Peter Neronha

{{Infobox officeholder

| name = Peter Neronha

| image = Neronha3.jpg

| office = 74th Attorney General of Rhode Island

| governor = Gina Raimondo
Dan McKee

| term_start = January 1, 2019

| term_end =

| predecessor = Peter Kilmartin

| successor =

| office1 = United States Attorney for the District of Rhode Island

| president1 = Barack Obama
Donald Trump

| term_start1 = September 16, 2009

| term_end1 = March 10, 2017

| predecessor1 = Robert Clark Corrente

| successor1 = Aaron L. Weisman

| birth_name = Peter Franz Neronha

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1963|12|17}}

| birth_place = Wakefield, Rhode Island, U.S.

| death_date =

| death_place =

| party = Democratic

| spouse = Shelly

| children = 2

| education = Boston College (BA, JD)

}}

Peter Franz Neronha[https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/district-courts/FSupp/788/611/1599176/ Evanowski v. Bankworcester Corp., 788 F. Supp. 611 (D. Mass. 1991)] (born December 17, 1963) is an American lawyer and politician from Jamestown, Rhode Island who has served as the attorney general of Rhode Island since 2019. He previously served as the United States attorney for the District of Rhode Island under President Barack Obama from September 16, 2009 until March 10, 2017, after which he ran successfully as a Democrat for the office of Attorney General of Rhode Island in the 2018 elections.{{cite web |url=https://peterneronha.com/ |website=Peter Neronha for Attorney General |title=Peter Neronha |access-date=July 20, 2018}}{{cite web |last1=White |first1=Tim |title=Former US Attorney Neronha announces run for RI attorney general |url=https://www.wpri.com/news/local-news/blackstone-valley/former-u-s-attorney-neronha-announces-run-for-ri-attorney-general/1082441137 |website=WPRI |access-date=July 20, 2018 |date=October 3, 2017}}

Early life and education

He was born in Wakefield, Rhode Island{{cite book |last=Hubbell |first=Martindale |date=December 1991 |title=Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory 1991: Volume 11 (Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota) |publisher=Martindale-Hubbell |isbn=9781561600021}} and attended North Kingstown High School before graduating summa cum laude from Boston College and earning a Juris Doctor from Boston College Law School, where he was a member of the Boston College Law Review.

Career

Following his graduation from law school, Neronha joined the Boston, Massachusetts law firm, Goodwin Procter LLP, where he practiced commercial litigation for nearly seven years. His public service career began with his appointment as a state prosecutor in the Rhode Island Attorney General's Office in 1996. In 2002, Neronha became a federal prosecutor, joining the United States Attorney's Office. In 2009, on the recommendation of U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse, President Barack Obama appointed Neronha to serve as the United States Attorney for the District of Rhode Island. Neronha's appointment was unanimously confirmed by the United States Senate on September 16, 2009.

= United States Attorney =

While serving as United States Attorney, Neronha served two terms on the Attorney General's Advisory Committee, a group of sixteen United States Attorneys from across the country that advised the Attorney General of the United States on policy and operational matters affecting the Department of Justice nationwide. He also Co-Chaired the Operations, Management and Budget (OMB) Subcommittee, responsible for reviewing and making recommendations concerning the approximately 2 billion-dollar budget for the entire United States Attorney component of the Department of Justice.

During his seven years as United States Attorney, Neronha made public corruption the top priority of the United States Attorney's Office. Under his direction or continuation of previously started investigations, the Office prosecuted numerous cases against state and local elected officials, including a town mayor, three town councilmen, a state senator, a state representative, a House of Representatives Finance Chairman and a House Speaker, all of whom were sentenced to terms in federal prison.{{cite web |last1=Mulvaney |first1=Katie |title=Rhode Island's U.S. Attorney Neronha ousted by U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions |url=http://www.providencejournal.com/news/20170310/rhode-islands-us-attorney-neronha-ousted-by-us-attorney-general-jeff-sessions |website=providencejournal.com |publisher=The Providence Journal |access-date=July 20, 2018 |language=en}}{{cite web |last1=News |first1=AP |title=Ex-Rhode Island Speaker Fox pleads guilty to federal charges |url=https://townhall.com/news/politics-elections/2015/03/03/exrhode-island-speaker-fox-charged-with-bribery-wire-fraud-n1965030 |website=Townhall |publisher=Associated Press |access-date=July 20, 2018 |language=en}}

As United States Attorney, Neronha prioritized combating the state's opioid crisis, combining prosecution of major, cartel-linked drug trafficking organizations with prevention initiatives.{{cite web |title=11 charged in RI heroin trafficking ring |url=http://www.abc6.com/story/18393251/11-arrested-in-heroin-trafficking-ring |website=ABC6 |publisher=ABC6 News |access-date=July 20, 2018 |language=en}}{{cite web |title=CVS Health to pay government $450,000 to settle dispute |url=http://www.valdostadailytimes.com/news/business/cvs-health-to-pay-government-to-settle-dispute/article_be528646-3f6f-11e5-af28-1b0395b371ee.html |website=Valdosta Daily Times |publisher=Associated Press |access-date=July 20, 2018 |language=en}} He spoke personally to over 10,000 students at high schools and moderated panels at town halls across the state. He also advocated for a "smart" approach to reducing violent crime by focusing law enforcement resources on those individuals driving violent crime, while working in the community on crime prevention and to help secure employment for people leaving prison. He also prioritized the work of the Office's Civil Division, bringing cases to protect consumers, safeguard public money from waste and abuse, and protect the environment.

