Research


New York State Attorney General Correspondence


Some content may contain outdated and offensive terminology. See: New York State Archives Statement on Language in Descriptive Resources


Overview of the Records

Repository:

New York State Archives
New York State Education Department
Cultural Education Center
Albany, NY 12230

Summary:
This series consists of incoming and outgoing correspondence between the State Attorney General's Office and other state agencies, private businesses, federal and local government agencies, various constituent organizations, and other public and private individuals. Records typically consist of expressions of support/opposition to a particular position or piece of legislation; designations of staff duties; commendations to staff; constituent comments and complaints; personal greetings; condolence letters; and acknowledgements of invitations, appointments and resignations, or resumes received.
Creator:
Title:
New York State Attorney General correspondence
Quantity:

639.5 cubic feet

(including 1 audiotape)

Inclusive Dates:
1979-2006
Series Number:
18565

Arrangement

18565-94: Chronological by year.

18565-99, 18565-07: Alphabetical by last name of correspondent or chronological by reference number.

18565-07A: Roughly by subject.

Administrative History

Robert Abrams, attorney general of New York from 1979-1993, was born July 4, 1938, and was raised and educated in the Bronx. He was educated in the public schools, Columbia College, and the New York University School of Law. After graduation he was engaged in the private practice of law in New York City.

In 1965 Abrams was elected to the first of three terms in the State Assembly. He served on several committees, including the Judiciary Committee, and sponsored and supported numerous pieces of legislation in the areas of tenant protection, broadening voter registration, election law reform, and education. He authored the first law creating a prison work release program, and his bill to fight child abuse was a landmark measure.

In 1969 Abrams was elected borough president of the Bronx, becoming the youngest person ever elected to that post. As borough president, he was a member of the Board of Estimate, the highest policy-making body of the City of New York. He was a strong advocate of expanding day care programs and giving local communities greater input in municipal decision. He also was an early advocate of bi-lingual education in the public schools. He was reelected in 1973 and 1977.

In 1978 Abrams was elected attorney general of the State of New York. During his tenure, the attorney general's office focused efforts on such issues as environmental pollution, white-collar crime, organized crime, consumer protection, antitrust enforcement, and civil rights.

Scope and Content Note

The last box contains letters announcing the attorney general's departure from office. A chronological file of carbon copies of outgoing correspondence was maintained for the earlier years.

18565-94: This accretion consists of correspondence between Attorney General Robert Abrams and other state agencies, private businesses, federal and local government agencies, various constituent organizations, and other public and private organizations and individuals. Most material is arranged in categories such as congratulations, thank you's, appreciations, general correspondence, correspondence handled by executive assistants, sympathy, legislation, and recommendations.

Records typically consist of expressions of support/opposition to a particular position or piece of legislation; designations of staff duties; commendations to staff; constituent comments and complaints; personal greetings; condolence letters; and acknowledgements of invitations, appointments and resignations, or resumes received.

18565-99: This accretion consists of the office correspondence of Attorney General Dennis C. Vacco. It exists in two parts: letters received (1996-1998) with replies prepared for the attorney general by his press office; and letters received (1994-1998) and forwarded to the office of Assistant Attorney General Donald P. Berens for reply.

Letters with replies prepared for the attorney general by his press office are arranged alphabetically by name of the correspondent. A copy of the reply is usually attached. Letters forwarded to Donald Berens for reply are arranged by year and therein by "reference #". What reference numbers are represented and/or the system by which they were assigned is unknown. However, they generally reflect arrangement according to the date the letter was answered. There are many and wide gaps in the numbering sequence. A copy of the reply is usually attached.

18565-07: This accretion consists of incoming and outgoing correspondence of Attorney General Eliot Spitzer and his staff (1999-2006). Incoming correspondence usually consists of letters from other state agencies, private businesses, federal and local government agencies, various constituent organizations, and other public and private organizations and individuals. Much of the incoming correspondence regards salient topics and legislation of the time such as tobacco, anti-trust laws, gun control, the September 11th attacks, pregnancy centers, gas price gauging, same-sex marriage and illegal immigration.

