In 1998, Gansler was elected State's Attorney for Montgomery County, Maryland, serving from January 1999 to January 2007. While serving, he prosecuted several high-profile cases, including theBeltway snipers,John Muhammad andLee Boyd Malvo.[10] Gansler also launched programs to fight gangs, punish criminals, and protect the public, including domestic violence dockets anddrug courts, gang prosecution unit,Elder Abuse Task Force to target criminals preying on seniors, and anInternet crime unit.[8]
On one occasion, the Maryland Court of Appealssanctioned him for public statements he made about a possible confession and possibleplea in a high-profile case involving the beating and murder of a Maryland jogger.[11] He was the first elected State's Attorney to be sanctioned by the court.[12]
Gansler protected theChesapeake Bay, its tributaries, and Maryland's other natural resources. He securedair quality settlements,[14] water pollution, oil pollution andasbestos penalties.[15]
Gansler also led the successful charge to havephosphates banned from dishwasher detergent[16] and arsenic banned from chicken feed,[17] and helped secure standing for environmental groups to sue polluters in State court.[18]
He also laid the groundwork for the construction of apower plant to convert 500 million pounds of chicken manure into energy, potentially keeping the single largest source ofnitrogen andphosphorus out of theChesapeake Bay, while providing Marylandfarmers with an additional source of revenue.[19]
Gansler fought various forms of fraud that threatenedhome ownership, contributed to the cost of healthcare, and undermined citizens' financial security and well-being. This work included an agreement with all the majorcar rental companies to end usurious refueling rates,[20] and a settlement with all four majorwireless carriers requiring disclosure of the terms of cell phone insurance.[21]
In a fight againstmortgage fraud, Gansler recovered nearly $1 billion in relief and assistance for Maryland homeowners.[22] He was aggressive in going afterpredatory lenders,[23] foreclosure scammers,[24] unscrupulous contractors,[25] and others who made home ownership difficult.[26] His efforts recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for consumer victims.
Gansler worked to keep consumers safe from healthcare scams. This work included the largest recovery in a healthcare fraud investigation in U.S. history against a majorpharmaceutical company that illegally marketed drugs at the expense of consumer safety.[27] It also included multimillion-dollar victories against healthcare providers who abusedMedicaid at taxpayers’ expense,[28] and others that preyed on the infirm.[29] Gansler also advocated for better healthcare options for Marylanders, both through his Health Education and Advocacy Unit,[30] and through his leadership in supporting broader healthcare solutions like theAffordable Care Act.[31]
To promote the health and safety of Maryland teens, Gansler led the effort to limit youth access toalcohol and tobacco by combating the marketing practices of alcohol and tobacco companies that target younger consumers.[32] This work led to an agreement with two of the largest alcohol manufacturers to stop the production and distribution of alcoholic "energy" drinks,[33] as well as an agreement with one of the largest gas station franchises in the world to curb tobacco sales to minors at its 13,000 outlets across the United States.[34]
Recognizing that rapid developments inInternet technology and enterprise have created new and significantprivacy risks for both consumers and corporations, Gansler led state and national efforts to protectonline privacy. For example, he led a charge by 36 state attorneys general to demand accountability from the nation's largest provider of Internet services when it unilaterally changed itsprivacy policy.[35] He also brought an action against a major retailer for an online breach that led to the theft of consumer credit card data from 100 million transactions.[36]
Gansler also established a statewideInternet safety initiative focused on school-aged children,[41] shut down an online anonymous gossip site being used to torment young students, helped eliminate the onlineillegal adult services section ofCraigslist,[42] and worked on a nationally coordinated effort targetingsexual predators who usesocial networking websites to lure victims. Tens of thousands ofsexual predators were removed fromsocial networking sites as a result of this effort.[43] For this work, he received the Champion of Online Safety Award.[44]
Gansler demonstrated a long-standing commitment tocivil rights in his creation of the first-ever Director of Civil Rights position in the Office of theAttorney General.[45] He set up a Voting IrregularitiesTask Force to addressvoter suppression issues in Maryland,[46] and aCampaign Finance Advisory Committee to explore ways to ensure fair participation in theelectoral process.[47] He also published a report providing guidance ontaser training protocols that is being used nationally bylaw enforcement,[48] and a report that assists Maryland's institutions of higher education in legally developing and maintaining diversity.[49] He worked for judicial election reform that would ensure diversity of the bench.[50] For this work, as well as his successful efforts to increase diversity both in theMontgomery County State's Attorney's Office and the Office of the Attorney General, Gansler was awarded the Dr.Martin Luther King Jr. Dream Keeper's Award.[51]
