About half of US state AGs went on France trip sponsored by group with lobbyist and corporate funds

About half of the U.S. state attorneys general traveled to France. The trip was co-financed by a group largely funded by corporations. Some of them were closely watched by top state attorneys.

Attorneys general are among the most visible officials in state governments, and the job can be a springboard to the world stage. Vice President Kamala Harris, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, previously held the position in California.

By working together, AGs get a chance to share concerns, build relationships and strategies, and talk to officials in other countries. The trips can be fancy, and provide opportunities for corporate lobbyists to rub shoulders with them. Companies that have footed the bill and sent representatives in recent years include pharmaceuticals, autos, finance, online gaming, and technology.

Organizers said this summer’s trip is “focused solely on commemorating and honoring the achievements and sacrifices of those who fought in Normandy,” even though it comes 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 National Association of Attorneys General, better known as AGA, a century-old organization that co-sponsored the attorneys general’s trip to France, declined to release dates for the event, but an attorney general said the event was scheduled for July 29 through Aug. 3.

The trip will highlight how corporate lawyers and lobbyists can gain access to officials overseeing their companies with the help of the Attorney General Alliance, one of the organizations behind the event.

“Lobbyists are essentially funding these trips,” said Christopher Toth, a former executive director of AGA. “They’re funneling the money through AGA, and that protects the AGs from criticism that they’re taking money from lobbyists.”

It also protects them from criticism that they are travelling abroad at taxpayers’ expense.

The AGA said 26 attorneys general were going on the trip. The nonprofit group said the Olympics were not planned, although major international athletics competitions coincided. In 2022, the group sponsored a trip to Qatar for the FIFA World Cup football matches, which was attended by several AGs.

The group said it would not make public the 2024 schedule or exactly which AGs would be present in France due to security concerns.

“This event, like all others, was planned based on the availability of the attorneys general and the hotel. & conference room,” Tania Maestas, an attorney for AGA, said in an email.

Maestas declined to answer a question about whether any of the sponsors provided the attorneys general with tickets to the Olympic Games.

Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum, a Democrat, said she would attend an Olympic soccer game in addition to the Normandy games and would pay for the tickets and a few days’ vacation in France with her husband.

Other attorneys general said they would not attend the games or ignored requests from the Associated Press news agency.

Attorneys general are the chief government attorneys in their states. They all have a role in consumer protection and many in law enforcement. They are elected in 43 states and appointed in the other seven.

A major shift in trajectory began in the 1990s, when the states joined together to sue the tobacco industry over the dangers of smoking. The deal opened the door for other major lawsuits in multiple states and opioid settlements, defective car airbags and other consumer protection issues.

That use of the office — ensuring corporate accountability — led to other developments. Now, some large law firms have divisions that specialize in representing companies overseen by AGs.

These departments, which often employ former AGs or their deputies, have a strong incentive to lobby people in that position, as well as the companies they represent.

Over time, the Conference of Western Attorneys General expanded its core themes from primarily regional issues such as water resources and challenges facing Native American communities to a broader range of issues. In 2019, the national AGA was formed.

The group’s tax returns show it took in and spent about $10 million from July 2022 through June 2023. More than $6 million of the expenses were for travel, conferences, meetings and events. Much of the organization’s revenue comes from sponsorships.

While the tax filings don’t list the donors, a 2023 AGA brochure provided by an attorney specializing in the AG practice who asked to remain anonymous for fear of professional retaliation shows how it works: Corporate sponsors can send more people to AGA events by donating more money. For example, donors of $20,000 can have three spots at events throughout the year. Those who donated $150,000 can have 30. More than 200 companies were listed as sponsors at various levels.

The AGA did not respond to questions about the brochure.

“With the AGA, these regulated industries are giving money directly to the organization,” said Paul Nolette, a political scientist at Marquette University who studies AGs.

Brian Frosh, a Democrat who served as Maryland’s attorney general from 2015 to last year, said he remembers attending only one or two of the group’s dinners in his early years in office, but never attending its larger events, which included international trips to China, Morocco, Ireland and elsewhere.

“The dinners I went to, you’d sit next to a lobbyist for another interest,” Frosh said. “And then you’d get up and go to another table. I didn’t find that fun or educational.”

A 2021 version of the AGA publication shows that two companies contributed at least $500,000 that year: Amazon and Pfizer.

Both have come under scrutiny from AGs. Last year, 17 attorneys general joined the Federal Trade Commission Sue Amazonalleging that the online retailer had inflated prices and overcharged sellers.

Pharmaceutical company Pfizer has faced legal action from AGs on multiple fronts. Texas AG Ken Paxton filed a lawsuit last year alleging the company misrepresented the effectiveness of its COVID-19 vaccines and attempted to censor public discourse about them. Pfizer has also been the target of multiple AG lawsuits over drug pricing.

Colin Provost, a senior lecturer in public policy at University College London who researches US attorneys general, says events where they interact with lobbyists don’t necessarily help companies get the results they hope for.

“The optics are often not good,” he said. “In terms of actually proving that this has some sort of corrupting influence, that’s harder to do.”

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Associated Press reporters from across the United States contributed to this article.