Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird has appointed a former top lawyer at the Texas Attorney General’s Office, who has led several lawsuits against the Biden administration, to be her new chief deputy.
Bird named Leif Olson as the new chief deputy attorney general. He will replace outgoing Chief Deputy Attorney General Sam Langholz, who last week was appointed as a judge on the Iowa Court of Appeals by Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds.
“We are so glad to welcome Leif Olson to this new role on our team,” Bird, a Republican, said in a news release Monday. “Leif has proven leadership skills, a dedication to public service and track record of success. I know he will be a valuable addition to our office. As chief deputy, Leif will play a critical role in our work to support victims, hold the Biden Administration accountable and protect the rights of all Iowans.”
Olson currently leads the Iowa attorney general office’s Farm Division, a post he was hired to very recently, Bird's spokesperson Alyssa Brouillet said. When Langholz left the office, Olson was promoted to the chief deputy position.
Olson's resignation letter from the Texas office lists Aug. 1 as his final day, but Brouillet did not immediately provide the date he began working in Bird's office.
At the Texas Attorney General’s Office, Olson was chief of the Special Litigation Division.
“Attorney General Bird has been a strong advocate for working with law enforcement and upholding the rule of law,” said Olson. “I was honored to be asked to join her team, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to serve in an office that fights such important battles with so much enthusiasm. I’m excited to get to work for the people of Iowa.”
The chief deputy attorney general is responsible for overseeing the work of the office’s several divisions, reviewing major cases and advising the attorney general.
Olson is coming from the office of suspended Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who has been embroiled in a series of corruption allegations and criminal investigations. Paxton was impeached by the Texas House of Representatives in May for alleged misconduct, and is suspended from office while he awaits trial in the Senate. Angela Colmenero was named acting attorney general in July.
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Olson has led several lawsuits against President Joe Biden’s administration in his role with the office, including challenges to the president’s immigration policies, ESG investing and a federal appropriations bill. Bird has made suing the Biden administration a key priority of her office. She recently sued the EPA over its delay in implementing rules to allow the sale of E15 year-round.
⧉ Related article: Iowa Attorney General sues EPA over ethanol blend rules
“When the rights of everyday citizens were endangered, Leif led with brilliant expertise and relentless, innovative problem-solving,” Texas First Assistant Attorney General Brent Webster said in a news release Monday.
Before joining the Texas office, Olson was a senior policy adviser in the U.S. Department of Labor under President Donald Trump. He clerked for a U.S. district judge and was in private practice for 15 years, Bird's office said.
Olson briefly resigned, then was reinstated, from his Labor Division post in 2019 after a satirical Facebook post was misinterpreted as antisemitic in a Bloomberg Law article. The site later retracted the article.
www.thegazette.com
Bird named Leif Olson as the new chief deputy attorney general. He will replace outgoing Chief Deputy Attorney General Sam Langholz, who last week was appointed as a judge on the Iowa Court of Appeals by Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds.
“We are so glad to welcome Leif Olson to this new role on our team,” Bird, a Republican, said in a news release Monday. “Leif has proven leadership skills, a dedication to public service and track record of success. I know he will be a valuable addition to our office. As chief deputy, Leif will play a critical role in our work to support victims, hold the Biden Administration accountable and protect the rights of all Iowans.”
Olson currently leads the Iowa attorney general office’s Farm Division, a post he was hired to very recently, Bird's spokesperson Alyssa Brouillet said. When Langholz left the office, Olson was promoted to the chief deputy position.
Olson's resignation letter from the Texas office lists Aug. 1 as his final day, but Brouillet did not immediately provide the date he began working in Bird's office.
At the Texas Attorney General’s Office, Olson was chief of the Special Litigation Division.
“Attorney General Bird has been a strong advocate for working with law enforcement and upholding the rule of law,” said Olson. “I was honored to be asked to join her team, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to serve in an office that fights such important battles with so much enthusiasm. I’m excited to get to work for the people of Iowa.”
The chief deputy attorney general is responsible for overseeing the work of the office’s several divisions, reviewing major cases and advising the attorney general.
Olson is coming from the office of suspended Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who has been embroiled in a series of corruption allegations and criminal investigations. Paxton was impeached by the Texas House of Representatives in May for alleged misconduct, and is suspended from office while he awaits trial in the Senate. Angela Colmenero was named acting attorney general in July.
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Olson has led several lawsuits against President Joe Biden’s administration in his role with the office, including challenges to the president’s immigration policies, ESG investing and a federal appropriations bill. Bird has made suing the Biden administration a key priority of her office. She recently sued the EPA over its delay in implementing rules to allow the sale of E15 year-round.
⧉ Related article: Iowa Attorney General sues EPA over ethanol blend rules
“When the rights of everyday citizens were endangered, Leif led with brilliant expertise and relentless, innovative problem-solving,” Texas First Assistant Attorney General Brent Webster said in a news release Monday.
Before joining the Texas office, Olson was a senior policy adviser in the U.S. Department of Labor under President Donald Trump. He clerked for a U.S. district judge and was in private practice for 15 years, Bird's office said.
Olson briefly resigned, then was reinstated, from his Labor Division post in 2019 after a satirical Facebook post was misinterpreted as antisemitic in a Bloomberg Law article. The site later retracted the article.
Iowa AG appoints former Texas attorney to chief deputy position
Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird has appointed a former top lawyer at the Texas attorney general’s office, who has led several lawsuits against the Biden administration, to be her new chief deputy.
www.thegazette.com