Gansler was the first statewide elected official in Maryland to supportmarriage equality.[52] In 2010, Gansler issued alegal opinion that clarified Maryland's ability to providefull faith and credit to valid out-of-statesame-sex marriages.[53] That opinion provided the underpinning for a subsequent Maryland Court of Appealsdecision recognizing same-sex marriages from other states.[54] For his early and strong support of marriage equality, Gansler received theHuman Rights Campaign’s Ally for Equality Award.[55]
Gansler was a proponent of the Maryland State Police requirement for concealed carry permits, which states that a citizen must have a good and substantial reason in order to acquire the permit.[56]
During the 2008 presidential election, Gansler was the first statewide official in Maryland to supportBarack Obama,[57] and went on to be the Maryland Co-Chair, with RepresentativeElijah Cummings, of Obama’s Presidential Campaign.[58]
President of the National Association of Attorneys General
Gansler was elected to serve as President of theNational Association of Attorneys General (NAAG) in 2012.[59] He served as Chair of the Democratic Attorneys General Association (DAGA)[60] until becoming President-Elect at the NAAG. He also chaired NAAG committees on Youth Access to Alcohol, the Environment and Energy.[61]
As President of NAAG, Gansler focused the organization’s attention on privacy in the Digital Age.[62] He formed a Committee on Internet Privacy at NAAG to keep close watch on developments in the Internet space that affect consumers’ control over their information, and headed several efforts to hold accountable those who fail to properly respectconsumer privacy online. He called attention to companies that collect information from children in ways that appear out of compliance with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act.[63]
Gansler formally announced his candidacy in theMaryland's 2014 Gubernatorial race to succeedMartin O'Malley, who was term limited, on September 24, 2013.[64] Gansler had a warchest of $5.2m and said that he was "flattered by the depth and breadth of support I have received from all corners of Maryland".[65] Gansler was criticized by a Maryland veterans organization for suggesting that his leading opponent in the Democratic primary, Maryland Lt Gov.Anthony Brown, a former US Army ReserveColonel, was "somebody who has never managed anybody, never run anything", as a result of his service.[66][67] Gansler later explained that his comments were specifically in reference to managing the state's health exchange.[67] Brown won the Democratic primary, but was defeated by Republican Party candidateLarry Hogan in an upset in the general election.[4]
On May 25, 2021, Gansler announced that he would run for Governor of Maryland in the2022 election.[68] His running mate was formerHyattsville mayor Candace Hollingsworth.[69] A central part of his platform was fighting crime inBaltimore.[70][71]
On July 19, 2022, Gansler lost the primary, placing fourth behindPeter Franchot,Tom Perez, andWes Moore.[72] He conceded defeat on July 21, 2022,[73] and endorsed Democratic nominee Wes Moore the next day.[74]
In November 2002, Gansler irritated colleagues when he filed charges in Maryland against theBeltway snipers,John Muhammad andLee Boyd Malvo, who were also being prosecuted in Virginia.[75] More than a year after the snipers had been convicted in Virginia, Gansler held a trial in Maryland. Gansler stated that the trial only cost taxpayers $2,000, however Sheriff Raymond M. Kight said that the costs had exceeded $743,570, when taking into account costs such as overtime pay to provide security throughout the trial process.[10]
In November 2003, Gansler became the first sitting prosecutor in Maryland history to be censured by the state's highest court, for improperly discussing evidence, such as a defendant's confession, at news conferences "on more than one occasion", related to three criminal cases.[76][77]Slate Magazine described him as a "near-perfect specimen of a classic political archetype—the prosecutor on the make," noting that "[h]e's smart, he's well-connected, he's telegenic, and he raises gobs of cash."[78]
In August 2013, Gansler was tape-recorded speaking disparagingly of his Democratic primary opponent in the 2014 Maryland gubernatorial race, Lieutenant Gov.Anthony Brown, who he accused of relying on race in the contest.[79] "I mean, right now his campaign slogan is, 'Vote for me, I want to be the first African American governor of Maryland,'" Gansler said. His comments provoked outrage.
On October 12, 2013,The Washington Post published memos written by state troopers alleging that Gansler repeatedly requested officers assigned to him to drive in an irresponsible manner.[80] A spokesperson for Gansler denied the reports.
On October 24, 2013, theNational Journal published a photo showing Gansler at a house party attended by his son inBethany Beach, Delaware, where underage drinking was taking place.[81] In response, Gansler said he was there briefly, did not notice any underage drinking, and that even if he had, he did not have "moral authority over other people's children" outside Maryland.[82] Gansler later said that in hindsight, he should have assumed there was underage drinking and should have discussed it with the chaperones.[83]
Gansler at home with his sons Sam and Will, and his wife Laura.
Gansler is married to Laura Leedy Gansler, asecurities lawyer and author about legal cases.[84] He coaches both his sons, Sam and Will, in a variety of sports. Gansler is Jewish.[85]
Gansler founded a lacrosse league for Baltimore inner-city youth, calledCharm City Youth Lacrosse.[86] He mentored at-risk area youth, served on the Montgomery County Commission on Aging, and co-chaired theNAACP Criminal Justice Committee.[87] For his work in establishing the Charm City Youth Lacrosse League, he received the “Innovator of the Year” award from Maryland's largest legal publication.[88]
