Following up on this post, CLW can report that the Maine Office of the Attorney General has decided to release its retainer agreement entered with three outside law firms to file the state’s entry in the climate litigation sweepstakes.
In a change of position, the OAG says it does have records—two now, rather than zero—that are responsive to the below request, but it will not release either those or certain described correspondence:
That’s an important point for reasons including of course that statutory requirement and also this claim, from the agreement:
The fees portion of this arrangement, of greatest interest given revelations in recent years about third-party payment to at least one of these firms to file these suits, and the possible implications for public-official fiduciaries, are as follow:
As the matter is in suit, expect more information on this in coming weeks.