Pay to play with AGs
Editorial
The Washington Times
February 1, 2010
Pay-to-play politics are penetrating state attorney general's offices, with aggressive plaintiffs' lawyers on the make for state-sponsored jackpots. To combat these dubious practices, the American Tort Reform Association developed a set of principles that should govern outside contracting by state AGs. A new ATRA report card alerts that most AGs aren't meeting those ethical standards.
The proposed guidelines amount to basic, common-sensical standards of good government. The recommendations include posting on the Internet every contract with state-hired outside counsel; ensuring attorneys general make "every effort" to find the best-value contractors; and instituting third-party government review of contingent, fee-based contracts. To reinforce the idea that attorneys general are supposed to be serving taxpayer interests, not lawyers' greed, ATRA suggests that AGs deposit all state lawsuit proceeds over $250,000 into state treasuries.
