Former Obama Attorney General Eric Holder’s law firm is reportedly bringing in $25,000 a month in California taxpayers’ money for legal counsel about countering the Trump administration.
In January the Democrat-dominated California state legislature hired Mr. Holder’s and his firm, Covington & Burling, “to assist with legal challenges over everything from immigration to environmental policies,” Fox News reported Thursday.
Judicial Watch, a conservative legal watchdog group, disclosed the arrangement after receiving the relevant documents in a freedom of information request, said Fox.
“The new records show California state legislators are wasting tax dollars to bankroll another corrupt politician — Eric Holder — under the pretense of attacking the Trump administration,” Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton said in a statement.
Fox News first reported on the “unorthodox arrangement” in early January, noting that California’s legal dealings are normally coordinated through the attorney general’s office, which had just been vacated with the resignation of Kamala Harris to take up her U.S. Senate seat.
Republican state legislators critical of the contract with Mr. Holder’s firm allege the arrangement is unconstitutional, while Democratic defenders insist the legislative branch is exempt from the state constitution’s regulation on civil-service employees, Fox reported.
Even so, Mr. Holder engaged in strategy meetings Tuesday with top officials in both the legislature and the executive branch in Democrat-dominated Sacramento. This is reportedly Mr. Holder’s first such visit since being retained as independent counsel.
Mr. Holder met in person with Gov. Jerry Brown while newly-appointed Democratic State Attorney General Xavier Becerra reportedly joined by phone, according to the Los Angeles Times.
“The theme was coordination,” State Assembly Speaker Rendon admitted, the Times reported Tuesday.
• Ken Shepherd can be reached at kshepherd@washingtontimes.com.
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