President Donald Trump has faced more legal warfare – colloquially known in today’s lexicon as “lawfare” – than any Executive Branch leader in modern history.
What’s more, a new report reveals that much of it has been in the works for years, conjured up by Democratic elected officials who have no plans for good governance but instead live to oppose Trump, regardless of what he wants.
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Nearly two dozen state attorneys general began organizing a coordinated legal strategy as early as April 2024 to prepare for potential litigation involving a future Trump administration, according to a confidential document obtained by The Center Square.
The document was signed approximately three months before President Joe Biden withdrew from the 2024 presidential race and Vice President Kamala Harris became the Democratic nominee.
It also predates Trump’s reelection by roughly seven months and his inauguration by about nine months.
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Since January 2025, state attorneys general have filed nearly 100 lawsuits challenging actions taken by the Trump administration.
According to The Center Square, the coordinated legal initiative is referred to in the document as the “Project for Federal Accountability.”
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Former Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff, a Republican during his time in office who has since said he frequently votes for Democratic candidates, described to the outlet that the reported timing of the agreement as unusual.
Shurtleff said that during his tenure as Utah’s attorney general from 2001 to 2013, he signed similar multistate agreements involving ongoing litigation.
However, he told The Center Square he had not seen states organize potential legal challenges so far in advance of actions by an administration that had not yet taken office.
“That’s not normal at all,” Shurtleff told the outlet. “It’s a big selling point now.
“I get lots of emails from people running for attorney general, lots of texts and emails saying, ‘We’ve got to stop President Trump’ or ‘We’ve got to work together as state attorneys general. That’s why you need to give me money!’ and vice versa,” he continued.
“It goes both ways… I don’t think that’s the best use of an attorney general’s time.”
Not every lawsuit challenging the Trump administration has included every participating attorney general, and different state offices have taken the lead on different cases, said the outlet’s report.
According to available figures, California Attorney General Rob Bonta has participated in 82 lawsuits, Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser has joined at least 75, Washington Attorney General Nick Brown has participated in 70, and Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes has joined 46, the report continued.
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At a news conference Tuesday, Bonta claimed the litigation was “apolitical” and said California has spent approximately $19 million pursuing the lawsuits.
He added that his office will continue to file legal challenges when it believes they are warranted.
“If (Trump) doesn’t want to get sued, all he has to do is follow the law,” Bonta said.
“I don’t think our cases are likely to be dismissed… Trump shows no sign of slowing down, so we will continue to sue him,” he added, per report.
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According to Just Security, a nonpartisan law and policy publication affiliated with New York University, 11 of the lawsuits challenging the Trump administration have concluded in favor of the plaintiffs, while four have been dismissed or otherwise resolved in favor of the federal government.
It’s likely that the Democrat AGs are ‘judge shopping’ to get favorable rulings – that is, filing their cases before Democrat-appointed federal judges.
Numerous additional cases remain pending in federal courts, Just Security noted.
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The document, titled “PRIVILEGED & CONFIDENTIAL COMMON INTEREST AGREEMENT,” also included plans to withhold some information from the public surrounding the lawsuits.
The document said the parties “wish to pursue their common interest concerning Federal Accountability issues and litigation(s) addressing such issues, while avoiding any waiver of the confidentiality of those privileged materials.”
The Center Square noted further: “At least 22 Democratic attorneys general appear to have signed the common interest agreement. Zero Republican attorneys general appear to have signed it.”
This article may contain commentary which reflects the author’s opinion.
