Prior to the 2024 election of President Donald Trump, at least 22 Democratic attorneys general entered into a “common interest agreement,” pledging to engage in legal action against Trump’s potential administration.
This agreement laid the foundation for a legal campaign known as the “Project for Federal Accountability,” as reported by The Center Square.
The agreement was reportedly executed three months before former President Joe Biden withdrew from the 2024 presidential race to allow then-Vice President Kamala Harris to take his place.
The “Project for Federal Accountability” later appeared in the early 2025 budget of then-New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy, a Democrat, as per Zach Blackburn of the National Journal Hotline. Murphy’s attorney general at the time was Matt Platkin, also a Democrat.
New Jersey’s legal battles with Trump are heating up, and Gov. Murphy wants to spend $1M to hire attorneys to resist the federal government in court. The “Project for Federal Accountability” is part of his proposed budget, but he won’t mention it during his budget address today pic.twitter.com/Hlp4PtYRgj
— Zach Blackburn (@zachblackburn23) February 25, 2025
As highlighted by Blackburn in a post on the social media platform X, Murphy chose not to mention the “Project for Federal Accountability” during his public budget address in February 2025, which seemed intentional.
According to The Center Square, most attorneys general who signed the agreement have not commented or answered questions about it.
The outlet also noted that some have minimized the timing of the agreement or the extent of their preparations for litigation against the Trump Administration.
Despite attempts to downplay or conceal the agreement, the lawfare against Trump’s administration has been evident, with nearly 100 lawsuits filed since Inauguration Day, as highlighted in their report.
Of these, California Attorney General Rob Bonta participated in 82, Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser in at least 75, Washington State Attorney General Nick Brown in 70, and Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes in 46.
They planned the lawfare before the election.
Nearly two dozen Democrat AGs signed a secret agreement in April 2024 to sue Trump if he won. They called it the “Project for Federal Accountability.”
Almost 100 lawsuits later. This was never about accountability — it was about… https://t.co/RyG1arLcFm
— Madison Gesiotto Gilbert (@madisongesiotto) August 7, 2026
Madison Gesiotto Gilbert, a former GOP national spokesperson, stated on X that this collaborative lawfare effort was intended to undermine the voters in the 2024 presidential election.
It has been reported that Democratic attorneys general have also utilized this coordinated lawfare for campaign fundraising, according to former Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff, who now supports Democrats.
“I receive numerous emails from people running for attorney general, urging support to stop President Trump or to work together as state attorneys general, asking for campaign contributions,” Shurtleff shared with The Center Square.
Bonta defended his legal actions in a news conference, asserting that the lawsuits he has filed or joined are “apolitical.”
“If [Trump] doesn’t want to get sued, he simply needs to follow the law,” Bonta remarked during the news conference. “I doubt our cases will be dismissed… Trump continues his activities, so we will proceed with our lawsuits.”
Arizona Attorney General Mayes has also attempted to minimize the significance of the lawfare and the 2024 document.
“There is nothing particularly notable about that date,” Richie Taylor, Mayes’ communications director, mentioned to The Center Square. “Our office holds common interest agreements with both Republican and Democratic AGs, depending on the litigation.”
Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown acknowledged to The Center Square that he and other AGs began planning the lawfare “once it became evident that Trump would secure the nomination.”
“We’re satisfied that we acted before January 2025,” he noted. “We explored various possibilities and aimed to be prepared, rather than caught off guard.”
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.
