The Wisconsin State Senate’s decision to launch a special committee investigating the Department of Justice’s use of externally funded environmental legal fellows underscores mounting concerns about the Bloomberg-backed State Attorney General (SAAG) program and its role in state law enforcement.
The Wisconsin State Journal reported today that the committee will examine the Wisconsin DOJ’s ties to New York University’s State Impact Center and Bloomberg Philanthropies, which fund environmental fellows embedded in attorneys general offices across the country. Senate leaders say the investigation will focus on whether these arrangements allow private philanthropic interests to influence public enforcement decisions and circumvent legislative budget authority.
Wisconsin as a Case Study
As EID Climate has previously noted, the Bloomberg SAAG program raises fundamental questions about transparency and democratic governance. While program sponsors argue that fellows operate solely under the direction of state attorneys general, the reality is that salaries and benefits are paid by private organizations with explicit policy agendas related to climate and environmental regulation.
Fellows at NYU’s Bloomberg-funded State Energy & Environmental Impact Center (SEEIC) have been embedded exclusively in Democratic-led AG offices across at least ten states, including neighboring Michigan and Minnesota, New York, as well as the District of Columbia.
In a statement to the Wisconsin State Journal, Sen. Mary Felzkowski (R-Irma), who will chair the committee, framed the investigation as a matter of institutional integrity rather than partisan politics:
“Wisconsinites deserve a Department of Justice that acts for them, not against them. It is the Legislature’s duty to ensure that DOJ is faithfully carrying out its duties dictated by Wisconsin law, not outside groups. This is not about politics, it’s about transparency and good governance.”
The issue has already moved into the courts. The Wisconsin Dairy Alliance sued the DOJ earlier this year, alleging that its hiring of Bloomberg-SAAGs unlawfully bypasses the legislature’s constitutional authority over appropriations. A companion bill introduced in the state legislature would prohibit agencies from accepting outside funding for staff positions – an approach supporters say would restore clear lines of accountability.
The newly formed Senate committee appears poised to examine these claims in depth, with a final report expected by mid-April.
Longstanding Questions and National Implications
The investigation in Wisconsin is the latest example of increased scrutiny from lawmakers and oversight bodies. In July, the U.S. House Oversight Committee opened a federal investigation into the SAAG program, citing concerns that fellows have played roles in litigation and regulatory strategies that advance ideological objectives rather than neutral law enforcement. Similar concerns have been raised next door in Michigan, where Attorney General Dana Nessel has faced criticism for coordinating with these same climate activists as her office pursues a lawsuit against American oil and gas producers.
What makes Wisconsin’s action significant is its broader relevance. Any finding that such arrangements compromise independence or violate state law could reverberate nationally.
Bottom Line: Supporters of the SAAG program have framed criticism as partisan or industry-driven. But Wisconsin’s move reflects a deeper institutional concern: that enforcement priorities and legal strategies should be determined by elected officials and publicly funded agencies, not shaped – directly or indirectly – by outside donors.
The Senate’s investigation offers an opportunity to clarify the legal and ethical boundaries of philanthropic involvement in state law enforcement and to assess whether reforms – or outright prohibitions – are warranted.
