A Wisconsin court has allowed a lawsuit to proceed against Attorney General Josh Kaul regarding the employment of a Special Assistant Attorney General (SAAG) funded by Bloomberg. The Calumet County Circuit Court denied Kaul’s motion to dismiss the case, which was initiated in February by dairy groups. The plaintiffs argue that this arrangement represents an illegal use of taxpayer funds and poses questions about private influence within the state’s Department of Justice.
The lawsuit, filed by the Wisconsin Dairy Alliance and Venture Dairy Cooperative, claims that the SAAG’s position allows private interests undue influence over state legal affairs. Cindy Leitner, president of the Wisconsin Dairy Alliance, expressed concerns about special interest groups’ impact on state attorneys. The plaintiffs assert that Karen Heineman, Wisconsin’s SAAG, is more aligned with the NYU program funding her than with Wisconsin residents.
This legal development coincides with a congressional investigation into Michael Bloomberg’s NYU program. In July, the House Oversight Committee began examining NYU’s State Energy and Environmental Impact Center and Bloomberg Philanthropies for potential partisan activities involving state attorneys general. Concerns have been raised about whether these positions are used for private agendas rather than public service.
Attorney General Kaul has been cautious about pursuing climate lawsuits against industries like oil and gas but faces increasing pressure from activists in Wisconsin. This case could reveal how much sway Bloomberg’s initiative holds within Wisconsin’s DOJ.
The court’s decision means that Wisconsin taxpayers might soon gain insight into their Department of Justice’s true affiliations. With Congress also scrutinizing the broader Bloomberg-NYU program, this issue extends beyond local concerns to question whether attorneys general serve their constituents or external benefactors.
For more information on related climate lawsuits and environmental activism: see here, here, and here.
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