legal representation to the State. With an unprecedented third term we will build on those successes while also fighting back against unparalleled overreach by the federal government."
Accomplishments during Abbotts two terms as Texas Attorney General include:
• $19.3 billion collected in child support
• more than $600 million awarded to crime victims and their families
• more than $300 million in grants to nonprofits and crime victim advocacy organizations
• more than $200 million recovered in civil Medicaid fraud waste and abuse
• more than 2000 sexual predators unregistered sex offenders and child pornographers arrested
Prior to his election as Texas 50th Attorney General on Nov. 5 2002 Greg Abbott served as a Justice on the Texas Supreme Court and as a State District Judge in Harris County. A native Texan Attorney General Abbott was born in Wichita Falls and raised in Duncanville. After graduating from the University of Texas with a B.B.A. in Finance he received his law degree from Vanderbilt University. Shortly after graduating from law school he was partially paralyzed by a falling tree while jogging. He and his wife Cecilia a former school teacher and principal have been married more than 25 years. They live in Austin with their daughter Audrey.
