Bill McCollum has served our nation and the people of Florida as an officer in the Navy JAG Corps, in the United States Congress, on the Board of Governors of the State University system of Florida, and most recently as Florida’s Attorney General.

Bill McCollum is the 36th Attorney General of Florida, elected in 2006. Since taking office he has positioned Florida as a national leader in the fight against child pornography and internet child predators. At his request the Florida Legislature provided the resources to greatly expand the Attorney General’s Child Predator CyberCrime Unit (CPCU) and passed laws giving law enforcement new tools and greater punishments for those who prey on children over the internet. In addition, his office developed a 50 minute Cyber Safety program, available to all middle and high schools, to teach children how to protect themselves on the internet.

Under Bill’s direction, the Attorney General’s office has pursued mortgage fraud and many other scams to protect Floridians in this time of economic stress, and developed and coordinated the implementation of a statewide gang reduction strategy.

As Attorney General, Bill’s other priorities have included consumer protection; combating Medicaid fraud; improving the state’s security against terrorist threats; and fighting crimes against the elderly, especially identity theft.

Bill McCollum is a native Floridian, born in Brooksville. He graduated from Hernando High School and earned his bachelor’s and law degrees from the University of Florida.

After graduating from law school, Bill served on active duty in the U.S. Navy from 1969-1972. In 1992 he retired from the Naval Reserve as a Commander having served 23 years as an officer in the Judge Advocate General’s Corps (JAG).

From 1981 to 2001 Bill represented the people of Central Florida in the United States Congress. In 1989 he founded the U.S. House Task Force on Terrorism and Unconventional Warfare and was recognized as an expert on terrorism. Bill also served on the Judiciary committee, where he chaired the subcommittee on Crime. In addition, he served on the Banking and the Intelligence committees. Upon retiring from the House of Representatives in 2001, he was a partner with Baker and Hostetler, LLP, until he was elected as Attorney General. Bill served on the Board of Governors of the State University system of Florida from 2005 to 2006.

Bill has been married to Ingrid Seebohm McCollum for 38 years; they have three sons, two daughters-in-law, and two grandsons.