AGs Called out for Pay to Play Practices

The Washington Times had a great editorial last Monday on how pay-to-play politics has taken over attorneys general offices across the nation. You can read the full editorial here.

Basically, the Times takes a number of AGs to task for their practices of hiring liberal trial lawyers to sue private corporations. They also laud a report by the American Tort Reform Association which has developed a series of principles to govern contracting in the AG's office. They write: "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 lasuit proceeds over $250,000 into state treasuries."

They continue to note: "It's disturbing that most states don't have laws that cover at least some of these simple requirements already."

They're right--it's disturbing, and it's even more disturbing that AG Troy King is one of the examples the Times uses in showing how NOT to contract private lawyers. Believe it or not, this is a big issue. The Times has great examples from New Mexico and California where big campaign contributions from trial lawyers resulted in major contracts after the election.

They finally get to Troy King, and they cite his questionable contributions from Jere Beasley which resulted in major contracts in pharmaceuticals fraud.

At the end of the day, the result is clear: we need an attorney general who will bring transparency to the contracts we must have and make clear that the AG's office is not a place for plaintiff's lawyers looking to strike it rich on state contracts. Troy King is simply not that person, and it is time that he be removed before he bring more scandal upon Alabama. Tort reform has long been a key conservative issue, one which Troy King has shamelessly and wrongfully neglected.