Attorney Gen.-elect Jason Miyares notified about 30 attorneys in the office that they won't have jobs in his administration, including the lawyer who was investigating dangerous conditions as a south Richmond apartment complex in Richmond's largest …

Miyares fires 30 in AG's office, including lawyer investigating dangerous conditions at Richmond...
Attorney Gen.-elect Jason Miyares notified about 30 attorneys in the office that they won't have jobs in his administration, including the lawyer who was

Miyares fires 30 in AG's office, including lawyer investigating dangerous conditions at Richmond apartments

Patrick Wilson 22 min ago

Attorney Gen.-elect Jason Miyares notified about 30 staff members in the office - 17 of them attorneys - that they won't have jobs in his administration, including the lawyer who was investigating dangerous conditions as a south Richmond apartment complex in Richmond's largest Latino neighborhood. ... Miyares, a Republican, will be sworn in on Saturday to replace Democratic Attorney General Mark Herring, whom Miyares defeated in the November election.

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Employees in the office serve at the pleasure of the attorney general. While it's routine for lawyers to be replaced when one political party loses control, the number of lawyers fired surprised the outgoing Herring administration. ... “These are dedicated and professional public servants who do important work, like investigate wrongful convictions, protect Virginians’ civil rights, help to ensure free and fair elections, and prevent human trafficking and opioid abuse," Herring spokeswoman Charlotte Gomer said by email. "Their absence will be a significant loss to the mission of the Office of Attorney General.”

Among those let go is Helen Hardiman, an assistant attorney general who focuses on investigating and litigating against housing discrimination in the Office of Civil Rights. ... Hardiman said she received an email from D.J. Jordan, Miyares' chief of staff, telling her that her tenure ends at noon Saturday. ... When state housing boards find discrimination, they refer cases to her to file and maintain lawsuits. ... “My biggest heartburn right now is I have 20 court cases.” That includes a trial scheduled in March.

She just began investigating dangerous conditions in Richmond's largest Latino neighborhood, at The Communities at Southwood apartments. The investigation stemmed from an investigation by The Richmond Times-Dispatch, whose reporters spent months to find homes rife with mold, rat and roach infestations and other maintenance issues the landlord is legally responsible for repairing. Tenants told The Times-Dispatch that management ignored requests or failed to address problems brought to their attention.

Hardiman has worked in the attorney general's office since September 2019 and said she was not expecting to be let go by the new administration. ... “I expected some personnel changes, which likely come with any change of administration," she said. "I am not a political appointee. I don’t have a political job.” ... She spent Friday scrambling to make sure someone in the office could cover her cases. ... "I don’t want those people who have been discriminated against to be left hanging," she said. "I also felt like a cursory email with 24 hour notice was unprofessional. And I’m disappointed that the new administration seems to be signaling that they care less about civil rights issues like fair housing than the current administration."

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pwilson@timesdispatch.com

(804) 649-6061

Twitter: @patrickmwilson