(Hafter for Attorney General campaign) – Republican Jacob Hafter, a native Nevadan, filed today his Declaration of Candidacy with the Secretary of State for the office of Nevada’s Attorney General in the upcoming 2010 election.
A practicing attorney in Las Vegas, Hafter has been a passionate advocate for accountability in government and business. He has successfully challenged the Nevada Board of Medical Examiners when they tried to pass “emergency” regulations in violation of the Open Meeting Law. He has represented hundreds of homeowners against banks in the pursuit of loan modifications, including filing suit against numerous banks alleging predatory lending and violations of state foreclosure laws.
Most notably, Mr. Hafter represents two patients who did not receive proper emergency care from University Medical Center of Southern Nevada. As a result of UMC’s violations, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services has terminated UMC’s participation in the federal Medicare program effective April 29, 2010.
With respect to why he is running, Mr. Hafter has said the following:
“For the past four years, I have watched as the attorney general failed to advocate for the people of Nevada time and time again. From unchallenged mega-mergers of health insurers to unprosecuted lenders who knowingly engaged in predatory practices to unaccountability of state departments and boards, the absence of the attorney general has been disastrous for Nevadans.
“Businesses cannot afford to pay double digit percentage increases in health insurance premiums which are, in part, due to a health insurer’s monopolistic power. Homeowners cannot continue to lose their homes because banks have a sense of unfettered power and control. Citizens cannot continue to rely on regulatory boards who undertake rulemaking for suspect reasons.”
In deciding whether to pursue this opportunity, Mr. Hafter stated “I have always believed that when something is wrong, mere criticism is inappropriate. Only through standing up and advocating for what is right will wrongs be righted.”
Recently, the incumbent, Catherine Cortez Masto has been criticized for numerous legal errors and mistakes, including faulty legal advice regarding the length of jail time required by DUI offenders, and the misplacement of evidence that led to the dismissal of the consumer protection case against TireWorks.
“The people of Nevada deserve a much higher standard of quality from the Attorney General than what is currently available,” stated Mr. Hafter.
Hafter has also recognized that attorneys general in other states have prevented mergers which would create monopolies in sensitive areas such as health care. Moreover, through strict policing by attorneys general in other states, banks in other states are not as brazen as to engage in predatory practices and profit from the foreclosures that result. Mr. Hafter intends to use the office of Attorney General to influence such reform, amongst other initiatives, for the people of Nevada.
Mr. Hafter was born and raised in Las Vegas. He is an alumnus of Hyde Park Junior High School and Bonanza High School. He received his bachelors in emergency medical services management from the George Washington University and his law degree from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. Mr. Hafter also holds a certificate in health law from Case Western Reserve University and a master of sciences in health science from Cleveland State University.
He was a paramedic for approximately 15 years, working in places such as Cleveland, Ohio, Atlantic City, New Jersey and Washington DC. He is married to his college sweetheart, Jackie, and has four children, Gabriel (7), Judah (5), Aviva (4) and Sofia (1).
For more information, please call Jacob Hafter directly at 702-405-6700.