Paris should be seen by all.
Particularly if the Massachusetts taxpayer or someone else is footing the bill.
The taxpayer paid for Attorney General Andrea Campbell, the state’s top law enforcement official, and two unnamed staffers to travel to Paris for an attorneys general conference in July 2004.
Despite having all the makings of a junket, it is still unclear why half of the nation’s attorney generals convened in Paris rather than any American city.
Campbell made no mention of the journey. Additionally, there was no itinerary, notification of meetings, accomplishment summary, or list of people she met with. Additionally, there were no introductory or concluding remarks on the conference.
The conference’s organizers even declined to disclose the event’s date, even though it was eventually discovered to be July 29–August 3, 2024.
The Attorney General Alliance, a nonprofit group supported by corporate donors, and the National Association of Attorneys General, an established organization, cosponsored the conference. The attorneys general are responsible for overseeing and looking into some of these corporations.
For example, the pharmaceutical firm Pfizer and Amazon are two of the Attorney General Alliance’s largest donors. In 2021, each gave $500,000 to AGA, the Associated Press said.
Its lobbyists, along with lobbyists from other large corporations who are stepping up, are able to attend the conference and interact with the attorneys general thanks to that gift.
Lobbyists basically pay for these trips, former NAAG executive director Christopher Toth told AP. By passing the funds through AGA, they shield the AGs from criticism that they are accepting donations from lobbyists.
According to documents the Herald was able to collect, Campbell’s tour, which included side visits to Brussels and Normandy, cost taxpayers $13,627. Of that amount, $9,000 was spent on transportation through France, which was handled by the excellent chauffeur service Avis Chauffeur.
But there was no visible bill for lodging, food, or other costs that would typically appear on a credit card. These are costs that lobbyist payments to AGA may or may not have covered.
A Herald review of Campbell’s taxpayer-funded attorney general credit card expenditures for the most recent fiscal year revealed the trip. They totaled over $300,000.
These cards are known as procurement cards, or P-cards, and they were given to certain state employees. Over the years, certain state officials have been in problems for abusing these cards.
This is not to imply that Campbell profited from lobbyist generosity on the trip to France or that there is any credit card abuse occurring.
However, it should be noted that Campbell, a former Boston city councilor and failed mayoral candidate, spoke for accountability and openness during his attorney general campaign.
Given that Campbell, who has swiftly integrated into Beacon Hill’s Democratic Party establishment, will be running for reelection to a second four-year term, the taxpayer could use some right now.
Her ability to thwart state auditor Diana DiZoglio’s attempt to audit the Democrat-run Massachusetts Legislature, despite the proposal’s 72% public approval, is an example of her collaboration with the State House Democrat establishment.
The Legislature granted her a staggering $7 million budget boost to support her anti-Trump section, which will continue to bring lawsuits against President Donald Trump, even if it may not be linked (yes, right).
Why not? Attorney General Maura Healey, her predecessor, won the governorship by suing Trump.
Peter Lucas, a seasoned political reporter, can be contacted at [email protected].
