Maryland’s Legal Offensive Expands: Brown’s Lawsuits Against Trump Now Top 55

What Is Anthony Brown’s Resistance Costing You?

By Michael Phillips | MDBayNews

Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. Brown is no longer simply responding to federal policy changes.

He is running a sustained legal campaign.

As of late February 2026, Brown’s office has filed or joined more than 55 federal lawsuits challenging actions taken by the Trump administration — an aggressive pace that has accelerated since January.

The number is not speculative. It comes from Brown’s own office.

In January 2026, the Attorney General’s Federal Accountability Unit reported it had led or joined 51 lawsuits in its first year. Since then, additional February filings — including cases involving DHS, FEMA, energy funding, vaccine policy, and an ICE detention facility in Washington County — have pushed the total even higher.

Maryland is now a routine plaintiff in federal court.

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A Legal Strategy, Not an Exception

Earlier reporting showed 43 lawsuits filed or joined in under ten months after Trump’s January 2025 inauguration.

That number rose to 51 by January 2026.

Now, just weeks later, the total appears to exceed 55.

These cases include:

• Multistate coalitions challenging energy and infrastructure funding decisions
• A coalition lawsuit over federal vaccine schedule changes
• A multistate challenge to DHS and FEMA over terrorism prevention grant cuts
• A Maryland-led lawsuit over a proposed ICE detention facility in Washington County
• Numerous amicus briefs (70+ by earlier counts) supporting other anti-administration litigation

Nearly all are part of coordinated multistate efforts involving 10–25 Democratic-led states.

This is not incidental participation. It is structured, continuous engagement.

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The $1 Million Litigation Unit

Governor Wes Moore allocated $1 million to establish and support a Federal Accountability Unit inside the Attorney General’s office.

That funding was designed specifically to prepare for and pursue challenges to Trump administration actions.

The full Attorney General’s office budget for FY2026 stands at approximately $90.1 million — up 12.3% from the prior year.

The federal litigation work represents only a subset of that budget, but the office does not publicly itemize:

• Per-lawsuit costs
• Attorney time allocations
• Overtime expenses
• Internal resource diversion
• Administrative overhead tied to federal cases

Taxpayers fund the entire $90 million agency.

But only $1 million is explicitly carved out for this federal resistance work.

The rest is embedded.

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Supporters Say It Protects Billions

Brown’s office argues the lawsuits have preserved or restored hundreds of millions — even billions — in federal funding for Maryland programs.

Those include:

• Education grants
• Infrastructure programs
• Energy funding
• AmeriCorps allocations
• Disaster relief funds
• Violence prevention grants

If those claims hold, supporters argue, the return on investment dwarfs the $1 million allocation.

Critics respond that the scale of litigation — more than 55 cases in roughly a year — resembles a national political strategy more than case-by-case necessity.

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When Litigation Becomes Governance

States have every right to challenge federal actions they believe violate the law.

But Maryland’s approach is no longer reactive.

It is proactive and constant.

The Federal Accountability Unit was built before Trump’s inauguration.

The lawsuits began immediately after.

The pace has not slowed.

Maryland residents deserve clarity on two core questions:

1. What measurable financial benefit has each case produced?
2. What opportunity cost does sustained litigation impose on the rest of the Attorney General’s responsibilities?

There is no consolidated public ledger answering either.

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The Bigger Question

Maryland is not alone in this strategy. Democratic attorneys general nationwide have filed roughly 70+ multistate challenges collectively.

But Maryland’s participation in more than 55 cases places it among the most active states in opposing federal policy through litigation.

The question is not whether states can sue.

They can.

The question is whether Maryland’s top legal office has shifted from state law enforcement to permanent federal opposition.

And whether taxpayers are fully aware of what that means.

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