June 05, 2006

Another data point or two on how state attorneys general come to hire private law firms to sue private businesses, courtesy of Mississippi's not-always-discreet AG, Jim Hood:

Hood said he normally awards the contracts to the attorneys who propose the lawsuit...

Copeland, Cook, Taylor & Bush brought the idea for the lawsuit against the pharmaceutical companies [demanding huge sums for alleged overcharges] to Hood. While the firm by its very nature is more affiliated with Republican Party politics, it has one prominent Democrat in its midst -- former Gov. Ronnie Musgrove is a member of the firm.

See May 24 and, more generally, our Regulation Through Litigation page.