See: Scientific Games Gets Back Scratched By State Treasurer
"Taxpayers to foot bill for defense of Cahill, officials say" by Frank Phillips, Globe Staff | April 14, 2009
Massachusetts taxpayers will pay up to $300,000 for outside lawyers to defend a federal civil suit against state Treasurer Timothy P. Cahill because the state attorney general's office declined to handle the case, citing potential conflicts with two state investigations, according to officials involved in the case.
The state Lottery Commission, which is led by Cahill, this month authorized hiring the two law firms, Proskauer Rose LLP and Mintz Levin, to fight a $20 million suit brought by a Rhode Island-based gaming firm, Bingo Innovative Software. Bingo Innovative Software is alleging that Cahill and Lottery director Mark J. Cavanagh conspired in a "pay-to-play" scheme in which a national competitor,
Cahill's defense is being handled by a four-member team at the New York-based Proskauer Rose. It is led by former attorney general Scott Harshbarger, whose rate is set at $500 an hour, according to its contract with Cahill's office. Cavanagh is represented by the Boston firm Mintz Levin, which is charging up to $484 an hour for two partners and an associate, according to the firm's contract.
WOW!!!!! All YOUR DIME while THIS STATE is DOLING OUT TAXPAYER LOOT to CORPORATIONS, HOLLYWOOD, BIOTECH, and SLASHING SERVICES.
And if they were getting the government defense?
The hourly rate for the lawyers who head the attorney general's litigation divisions is $49.
Can you say rip-off?
Cahill's legal costs are more expensive than some other outside legal work for the state. For example, with the consent of Coakley's office, the Secretary of State's securities division recently paid $300 an hour for a Boston firm, Sloane & Walsh, to represent it in court appearances on a Bernard Madoff-related case....
Jesus, everything comes back to that.
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