Additionally, as United States Attorney, Neronha investigated Google regarding its business practice of assisting off-shore pharmacies unlawfully importing controlled substances, including opioids, into the United States. The investigation was initiated by Neronha's predecessor, Robert Corrente. As a result of that investigation, Google forfeited 500 million dollars, one of the five largest forfeitures in U.S. history, of which 230 million dollars were returned to Rhode Island.{{cite web |last1=Crimaldi |first1=Laura |title=RI to get $230M from $500M Google forfeiture |url=https://phys.org/news/2012-04-ri-230m-500m-google-forfeiture.html |website=phys.org |publisher=Associated Press |access-date=July 20, 2018}}

Neronha was one of the U.S. attorneys who was asked to resign by Attorney General Jeff Sessions in the 2017 dismissal of U.S. attorneys.

= Attorney General of Rhode Island =

File:Peter Neronha, Attorney General of Rhode Island.jpg in 2023]]

In October 2017, Neronha announced that he would seek the Democratic nomination for the office of Attorney General of Rhode Island. The previous Attorney General, Peter Kilmartin was term limited.{{cite web |last1=White |first1=Tim |title=Former US Attorney Neronha announces run for RI attorney general |url=https://www.wpri.com/news/local-news/blackstone-valley/former-u-s-attorney-neronha-announces-run-for-ri-attorney-general/1082441137 |website=WPRI |access-date=July 20, 2018 |date=October 3, 2017}} Neronha was the only Democrat running for the office. He ran against Compassion Party candidate Alan Gordon.{{cite web |last1=Gregg |first1=Katherine |last2=Anderson |first2=Patrick |title=R.I.'s slate set in state, federal races |url=http://www.providencejournal.com/news/20180627/ris-slate-set-in-state-federal-races |website=providencejournal.com |publisher=The Providence Journal |access-date=July 20, 2018 |language=en}}{{cite web |title=Candidates for Attorney General |url=http://sos.ri.gov/candidates/ |website=ri.gov |publisher=Rhode Island Secretary of State |access-date=July 20, 2018}}

In the general election, Neronha defeated Alan Gordon of the Compassion Party 79.8% to 19.1%.{{cite web |title=RI.gov: Election Results |url=https://www.ri.gov/election/results/2018/general_election/races/307.html |website=www.ri.gov |publisher=Rhode Island Board of Elections |access-date=18 March 2019}}

As Attorney General of Rhode Island, Neronha joined a multi-state lawsuit to challenge the President's National Emergency Concerning the Southern Border of the United States.{{cite web |last1=Winthrop |first1=Christian |title=Attorney General Neronha Joins Multistate Lawsuit Challenging President Trump's National Emergency |url=http://www.thenewportbuzz.com/attorney-general-neronha-joins-multistate-lawsuit-challenging-president-trumps-national-emergency/18249 |website=Newport Buzz |access-date=18 March 2019 |date=13 March 2019}}

He has started a review into the Catholic Diocese of Providence to review sexual abuse claims against the church.{{cite web |last1=Associated Press |title=Attorney general reviews church abuse claims in Rhode Island |url=https://wtop.com/national/2019/02/attorney-general-reviews-church-abuse-claims-in-rhode-island/ |website=WTOP |access-date=18 March 2019 |date=26 February 2019}} The review is going through almost 70 years worth of records from the Diocese of Providence and will be modeled on the report from the Grand jury investigation of Catholic Church sexual abuse in Pennsylvania.{{cite web |last1=McDermott |first1=Jennifer |title=Rhode Island attorney general to release report on clergy abuse claims |url=https://cruxnow.com/church-in-the-usa/2020/02/rhode-island-attorney-general-to-release-report-on-clergy-abuse-claims/ |website=Crux |publisher=Associated Press |access-date=2 March 2020 |language=en-CA |date=7 February 2020}}

Neronha, alongside Governor Gina Raimondo, has submitted a package of gun control bills for consideration by the General Assembly. These include making it illegal to purchase a gun on behalf of someone else who is prohibited from owning a gun themselves and requiring that all firearms be safely stored unless being used by the owner. He also supported some other bills such as an assault weapons ban bill and universal background check bill that were being considered by the assembly.{{cite web |last1=GoLocalProv Political Team |title=Raimondo, Neronha Introduce Package of Bills Aimed at Gun Safety Reform |url=https://www.golocalprov.com/news/raimondo-neronha-introduce-package-of-bills-aimed-at-gun-safety-reform |website=GoLocalProv |publisher=Go Local |access-date=2 March 2020 |language=en}}