The outgoing correspondence usually consists of letters from Attorney General Spitzer regarding responses to invitations, holiday greetings, letters of sympathy, and letters and certificates of merit. Most of the correspondence usually contains the original letter sent to the Attorney General's Office, the database entry page with a note for the necessary actions to take place, and a letter from the Attorney General's Office responding to the letter. Some incoming correspondence contains supplements such as CDs, DVDs, and videotapes. The 1999 incoming correspondence is arranged alphabetically. The remainder of the correspondence is arranged by the Reference Number which is usually in chronological order by the date the letter was written and answered.

18565-07A: This accretion consists of correspondence files of Attorney General Eliot Spitzer during his tenure in office. A majority of the correspondence is between the Attorney General and other state agencies, private business, federal and local government agencies, various constituent organizations, and other public and private individuals. The correspondence regards salient topics and legislation of the time such as tobacco, school violence, organized crime, and Internet safety.

Other Finding Aids

Available at Repository

18565-94, 18565-07, 18565-07A, 18565-10: Container list is available at the repository.

18565-94: Partial folder list is available at the repository.

Access Restrictions

18565-07, 18565-07A, 18565-10: Designated records may contain information that is exempt from disclosure pursuant to state or federal statute or common law. Requests for access to designated records are reviewed by staff of the State Archives and the Office of the Attorney General (Dept. of Law). In certain circumstances, designated records or portions of records may be withheld.

Access Terms

Personal Name(s):
Corporate Name(s):
Geographic Name(s):
Subject(s):
Genre(s):
Function(s):

Detailed Description

Dates Contents Box Folder

Accretion: 18565-99
Part 1: A-B 1
Part 1: C-D 2
Part 1: E-H 3
Part 1: I-L 4
Part 1: M-N 5
Part 1: O-R 6
Part 1: S-W 7
Part 1: Letters to be interfiled in the above sequence 8
Part 1: Letters to be interfiled in the above sequence 9
Part 1: Letters to be interfiled in the above sequence 10
Part 2 Reference numbers: 9567 - 951457 11
Part 2 Reference numbers: 960011 - 961951 12
Part 2 Reference numbers: 961955 - 97B0011 13
Part 2 Reference numbers: 97B0485 - 98N3437 14

Accretion: 18565-10
2006 May - June 2 Spitzer Administration Correspondence: 9900-9949 1 1
2006 May - June 2 Spitzer Administration Correspondence: 9950-9999 1 2
2006 May - June 2 Spitzer Administration Correspondence: 10000-10049 1 3
2006 May - June 2 Spitzer Administration Correspondence: 10050-10099 1 4
2006 May - June 2 Spitzer Administration Correspondence: 10100-10149 1 5
2006 May - June 2 Spitzer Administration Correspondence: 10150-10199 1 6
2006 May - June 2 Spitzer Administration Correspondence: 10200-10249 1 7
2006 May - June 2 Spitzer Administration Correspondence: 10250-10299 1 8

