The EPA Funds Groups that sue them for future legal cover (enemies, attorneys)

[DRob4JC]

EPA Funds Green Groups That Sue The Agency To Expand

One organization involved in the suit, the Environmental Defense Fund, has a long history of taking the EPA to court. In fact, a cursory review finds almost half a dozen cases in the past 10 years.

The odd thing is that the EPA, in turn, has handed EDF $2.76 million in grants over that same period, according to an IBD review of the agency's grant database.

...
"The EPA isn't harmed by these suits," said Jeffrey Holmstead, who was an EPA official during the Bush administration. "Often the suits involve things the EPA wants to do anyway. By inviting a lawsuit and then signing a consent decree, the agency gets legal cover from political heat."

[HappyTexan]

Well if there is no one to keep them in business then they'll just create one.

Look around at government..I'm sure this is not the only agency funding it's allies/enemies.
This just lets the EPA do what they want that much quicker since there's a suit brought up against them. Kinda like a loophole.

[lifelongMOgal]

Our tax dollars at work. The lawyers for these agencies and "groups" they fund are cleaning up on the taxpayer dime yet again.

[LauraC]

If you are already ticked off at the federal government's shenanigans, this should send you off the cliff screaming.

"The EPA gives millions to the environmental groups that sue it. “When the EPA settles or loses those suits, it then awards the groups millions more in attorneys’ fees,” notes legal commentator Walter Olson. “‘The EPA isn’t harmed by these suits,’ said Jeffrey Holmstead, who was an EPA official during the Bush administration. ‘Often the suits involve things the EPA wants to do anyway. By inviting a lawsuit and then signing a consent decree, the agency gets legal cover from political heat.’"

"The cap-and-trade bill is chock full of costly corporate welfare, and would have a “trivially small” effect on greenhouse gas emissions while imposing an enormous cost, according to a former Obama Advisor. It is supported by the same special-interests and corporate rent-seekers who supported the stimulus package’s green-jobs provisions, which used tax dollars to outsource American jobs, subsidizing foreign “green jobs” that replaced thousands of American jobs. Recent EPA rules will wipe out at least 800,000 jobs. Two economists say the stimulus destroyed 550,000 jobs.)"

EPA Gives Millions to Green Groups That Sue It; Massive Funding Advantage for Enviro Groups and Green Welfare

The article goes on to say it isn't just the EPA in the federal government that pulls this kind of scam - that is settling lawsuits that give them everything they ask for including paying the legal fees because the administration/agency wants the same thing the suing group wants. They just need the political cover to pull it off that "losing" the lawsuit brings.

[summers73]

That's nothing. The EPA and ExxonMobil have a nice cozy relationship. EM promotes green PR to lure investor dollars and the EPA keeps any new competition from hitting the market. Meanwhile, bad guys like the EM gives the EPA the carrot-on-a-stick to get more funding.

[rbohm]

actually it is worse than you think. when an environmental group sues the EPA for not doing its job, the outcome is usually brokered between the EPA and the environmental group in advance, and the only ones that dont know the outcome is the judge and the public.

[Frank DeForrest]

our government is so smart.

God bless those who serve in it.

[lifelongMOgal]

duplicate thread: The EPA Funds Groups that sue them for future legal cover

[subsound]

It's pretty standard that people cover legal costs if you lose a suit.

I can't believe anyone would have such a basic lack of knowledge in legal procedure, and market themselves as even having a damn clue.

I see people really are supremely confident in their abilities when they don't know what the hell they are talking about.