ALBUQUERQUE – The New Mexico Attorney General’s Office is drawing criticism for employing two lawyers funded by a New York University center that promotes clean energy and environmental laws.
The energy advocacy group Power the Future and the American Tort Reform Association have raised concerns, with the association describing the arrangement nationally as an improper way for outside interests to embed attorneys in public offices.
The Attorney General’s Office tells the Albuquerque Journal that while the NYU School of Law pays their salaries, the lawyers are managed by New Mexico officials.
Office spokesman Matt Baca says dozens of employees in Attorney General Hector Balderas’ office are funded by outside sources, including federal grants or legal settlements.
Larry Behrens with Power the Future says the arrangement makes it look as though positions in public offices are for sale.
