AG Schneiderman Appoints Three New Bureau Chiefs
New York, NY - March 31, 2014 - Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman today announced the appointments of three experienced lawyers to lead key bureaus of his office: Daniel Cort as Chief of the Public Integrity Bureau, Kathleen McGee as Chief of the Internet Bureau and Thomas Teige Carroll as Chief of the Taxpayer Protection Bureau.
"Dan, Kathleen and Teige bring decades of experience in their respective fields and have demonstrated a commitment to aggressively pursuing equal justice under the law," said Attorney General Schneiderman. “I'm confident that they will lead their bureaus with creativity and dedication as we continue to bring cases on behalf of all New Yorkers, and I look forward to working with them in their new roles."
Public Integrity Bureau Chief Daniel Cort said, “I am honored by the trust that Attorney General Schneiderman has placed in me by appointing me to lead the Public Integrity Bureau. Public corruption erodes government's ability to function effectively, and it undermines the public's faith in our government. I look forward to continuing the fine work that the Public Integrity Bureau performs in ensuring that elected and appointed officials who serve New Yorkers obey the law and put the public’s interests before their own.”
Internet Bureau Chief Kathleen McGee said, “The Internet is the crime scene of the 21st century, and the Attorney General's Internet Bureau is committed to ensuring all consumers' security as they utilize technology and surf the web day in and day out. I'm proud to join the talented staff at the Office of the Attorney General and to serve the people of New York."
Taxpayer Protection Bureau Chief Thomas Teige Carroll said, “It is a great honor to have been appointed to this post. I look forward to serving the state in this area of critical importance, and to working with the committed and able public servants in the Taxpayer Protection Bureau and the fine lawyers of the qui tam bar.”
As Chief of the Public Integrity Bureau, Daniel Cort will lead a team dedicated to cracking down on corruption and restoring the public’s trust in government, a mission that has been prioritized by Attorney General Schneiderman since he took office. In 2011, the Attorney General launched a groundbreaking initiative expanding his office’s authority to investigate public corruption involving taxpayer funds by partnering with the state Comptroller. In addition, the Attorney General designated public integrity officers in every region of the state to give New Yorkers a place to go to report complaints of government corruption without the fear of local politics influencing the outcome.
Most recently, Mr. Cort has served the New York County District Attorney’s Office as the Chief of the Public Integrity Unit. During his tenure, Mr. Cort tried eighteen cases in State Supreme Court, including the successful prosecution of a Deputy Commissioner of the New York City Department of Buildings on corruption charges, secured a conviction of a councilmember on campaign finance-related crimes and was lead prosecutor in a multi-year investigation that resulted in the convictions and disbarments of fourteen lawyers. Mr. Cort also served as Deputy Bureau Chief of the Rackets Bureau and as a Senior Investigative Counsel. He began his career in 1988 as a litigation associate at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison in New York and served as Assistant Counsel at the New York State Commission of Investigation from 1991 to 1994. From 1994 to 1995, he worked as a Nominations Counsel at the United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary. Mr. Cort is a graduate of Drew University and the Georgetown University Law Center.
The Attorney General's Internet Bureau is committed to protecting consumers and families from new and developing online threats. As Bureau Chief, Kathleen McGee will continue the Office's work as a pioneer in this field, bringing cutting-edge cases and entering important settlements related to a wide range of online and technology issues, from child safety to consumer fraud. Just last year, the Bureau reached a groundbreaking agreement with 19 reputation management companies to end their practice of posting fake online reviews for businesses on consumer-review websites. The Internet Bureau also drafts legislation, issues reports on emerging technology issues, and educates the public on Internet matters.
Prior to joining the Attorney General's Office, Kathleen McGee was director and lead counsel for the New York City Mayor's Office of Special Enforcement, supervising the City's legal team and developing policy initiatives on a range of criminal and civil issues, which included intellectual property enforcement. Ms. McGee also served the Bronx County District Attorney's Office as an assistant district attorney in the Child Abuse and Sex Crimes Bureau. Ms. McGee is a graduate of Boston University School of Law. She also received a Master's in Social Science from the University of Chicago and of a Bachelor of Arts degree from Sarah Lawrence College.
In his role as Chief of the Taxpayer Protection Bureau, Thomas Teige Carroll will build on the first three years of progress of the Bureau, which was created in 2011. The Taxpayer Protection Bureau plays a prominent role in enforcing New York’s False Claims Act – drafted by Attorney General Schneiderman when he was a State Senator – and addressing tax fraud across the State. In the three years since the bureau was established, it has recovered tens of millions of dollars for New York State and local governments in a variety of areas, from fraudulent contractors to companies that knowingly committed tax frauds. Just last week, the Bureau secured more than $6 million from Lantheus for failure to pay corporate income and sales tax to both the State and City of New York.
Mr. Carroll has served as Deputy Bureau Chief in the Investor Protection Bureau, and he was instrumental in the day-to-day management of the Bureau, in addition to working on the Office's residential mortgage-backed securities cases. Mr. Carroll joined the Attorney General's Office in 2008, after practicing for eight years in the litigation department of Clifford Chance US LLP. Prior to joining Clifford Chance, he clerked for U.S. District Judge Thomas C. Platt in the Eastern District of New York. He received his J.D. from Tulane University School of Law in 1998.