Accretion: 18565-07A
2001 African American Awards 1 1
Awards/Ceremony's/Workshops Samples 1 2
2002 Hispanic Heritage Awards 1 3
2002 Staff Awards 1 4
2002 Assembly/Senate Puerto Rican Conference 1 5
2001 NYC and Albany Awards Ceremony 1 6
2001 Bronx Day 1 7
2001 Congressional Delegation/PCB mtg. 1 8
Crime Victim's Advisory Board Meeting 1 9
Crime Victim's Advisory Board 1 10
2002 Flyer/Invitation Stamples 1 11
2003 Flyer Samples 1 12
2001 Interns 1 13
2002 Law Enforcement Block Grants 1 14
2002 NAAG Tobacco Survey 1 15
2001 Neighborhood Watch 1 16
2001 June Energy Roundtable 1 17
2000 Census 1 18
2001 Binghamton Regional Office 1 19
Farmers Meeting 1 20
Farm Bureau 1 21
Family Planning 1 22
1993 Fall Interns 1 23
Ethics Commission 1 24
Environmental Bureau Regional Meetings 1 25
2000 Elections 1 26
Eileen Dugan Senior Center 1 27
Delta Settlement 1 28
Dairy Compact 1 29
Diallo 1 30
Democratic Leadership Council 1 31
1999 Dairy Compact 1 32
2001 Crime Victims Vigil 1 33
2000 Crime Victim's Vigil 1 34
Crime Victims 1 35
Crime Victims Advisory Board 1 36
Crime Victims Advisory 1 37
Countrytowne 1 38
2000 Congressional Mailing Electronic Privacy 1 39
Concourse Village Special Adults 1 40
2000 Con Edison Report 1 41
2000 Con Edison 1 42
Concerned Business of Southern Tier 2 1
Community Meetings 2 2
2000 Completed Mailings 2 3
Communities and the Law 2 4
Clinton 2 5
2000 Code of Conduct 2 6
Clinic Access 2 7
Citizens Committee for NYC 2 8
Child Support 2 9
2000 Census 2 10
2000 Census 2 11
2000 Census 2 12
1999-2000 Reach and Teach 2 13
Scott Kartiganer 2 14
Joseph W. Sallusitio, Jr. 2 15
Sanctuary Inc. 2 16
Legislative Breakfasts 2 17
Veterans 2 18
Bill VanAllen 2 19
West Seneca Youth Board 2 20
Westchester Open House 2 21
Troy Record All Area Football 2 22
Troy Record 2 23
Triad Agreement 2 24
Troy High 2 25
2000 Triple C 2 26
Triple C Awards 2 27
1999 Triple C Award 2 28
1999 Triple C Awards 2 29
Tobacco 2 30
Tobacco Settlement 2 31
Syracuse Labor Meeting 2 32
Swinging Sixties Senior Center 2 33
Surveys 2 34
Suffolk Co. Bar Association 2 35
State Dem Committee 2 36
Science Olympiad NYS & National 2 37
Solos El Futuro Conf. 2 38
Select 2 39
School Pest Survey 2 40
School Violence 2 41
1999 School Violence 2 42
1999 Ross Hashannah 2 43
Ridgewood Bushwick Senior Center 2 44
Spitzer 2 45
Health Brochures 3 1
Investment Brochures 3 2
Antitrust Brochures 3 3
Civil Rights Brochures 3 4
Consumer Tip Sheets 3 5
Senior Citizen Brochures 3 6
Brochures from other Entities 3 7
Reach and Teach 3 8
Spanish Brochures 3 9
Fighting Fraud Insurance & Workers' Compensation 3 10
1998 Crime Victims' Resource Guides 3 11
Stop & Frisk 3 12
Trust & Estates/Binghamton Regional 3 13
Recycling Report 3 14
2000 Millennium 3 15
Queens Day 3 16
Puerto Rican Hispanic Task Force 3 17
Polls 3 18
2001 Puerto Rican/Hispanic Conference 3 19
Government Law Center 3 20
Peace Bridge 3 21
Pataki 3 22
Passover 3 23
Pathmark 3 24
Pathmark 4 1
Pathmark 4 2
Organized Crime Task Force 4 3
Nortonian Nursing Home 4 4
NYSP 4 5
Partnering for Safer Neighborhoods: Block by Block 4 6
