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Huntington Beach's outspoken city attorney joins the Trump administration's Justice Department
The 2021 Pacific Airshow in Huntington Beach. City taxpayers are on the hook for millions over a controversial settlement Gates brokered related to a pandemic-era airshow cancellation.
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Michael Heiman
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Getty Images
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Huntington Beach’s outspoken city attorney — who has spent years being a thorn in the side of Gov. Gavin Newsom — is taking a job in the Trump administration.
Michael Gates will be Trump’s deputy assistant attorney general in the Department of Justice’s civil rights division.
Here's what you need to know
Gates was first elected Huntington Beach’s city attorney in 2014 and has won reelection ever since. Huntington Beach is among a minority of cities in California that elects rather than appoints a city attorney.
Gates has been a vocal supporter of Pres. Trump and his policies. He’s a frequent guest on conservative radio and TV talk shows and posts frequently about his views on social media. He called the new job "an absolute honor, an absolute privilege."
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Why it matters
Gates leaves the beach city in the middle of multiple legal battles with the state of California, including over housing, voter ID, immigration and gender identity issues.
🚨🚨🚨 Headed to DC! Going to fight to Make America Great Again! It is a privilege and an honor to accept a position with the U.S. Department of Justice - Deputy Assistant Attorney General, Civil Rights Division! 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/IWBQ2tTxfe
— Attorney Michael E. Gates (@MichaelGatesESQ) February 10, 2025
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What is Gates’ legacy?
The Huntington Beach City Council, as Gates has frequently pointed out to critics, ultimately signs off on the city’s legal positions and lawsuits. But Gates has claimed a prominent role in positioning the city as a foil to the overwhelmingly liberal state government and its policies.
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Gates led the city in several lawsuits over the state’s laws designed to encourage more, and more affordable, housing. Most recently, the city filed suit over California’s sanctuary law, which curbs local law enforcement’s involvement in federal immigration enforcement.
On a more local level, Gates helped broker a controversial settlement over the pandemic-era cancelation of the city’s annual airshow, which will cost Huntington Beach taxpayers millions over the coming years.
Who will take over for Gates?
Gates said in a video posted on social media that he is recommending the city council appoint the chief assistant city attorney, Mike Vigliotta, as his replacement. Vigliotta has held the position since 2005. “Huntington Beach is going to be in good hands," he said, promising the beach city will continue its fights against Newsom and the state.
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You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
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