The Attorney General may appoint one or more deputy attorneys general, assistant attorneys general and staff attorneys who serve at the pleasure of the Attorney General or until their successors are duly appointed and qualified. They may perform all the duties required of the Attorney General and other duties the Attorney General delegates to them. The Attorney General may appoint research assistants with any powers and duties the Attorney General delegates. Research assistants may perform duties delegated to them by the Attorney General, including activities authorized by Title 4, section 807. Notwithstanding any other provisions of law, the compensations of research assistants, law office manager and deputy attorneys general are fixed by the Attorney General. The compensation of the Deputy Chief Medical Examiner is fixed by the Attorney General in consultation with the Chief Medical Examiner and with the approval of the Governor. The compensations of the staff attorneys, assistant attorneys general and secretary to the Attorney General are fixed by the Attorney General with the approval of the Governor, but such compensations may not in the aggregate exceed the amount appropriated for those positions and may not result in an increased request to future Legislatures. [2017, c. 284, Pt. DDD, §1(AMD).]
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, whenever the written approval of the Attorney General is required by statute or court rule and the Attorney General either is unavailable to act upon the matter or has determined that it would be legally or ethically improper for the Attorney General to do so, the required approval may be given by a deputy attorney general specifically authorized in writing by the Attorney General to act on the Attorney General's behalf in these situations. [2005, c. 154, §1(AMD).]
5 M.R.S. § 196