1999 Neighborhood Watch 4 7
Stop & Frisk 4 8
Destiny Telecom 5 1
FASNY 5 2
American Legion 5 3
Kevin Cerbelli 5 4
Binghamton Regional Office 5 5
Carley v. Carley 5 6
Sweepstakes Hearing 5 7
Westchester Open House 5 8
Westchester Office 5 9
Syracuse Office 5 10
2001 Suffolk Open House 5 11
2000 Rochester Office 5 12
Poughkeepsie Office 5 13
2000 Nassau Open House 5 14
Harlem Day Open House 5 15
Harlem Office 5 16
Harlem Regional Office 5 17
2001 Buffalo Office 5 18
Buffalo Open House 5 19
Brooklyn Office 5 20
2000 Binghamton Open House 5 21
2000 Spitzer magazine 6 1
2000 You Can Go to College 6 2
2000 Women's Business Council 6 3
2001 Voting report 6 4
2000 Triple "C" Form 6 5
Tobacco Settlement 6 6
2000 Staff Awards 6 7
2000 Spring Conference 6 8
Police Memorial 6 9
2000 Rochester Ministers Meeting 6 10
2001 Queens Borough Pres. Awards 6 11
2000 NYS Police 6 12
68th Precinct Explorer's 6 13
113th Precinct Aux Police 6 14
ADA 6 15
Advisory Committee on Communities and the Law 6 16
American Legion Convention Binghamton 6 17
2000 Amigo Senior Center 6 18
Amnesty International 6 19
Amoco Scholarship 6 20
Asian Breakfast 6 21
Baptist Ministers Wives 6 22
2000 Bethany Mem. Reformed Church 6 23
Binghamton Open House 6 24
Blue Cross Blue Shield 6 25
BC/BS WNY 6 26
2000 Boxing Advisory Committee 6 27
2000 Boxing Task Force 6 28
Brandeis Baruch Society 6 29
Bronx YMCA Senior Center 6 30
1999 Brooklyn Day 6 31
Buffalo Niagara Partnership 6 32
Buffalo Urban League 6 33
Business Council 6 34
1999 Business Council 6 35
1999 Certificates Citations Awards 6 36
2000 Cab Watch 6 37
Canal Corridor 6 38
Capital District Mathematics Contest 6 39
Carrie bean American Chamber of Commerce 6 40
Cassidy Coles Senior 6 41
NAAG 7 1
Mack Class 7 2
Lobbying Commission 7 3
2000 Legislative Breakfast 7 4
2000 Legislative Agenda 7 5
Legislative Correspondence Association 7 6
Milk Pricing 7 7
Meeks Award Dinner 7 8
MEET 7 9
Marble Hill Senior Center 7 10
M 7 11
2000 Spring Conference 7 12
2000 Internet Safety Mtg. NYC Schools 7 13
Farm 7 14
2001 Environmental Mailings 7 15
2000 Congressional Mailing 7 16
Crime Victims Advisory Board Mailings 7 17
Senior Center Telemarketing 7 18
General Correspondence 8 1
FASNY 8 2
Stop and Frisk, Brooklyn 8 3
Neighborhood Watch 8 4
Spanish Camp 8 5
Books and Publications 9 1
2000 Neighborhood Watch Program 10 1
2000 Neighborhood Watch 10 2
2000 National Council of Negro Women 10 3
Nassau Clergy Luncheon 10 4
2001 NYCAP 10 5
2001 NAAG Sign-on 10 6
2000 Millers Market 10 7
Microsoft 10 8
2000 Microsoft 10 9
2001 Master Settlement Agreement 10 10
Law and Order Awards 10 11
2000 NWATCH 10 12
2000 Law and Order Awards 10 13
1999 Law and Order Awards 10 14
2000 Law Enforcement Block Grant 10 15
Known Fraud 10 16
2000 King 10 17
Kendra's Law 10 18
2000 Jewish Heritage 10 19
Judicial Screening Committee 10 20
2000 Interns 10 21
2000 Hudson Valley Day 10 22
HUD 10 23
2000 Hudson River Congressional Mailing 10 24
2000 Hannity 10 25
2000 Gun Suit 10 26
Gun Collection 10 27
Governance Matters Round Table 10 28
Golf Course Pet Survey 10 29