March 28, 2024

AG Schmidt appoints new head of consumer protection division

Kansas Attorney General

TOPEKA – (October 7, 2019) – Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt today announced that Lawrence attorney Kathryn Carter has been named the new deputy attorney general for the consumer protection and antitrust division.

“Kate is an experienced and accomplished attorney,” Schmidt said. “I am grateful that she has agreed to lead our consumer protection division in the important work of protecting Kansas consumers from scams and helping victims of scams recover what they’ve lost.”

Carter succeeds Jim Welch, who retired in September after leading the consumer protection division from 2011 to 2019. Welch also served as an assistant attorney general in the consumer protection division from 1995 to 2003.

Carter has been with the attorney general’s office for seven years, and has served as an assistant attorney general in the consumer protection division for the past three years. Before joining the attorney general’s office, Carter served as a district magistrate judge for the 12th Judicial District in Cloud County for 17 years and worked in private practice. Carter is a graduate of Wichita Southeast High School, the University of Kansas and the University of Kansas School of Law.

The consumer protection and antitrust division investigates scams, mediates and prosecutes violations of the Consumer Protection Act, the No-Call Act, the Roofing Registration Act, the Charitable Organization and Solicitations Act, the Kansas False Claims Act, the Wayne Owen Act and the Kansas Restraint of Trade Act.

During Schmidt’s administration, the division has recovered a total of more than $225 million, by far the most in state history.