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De Omnibus Dubitandum - Lux Veritas

Wednesday, August 6, 2014

How Endangered Species Act litigation means big money for environmental groups

By Sean Higgins | August 4, 2014 | 5:00 pm

For most people, an hourly wage of $125 would be an awfully good deal, especially in this economy. But President Obama and environmental groups are warning that it is not nearly enough for one group: lawyers engaged in Endangered Species Act litigation. They would prefer that these attorneys continue to get the $300 to $450 an hour they are typically paid now.  Who is paying these fees? In many cases, it is the taxpayers. That's because most ESA litigation is by private nonprofit groups against the federal government. By law, the government pays "reasonable" attorneys' fees if the claims hold up in court. In other words, the government literally pays people to sue it. The costs add up, too. The Interior Department paid out more than $21 million in attorneys' fees to outside groups engaged in ESA cases between 2001 and 2010, according to a 2012 Government Accountability Office study......To Read More......  

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