Dave Madgett

Dave Madgett served in the U.S. Air Force from 2002 to 2014. Madgett graduated from Wayzata High School. Madgett earned a bachelor's degree from Colgate University in 2004, a law degree from the University of Virginia in 2009, and a Military citation from the U.S. Army Judge Advocate School in 2010. Madgett's career experience includes working as an attorney and business owner.[1]

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I'm David J.S. Madgett — a Minneapolis attorney, U.S. Air Force JAG veteran, father of five, and a DFL candidate for Minnesota Attorney General.

I am a lifelong Minnesotan. I spent twelve years as a Captain in the U.S. Air Force JAG Corps, where I served as base Chief of Military Justice — a military prosecutor and senior legal advisor. I personally prosecuted government-contractor fraud and recovered more than $10 million in fraudulent payments to the federal government. I was awarded the Air Force Commendation Medal and helped negotiate contracts for the largest U.S. sale of fighter aircraft in American history.

I earned my law degree from the University of Virginia and am admitted to the bar of the U.S. Supreme Court. In 2014 I founded Madgett Law in Minneapolis; the firm has employed dozens of Minnesotans. I have personally litigated more than 1,000 federal consumer cases — I believe more, by volume, than any attorney in Minnesota — against the largest credit bureaus, banks, and debt collectors in the country. My work has been covered by The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, the Financial Times, and BuzzFeed. I have spent fifteen years fighting forced arbitration.

I am the author of two books — Paid to Fail, on Minnesota's fraud crisis, and The Pragmatic Progressive, a reform agenda.

I'm running to be the People's Lawyer — to police fraud, defend constitutional rights, and restore this office to its purpose.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

I'm David J.S. Madgett — a lifelong Minneapolis attorney, U.S. Air Force JAG veteran, father of five, and a DFL candidate for Minnesota Attorney General.

As Chief of Military Justice, I prosecuted contractor fraud and recovered over $10M for the federal government. In private practice, I've litigated more than 1,000 federal consumer cases — more, by volume, than any attorney in Minnesota — against the largest credit bureaus, banks, and debt collectors in the country. The Attorney General is the People's Lawyer — not a partisan platform, not a launchpad. Enforce the law. Not a party line.The current Attorney General had the authority and the warning signs to stop Minnesota's fraud crisis. He didn't. Up to $9 billion in alleged Medicaid fraud is under federal investigation across 14 Minnesota programs. The Feeding Our Future scheme moved $250 million through a single nonprofit; the AG's office met with figures later charged in that scheme in December 2021 and did not open a formal investigation. Whistleblowers were ignored or walked off the property. Now the federal government is pulling funding — and the people who pay are not the fraudsters. They are the disabled children, the seniors, and the working families who depended on the programs. That is a failure of duty. I am running to fix it.I will build a dedicated Fraud Enforcement Division and prosecute fraud wherever I find it — regardless of political connection. I will expand consumer protection capacity to pursue identity theft, predatory lending, and elder fraud aggressively, drawing on twenty years of front-line experience. I will use the AG's authority under MN Statutes Chapter 8 to lead on organized crime, drug and human trafficking, and cold cases, in partnership with county attorneys. I will deliver transparent audits of state spending, enforce open records laws, and defend constitutional rights equally for every Minnesotan. And I will end politically-motivated lawsuits filed for headlines. The office is a public trust. I will treat it that way.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Three areas, each with twenty years of work behind them. First, consumer protection — identity theft, predatory lending, and America's credit reporting system. I have spent my career correcting fraudulent records and watching ordinary Minnesotans get crushed by errors they did not create. Second, forced arbitration — the fine print that strips workers and consumers of their constitutional right to a day in court. I have litigated against it for fifteen years, and I have been on the receiving end of it personally. Third, fraud enforcement — I learned to prosecute fraud as an Air Force JAG officer, and Minnesota's recent failures show what happens when an AG will not do that work. These are not talking points. They are the work.

A state's attorney general has many responsibilities. Which of those do you personally consider the most important?

The attorney general has a solemn responsibility to help ensure a just and fair society for all. Because we are in this together, the AG must strategically allocate resources and make the tough triage decisions necessary to maximize our collective impact.

Attorneys general can represent their states in legal conflicts with the federal government. Do you consider this an important part of an attorney general's responsibilities?

This republic is built on the concept of federalism. States rights matter and it is our collective responsibility to protect them.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

The people I look up to are not famous, they're hard working people that I see on a daily basis.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Beyond listening and communication, you have to have heart - "If you don't stand for something, you'll fall for anything." Alexander Hamilton. People respect conviction even if they do not agree.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

Honesty and Integrity. You have to be honest about your own limits. I think the current AG got out over his skis and did not know where to turn when things got bad. I'll avoid this by partnering with experts and admitting that I do not know a lot of things.

What legacy would you like to leave?

I want to be known as a person that raised others up.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

I carried golf bags at a local country club to help pay rent and feed my family. We made hay in the summer and made it last into the winter. I was 12 when I started working. I was the poor kid but I was always treated with dignity and respect. You won't hear be trash talk country clubs for that reason. They treated me right and even helped me pay for college.

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

I grew up poor with a mother with addiction and mental health issues. I was able to overcome because of my community. That community had liberals, conservatives, and everyone in between. Those labels never came up when someone needed help. That is the great America I love.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

Vets Vote

What was the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember?

The first historical event I remember is the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster. I was 4 years old and captivated by the human push to the stars.

The attorney general often sets policy priorities for law enforcement. Are there certain areas of law enforcement that you would emphasize?

Yes. I think we need to be realistic and honest about law enforcement in Minnesota. The law matters, and it cannot simply be ignored because a crime is considered “petty” or inconvenient to prosecute. When government selectively enforces the law, public trust breaks down, and communities suffer.

At the same time, we also need to recognize that petty crime often reflects deeper problems. In many cases, it stems from poor moral guidance, desperation, mental health struggles, addiction, or a lack of opportunity. If all we do is place someone with those issues into jail for a short period and then release them with no rehabilitation or follow-up, we should not be surprised when the cycle repeats itself.

I believe we need a justice system that focuses on accountability and rehabilitation at the same time. People should own their actions and face consequences, but those consequences should also create a path toward change. That means investing in treatment programs, mental health resources, job training, and structured opportunities that help prevent repeat offenses.

Public safety is not achieved simply by filling jail cells. It is achieved by reducing repeat crime and restoring stability to communities. My focus as Attorney General would be building a system that enforces the law consistently, protects victims, and also gives people a meaningful incentive and opportunity to turn their lives around instead of becoming permanent participants in the criminal justice system.