Pay to Play Phil
Pay to Play Phil
Phil Weiser has accepted donations from corporations and lawyers with business in front of his office.
Phil Weiser: Sponsored by...
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Juul
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Pfizer
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TurboTax
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Comcast
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Coinbase
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Phil Weiser: Sponsored by... Google ✳︎ Juul ✳︎ Pfizer ✳︎ TurboTax ✳︎ Comcast ✳︎ Coinbase ✳︎
AG Phil Weiser accepted tens of thousands from 68 corporate attorneys with business before his office.
According to the report, Phil has “received about $75,000 from 68 attorneys at 12 law firms the AG's office was engaged in litigation with or had just settled with.”
Phil has already acknowledged that taking this kind of money creates a conflict of interest — and committed to returning it.
Now, he’s refusing.
So we’re still waiting for an answer: Will Phil return the money, or do his ethics only apply when they’re politically convenient?
Phil Weiser served as the chair of the Attorney General Alliance (AGA), a group that existed to “give corporate lobbyists and executives access to attorneys general.” As Chair of the AGA, he actively raised money from and gave access to billion dollar corporations in active litigation with his office.
Raising from Active Litigants: As Chair of the AGA, Phil Weiser courted tens of thousands of dollars in donations from lobbyists and corporate partners. Prominent donors included Comcast and TurboTax, both of which were in active litigation with Weiser’s office at the time. Both cases ended in settlements.
Blatant Pay-to-Play: Corporations like Pfizer, Juul, Google, and Facebook – all of which were in active litigation with Weiser’s office – paid, in part, for Weiser and other AGs to attend lavish events in Hawaii. They were even given a menu of options to pay for access.
Access for Sale: As Chair of the AGA, a group that existed to “give corporate lobbyists and executives access to attorneys general,” Weiser received sharp criticism from his legal colleagues. Chris Toth, former executive director of the National Association of Attorneys General slammed Weiser, saying “To me, it's Ethics 101... Any person would look at this and say, you know that’s not right… While Weiser was aware of my views. He had different views.”
Cable TV provider who donated $40,000 to Colorado AG Phil Weiser was treated differently in probes.
Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser attends lavish event in Hawaii paid for by corporations he's suing
An investigation by CBS News Colorado reveals how state attorneys general, including Colorado AG Phil Weiser, are attending lavish events funded, in part, by companies they're suing and investigating.
“To me, it's Ethics 101 that you don't take advantage of a situation that's being funded by organizations that you're suing or investigating.
Any person would look at this and say, you know that's not right, any more than if the attorney I hired was hanging out with and taking things from the person I'm suing.
Phil Weiser was aware of my views.
He had different views.”
— Chris Toth, the former executive director of the National Association of Attorneys General 
Group led by Colorado attorney general criticized for potential conflicts
The Attorney General Alliance, an organization led by Colorado's Phil Weiser, is facing criticism for courting $50,000 donations from lobbyists and corporate partners to pay for its lavish conferences and foreign junkets.
Why it matters: State attorneys general wield immense influence over public safety and consumer matters with huge financial implications for corporate America, Axios' Lachlan Markay and John Frank report.
Zoom in: In some cases, the companies that are ponying up tens of thousands of dollars to get exclusive access are the same ones being investigated by the officials.
Takeaway