ATTORNEY GENERAL RAOUL PRESENTS FISCAL YEAR 2027 BUDGET TO LEGISLATORS

ATTORNEY GENERAL RAOUL PRESENTS FISCAL YEAR 2027 BUDGET TO LEGISLATORS

April 08, 2026

Chicago - Attorney General Kwame Raoul presented the proposed budget for the Attorney General's office for the next fiscal year to a Senate legislative committee today in Chicago. Raoul announced to the committee that his office generated more than $1 billion in revenue on behalf of the state in 2025. Over the past seven years, his office has generated $21.45 in revenue for every taxpayer dollar the office received to fund its operations.

"The Attorney General's office serves Illinois as the people's law firm, holding violent criminals and online predators accountable, protecting consumers, supporting crime victims and advocating for the state's interests," Raoul said. "We are committed to this vital work on behalf of the people of Illinois, even as our responsibilities grow through our critical efforts to protect Illinoisans' rights from attack by the federal government, as well as under new statutory requirements and greater enforcement authority of existing state laws."

During the hearing, Raoul described the increased workload resulting from unlawful federal actions taken by the Trump administration. Since January 2025, the Attorney General's office has filed more than 60 lawsuits and 140 amicus briefs challenging the administration's unlawful actions. In addition to the revenue generated by the office, these lawsuits have protected almost $7 billion in federal funding for critical programs and services in Illinois that support individuals, families and organizations across the state.

The office is defending the state in eight additional cases brought by the federal government and is also responding to federal decisions to gut partner agencies and abdicate its responsibilities to protect consumers, the environment and civil rights. Raoul explained that state attorneys general must now step up and provide additional protection for residents in the federal government's regulatory absence.

Raoul said that despite these concerns, the office continues to collaborate with federal law enforcement officers, including working alongside the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) to investigate and prosecute several cases of alleged narcotics and firearms trafficking by suspected members of the Venezuela-based gang Tren de Aragua.

The office also collaborates with more than 175 state and local law enforcement partners through its Illinois Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC). The ICAC Task Force has participated in more than 1,180 arrests of sexual predators since 2019. The office also works with local law enforcement to prosecute complex criminal cases, such as gun and drug trafficking and homicides. Since 2019, the Attorney General's office has prosecuted 56 homicide cases. Raoul's Public Integrity Bureau investigates fraud against government bodies and employees who break the public trust. Since he took office, the bureau has handled over 250 of these cases and recovered about $2 million in restitution for the public.

Raoul highlighted that the office has also streamlined the processing of Crime Victim Compensation and now assists a broader number of crime victims since legislation initiated by Raoul expanded access to the program. In 2025, the Crime Victims Compensation Bureau processed over 5,000 claims and recommended the distribution of approximately $8.3 million to victims of crime throughout Illinois.

Raoul also noted the increased responsibilities the Attorney General's office has been given under state law. Since he took office, more than 100 laws have been enacted that either impose new duties or expand the office's existing duties.

In addition to the office's enhanced statutory responsibilities, work to protect Illinois residents from unconstitutional federal actions and collaborative efforts to combat crime, the Attorney General's Consumer Fraud Bureau responded to more than 19,700 consumer complaints from people throughout Illinois and recovered over $130 million for Illinois residents in the form of restitution and savings.

Attorney General's office has also secured more than $1.4 billion in payments to Illinois from opioid distributors and manufacturers under settlement agreements following multi-year investigations into the role these companies played in fueling the opioid epidemic.

Raoul is scheduled to present his budget proposal to a House committee later today.