Wisconsin Department of Justice and Attorney General Josh Kaul faces a lawsuit with serious concerns over the external impact of state legal affairs. [emphasis, links added]
At the heart of the controversy is Kaur's decision to hire a special assistant attorney general (SAAG) The National Center for Energy and Environmental Impact Funded by Bloomberg, the NYU Law School, is paid.
According to a complaint filed by a group including the Wisconsin Dairy Alliance and Risk Dairy Cooperatives, “This case raises the question of whether the Wisconsin Department of Justice wants to sell.”
The arrangement is part of a well-documented model that has repeatedly faced criticism from legal experts and lawmakers who warned Privately funded attorneys blur the line between public services and private interests in general and raises the question of who Sager is really responsible – the funder of a taxpayer or his billionaire.
Dairy Group Challenges Bloomberg’s Influence
Groups filing the lawsuit believe that the Wisconsin Department of Justice and the Bloomberg-backed New York University Center have granted billionaire-funded organizations unprecedented impact on the sector's work on agricultural and environmental issues.
This raises alarms for the key agricultural and energy sectors of Wisconsin, as these legal researchers often target environmental litigation against public economic priorities in targeted environmental litigation.
For example, Bloomberg-funded Sargers in other state agricultural offices often leads targeted climate lawsuits against energy companies and coordinates directly with activists in the process.
Wisconsin Dairy Alliance President Cindy Leitner opposes the appointment of Saag Karen Heineman:
“This agreement between AG Kaul and the NYU Climate Center raises serious questions about the impact of special interests on state prosecutors…
“We have to ask: Does the attorney work in the best interest of the public or serve the interests of private funders?” (Added emphasis)
Complaints indicate No other organization has obtained this level of access to the Ministry of Justice decision-makingultimately creating an unfair and unbalanced legal landscape that supports Bloomberg and its branches.
In addition, the plaintiff stressed that although Heineman has the full support and authority of the Wisconsin DOJ, Her priorities are directed by Bloomberg’s NYU Center, not the needs or concerns of the Wisconsin taxpayers and business communities.
Critics of the NYU Center's broader efforts have repeatedly warned that the placement of these state prosecutors is not a neutral legal appointment, but a part The well-funded strategy affects national litigation and is part of Bloomberg’s attempt to “buy the government.”
Legislative protection measures to pay for external impacts
Wisconsin lawmakers filed a bill that took place in weeks No hiring lawyers hired by external groups.
The co-sponsorship memorandum defines goals for Bloomberg SAAG's arrangements:
“It is unacceptable to allow out-of-state billionaires to initiate or control investigations or prosecutions in Wisconsin.
“The Attorney General’s duty is to represent and serve the people of Wisconsin, rather than accommodate bids and agendas of out-of-state billionaires guerrilla activists who enter our Justice office the way we do.” (Added emphasis)
Minnesota has introduced similar legislation, another state where the country has been criticized for hiring in Bloomberg Sages and nearby Michigan.
In 2019, controversy over Virginia Attorney General's interest in the Sager program, The Virginia Legislature passed a budget requiring that the state’s Department of Justice employees be funded only by the state.
Bottom line
This lawsuit by Wisconsin dairy group highlights a shocking trend: Progressive billionaires like Bloomberg shape national policies and litigation by bypassing backdoor arrangements for voters and elected officials.
The Wisconsin Department of Justice’s decision to allow billionaire donors to enforce formal legal proceedings has raised serious concerns about accountability, transparency, and the rule of law.
The core problem still exists: Are state prosecutors really providing real services to the interests of the people who elect their elections, or are they bidding for the highest bidders?
Top image via WKOW 27 News/YouTube Screenshot
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