Attorney General John M. Formella serves as New Hampshire’s Chief Law Enforcement Officer, Chief Prosecutor, and Chief Legal Officer. He was initially appointed by Governor Chris Sununu and confirmed by the Executive Council, taking office on April 22, 2021. In 2025, he was renominated by Governor Kelly Ayotte and confirmed to serve a new four-year term through 2029.

As New Hampshire’s Chief Prosecutor, Attorney General Formella oversees all homicide cases prosecuted by the State, including the successful prosecutions in the Harmony Montgomery and Stephen and Wende Reid murder cases. He has expanded the Attorney General’s Office Cold Case Unit, leading to resolutions in longstanding homicide cases.

Attorney General Formella established the Northern Border Alliance Task Force to enhance coordination and security along New Hampshire’s northern border; initiated significant public corruption prosecutions; and expanded specialized units within the Attorney General’s Office focused on Election Law, Public Integrity and White-Collar Crime, Civil Rights, and Elder Abuse and Financial Exploitation. He has also expanded the Office’s Environmental Protection Bureau and pursued litigation against companies for PFAS and PCB contamination, securing nearly $100 million in settlements to date, with many claims still ongoing. In 2024, Attorney General Formella established a new Data Privacy Unit within the Attorney General’s Office.

During his tenure, Attorney General Formella has negotiated major civil settlements, including a $40.5 million agreement with Johnson & Johnson; reviewed and challenged hospital mergers; and pursued antitrust litigation against large corporations such as Google, Amazon, and Apple to protect consumers and small businesses. He has led significant legal actions involving social media companies, including New Hampshire’s independent lawsuit against Meta, which resulted in a landmark 2026 multistate settlement providing New Hampshire with up to $224.3 million and requiring sweeping new protections for children on Instagram and Facebook. He has also led legal actions involving vaccine mandates, federal overreach, immigration, ESG policies, Second Amendment rights, and the federal government’s implementation of the ARPA Tax Mandate.

Attorney General Formella has served in multiple leadership roles within the National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG). He was elected by his bipartisan colleagues to serve as NAAG Vice President, then as NAAG President, and currently serves as NAAG’s Immediate Past President. He is also a member of the Republican Attorneys General Association. In December 2025, he was awarded NAAG’s prestigious Kelley-Wyman Memorial Award, which honors the attorney general who has made the most exceptional contributions to advancing the Association’s mission and objectives in a given year.

Prior to becoming Attorney General, Formella served as Governor Chris Sununu’s Legal Counsel, advising the Governor on significant legal matters affecting the State, including New Hampshire’s responses to the opioid crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Attorney General Formella began his legal career practicing business and environmental law at Pierce Atwood LLP. He is a Phi Beta Kappa and Magna Cum Laude graduate of Florida State University and graduated with honors from George Washington University Law School.