J.B. McCuskey

J.B. McCuskey
Born	John "JB" McCuskey
Nationality	American
Occupation	Politician, attorney
Title	Attorney General of West Virginia
Known for	35th Attorney General of West Virginia

John "JB" McCuskey is an American attorney and politician serving as the 35th Attorney General of West Virginia. A member of the Republican Party, McCuskey previously served two terms as the West Virginia State Auditor before assuming the role of the state's chief legal officer. In his capacity as Attorney General, McCuskey has pursued a range of legal actions at both the state and federal levels, including leading multistate coalitions in challenges before the United States Supreme Court and filing consumer protection and child safety lawsuits against major technology companies. His tenure has been marked by high-profile litigation, including a lawsuit against Apple Inc. alleging the company's failure to prevent the distribution of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) on its iCloud platform, as well as a 21-state effort urging the Supreme Court to overturn federal appliance efficiency regulations.

Career

West Virginia State Auditor

Prior to becoming Attorney General, McCuskey served two terms as the West Virginia State Auditor. In that role, he was responsible for overseeing the financial affairs of the state government. His service as State Auditor was described by the Republican Attorneys General Association as part of a career devoted to public service.

Attorney General of West Virginia

McCuskey assumed office as the 35th Attorney General of West Virginia, succeeding a line of attorneys general responsible for representing the state in legal matters, enforcing consumer protection laws, and advising state agencies on legal questions.

Lawsuit Against Apple Inc.

In February 2026, McCuskey filed a lawsuit against Apple Inc., alleging that the technology company knowingly allowed its iCloud platform to be used for the storage and distribution of child sexual abuse material (CSAM). The lawsuit, announced on February 19, 2026, accused Apple of failing to take adequate steps to detect, report, and remove illegal images of child sexual abuse from its cloud storage service.

According to the complaint, Apple was aware that its iCloud platform was being exploited as a vehicle for the distribution of CSAM but did not implement sufficient safeguards to prevent such activity. The lawsuit alleged that Apple "knowingly ignored" the presence of such material on its platform. McCuskey's office characterized the action as a necessary step to hold one of the world's largest technology companies accountable for its role in enabling the exploitation of children.

The case attracted coverage from multiple West Virginia media outlets and was also reported by WV MetroNews, which noted that McCuskey announced the filing on February 19, 2026. The lawsuit represented one of the most prominent legal actions taken by a state attorney general against Apple on the issue of child safety and CSAM enforcement.

Federal Appliance Efficiency Regulations Challenge

On February 24, 2026, McCuskey announced that he was leading a coalition of 21 state attorneys general in urging the United States Supreme Court to block federal appliance efficiency rules issued during the Biden administration. The coalition argued that the regulations, which set new energy efficiency standards for common household gas appliances, could effectively result in the banning of widely used gas-powered products.

The multistate effort called on the Supreme Court to overturn a lower court ruling that had upheld the federal appliance efficiency standards. McCuskey positioned the challenge as a defense of consumer choice and state regulatory authority, arguing that the Biden-era rules exceeded the scope of federal power and could impose significant costs on consumers who rely on gas appliances.

The action was consistent with a broader pattern among Republican state attorneys general who challenged various environmental and energy regulations issued during the Biden administration. McCuskey's leadership of the 21-state coalition placed West Virginia at the forefront of this legal effort and drew national attention to the state's role in energy and regulatory policy disputes.

Membership in Republican Attorneys General Association

McCuskey is a member of the Republican Attorneys General Association (RAGA), an organization that supports and coordinates among Republican attorneys general across the United States. His profile on the RAGA website describes him as having "devoted his life to public service" and highlights his prior service as State Auditor.