State AGs Wooed, Manipulated By Lobbyists

Lobbyists and lawyers have set their sights on state attorneys general, using campaign contributions and interactions at opulent corporate-sponsored conferences to influence investigations, settlements, or the enforcement of state regulators, according to a The New York Times report. Questionable activities include ignoring environmental regulators at the request of former AGs-turned-lobbyists, dropping pending litigation after meeting with lobbyists, or using outside lawyers’ language verbatim for state suits. The lack of restrictions and disclosure requirements on state AGs have made an extraordinary level of influence possible, the Times’ investigation found.