Mike McGrath's Biography

Mike McGrath was elected Montana's 19th attorney general in November 2000 and was unopposed for his second term in 2004. In his dual role as the state's chief law enforcement officer and legal official, McGrath oversees a staff of more than 700, including attorneys, forensic scientists, investigators, Montana Highway Patrol troopers, motor vehicle professionals, gambling control specialists, information technology professionals and support staff members.

September 8, 2006 – Attorney General Mike McGrath, second from right, is congratulated following a ceremony recognizing his extensive support of hunting and fishing in Montana. More than 20 Montana organizations offered support for the award. At left is the Hunting Horn Ensemble Parforce. Photo by Jon Ebelt

Prior to his election, McGrath served five terms as Lewis and Clark County Attorney. In his 18 years as a prosecutor, McGrath focused on family violence issues, including domestic abuse and sexual assault of children.

A Butte native, McGrath earned a degree in business administration from the University of Montana in 1970 and graduated from Gonzaga University Law School in 1975. He was a Reginald Heber Smith Community Lawyer fellow in Reno, Nevada, providing legal services to low-income clients. McGrath is a veteran of the United States Air Force.

He is a former chair of the Conference of Western Attorneys General (CWAG) and served as president of the Montana County Attorneys' Association.

Mike and his wife Joy have two sons, Pat and Chris, and one granddaughter, Alexis.

Major Initiatives

Each day, McGrath and the staff of the Department of Justice deal with a variety of issues critical to the protection of Montana citizens.

Safety and Security

In the years since September 11, 2001, the attorney general has continued to promote a coordinated public safety radio system that will allow local, state, tribal, federal and private agencies to respond effectively to natural disasters, forest fires or acts of terrorism. He also continues to promote the need for a statewide intelligence unit to gather and disseminate critical law enforcement information. McGrath proposed legislation creating the criminal offense of identity theft; it became law in 2001. In February 2003, McGrath joined local law enforcement and television and radio broadcasters in instituting a statewide AMBER Alert program.

Victim Services and Domestic Violence

Shortly after he took office, McGrath created the Office of Victim Services within the Attorney General's Office. He successfully proposed legislation to ensure the consistent enforcement of orders of protection in domestic violence cases. In 2002, McGrath created a fatality review team to carefully review domestic homicide cases and find gaps in the system Montana uses to protect domestic violence victims.

Environment

As a member of the state Land Board, McGrath has been an advocate for public access to state lands and continued responsible management of timber sales on state lands as a means to support Montana schools. The Attorney General's Office is pursuing cleanup and restoration of the Clark Fork River Basin through the Natural Resource Damage Program. Attorney General McGrath has been an outspoken advocate for the removal of the Milltown Dam on the Clark Fork River near Missoula. He also actively supported EPA Superfund designation for Libby, a northwestern Montana community facing asbestos contamination caused by years of vermiculite mining.

Methamphetamine

McGrath has focused the department's efforts to counter meth abuse in three directions – public education, law enforcement and treatment. His anti-meth initiatives helped create the Bridge Program, which provides supplemental funding for residential recovery homes for parents in recovery from methamphetamine addiction and their children. McGrath relocated the state narcotics enforcement team to Great Falls to better address Montana's statewide needs. His department has provided training and equipment to local law enforcement, firefighters and others throughout the state who respond to meth labs. He also increased staff at the Forensic Science Lab to analyze the influx of related evidence.

McGrath has recorded public service announcements on the state's need for foster parents for children removed from their homes because of their parents' meth use. He also facilitated a partnership between Big Brothers Big Sisters and the Montana Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association to recruit officers as mentors and reach more at-risk youth.

His office has worked with the MSU Extension Service to create the Community Toolkit and has teamed with the Office of Public Instruction to create the Tools for Schools program for grades 6-12. McGrath's office also developed the Meth-Free MT website to provide information to individuals and professionals about meth abuse.

McGrath serves on the Montana Meth Project advisory council.