About half the nation’s state attorneys general traveled to France this weekend in a trip cosponsored by a group mostly funded by companies, including some under scrutiny of the top state lawyers.
Organizers said the trip was ‘’solely focused on commemorating and paying tribute to the achievements and sacrifices of those who fought in Normandy,’’ even though it took place nearly two months after the 80th anniversary of the D-Day invasion on June 6, which was commemorated by a gathering of world leaders.
The Attorney General Alliance (AGA) cosponsored the trip to France with the National Association of Attorneys General, a century-old group. AGA would not provide dates for the event, but one attorney general said it was set for July 29 through Aug. 3.
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison was not on the trip, Ellison’s spokesman said Saturday.
Attorneys general are among the most visible officials in state governments and the job can be a launching pad to the world stage. Vice President Kamala Harris, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, previously held the post in California.
The trip illuminates how corporate lawyers and lobbyists can gain access to officials who regulate their businesses with help from the AGA.
‘’Lobbyists essentially fund these trips,’’ said Christopher Toth, a former National Associations of Attorneys General executive director. ‘’They funnel the money through AGA, and then that insulates the AGs from being criticized that they’re taking money from lobbyists.’’
It also shields them from criticism that they are traveling abroad on taxpayers’ dime. The trips can be posh and provide opportunities for company lobbyists to rub elbows with them. Companies that have picked up the bill and sent representatives in recent years have been from the pharmaceutical, auto, financial, online gaming and tech industries, among others.
