Khurram Dara
Khurram Dara, a New York City-based regulatory and public policy attorney, announced his candidacy for New York State Attorney General, pledging to end lawfare, enforce the law and create a better business climate to help fight the affordability crisis.
Khurram Dara said, “For the last few months, I’ve been traveling all over the state. No matter where you go, everyone says the same thing: New York is too expensive. And it’s more than just the financial cost. It’s the cost to your peace of mind when it comes to your safety and the safety of your loved ones. An Attorney General can fix this. But not the one we have now.”
“Letitia James has been a professional politician for over twenty years and throughout her career she has consistently put her own political interests ahead of New Yorkers,” he added. “I’m running for New York State Attorney General because the people of New York deserve an AG that puts New Yorkers first, not one consumed by her own political ambitions.”
Dara most recently led Regulatory & Policy at Bain Capital Crypto, the firm’s dedicated crypto venture fund. Prior to his role at Bain Capital, Dara previously served as Policy Counsel at Coinbase and as General Counsel at Fluidity (acquired by Consensys). He has also practiced law at New York law firms Cahill Gordon & Reindel LLP and Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP. Dara’s deep regulatory and policy experience, particularly in the crypto and fintech space, is in stark contrast to incumbent Letitia James’ weak record of driving innovation out of New York.
Dara says James is worsening the affordability crisis in New York. “The evolution of state AGs into regulators and policymakers has been costly in more ways than one – and nowhere has that been more apparent than in New York. Not only did it set the stage for Letitia James’ partisan lawfare, it has also increased the cost of doing business – leading to higher prices at a time when New Yorkers face a crippling affordability crisis.”
Dara’s platform includes ending lawfare, prioritizing public safety and making New York more business- and innovation-friendly. Dara says he plans to make specific changes to the office to address affordability and the cost of doing business, such as curbing the office’s use of the Martin Act, ending the practice of hiring private law firms on a contingency-fee basis, and fighting unlawful regulations. “These are changes that would immediately improve the business climate and help drive down prices. Throughout my career, I’ve worked with companies that were unfairly targeted by the government – I’ve seen the cost of lawfare firsthand.”
Dara is a Term Member of the Council on Foreign Relations and serves on the Advisory Board of the Investor Choice Advocates Network, a legal nonprofit dedicated to fighting regulatory overreach and expanding access to the capital markets to small investors and entrepreneurs.
Dara grew up in the Town of Amherst, a suburb of Buffalo and is a graduate of Williamsville North High School. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Emory University and his J.D. from Columbia Law School. He lives in Brooklyn with his wife, Shari.
Dara concluded, “Letitia James has not earned another term. New York needs an Attorney General that will enforce the law, not politicize it. That’s why I’m running.”
For more information, follow @KhurramDara on X or visit KDforAG.com.
