BATON ROUGE - State officials announced Monday that Richard Ieyoub, who served as Louisiana attorney general for over a decade, has died at age 78.

Lawmakers announced Ieyoub's death at the start of 2023 legislative session Monday. He reportedly died in his sleep after experiencing complications related to surgery. 

The Governor sent the following statement Monday afternoon: 

I was deeply saddened to learn of the passing of my dear friend Richard. Not only was he a devoted husband, father and grandfather, but he cared about making life better for everyone in the state he was proud to call home. He leaves behind a long legacy of public service that has left an indelible impact on our state and nation.

"The son of Lebanese immigrants who came to this country and worked hard to achieve the American dream, Richard learned from them and carried that hard work ethic throughout his career. He grew up in Lake Charles as a devout Catholic who was guided by his faith. Once he set his sights on a goal, he was determined to reach it, even when others counted him out. He never doubted himself or the people of our great state.

Whether he ran for local or state office, he was rewarded with overwhelming support, serving as the district attorney of Calcasieu Parish and then three terms as the state attorney general. In that time, he helped enact a statewide school safety plan and later helped to win billions of dollars for the state in litigation against tobacco companies. I was thrilled to appoint him commissioner of conservation in 2016. This is a tremendous loss for his family and Louisiana. Donna and I ask everyone to join their prayers to ours for his wife, Caprice, their children, grandchildren and all who knew and love him.

Ieyoub, who's from Lake Charles, served as the state's AG from 1992 to 2004.