Charles Foti's Dilemma- He Quit The Practice Of Hiring Private Attys For State
by SAM HANNA JR. - The Ouachita Citizen (excerpt)

Once in office, Attorney General Charles Foti moved quickly in reorganizing it, ruffling some feathers along the way; very few people like change, especially career bureaucrats who are prone to become set in their ways.

The single issue, however, that caused the most commotion in the legal community with Foti running the shop at the Attorney General's office was his decision to quit hiring private law firms to represent the state in some legal matters.

For years, the Attorney General's office hired private attorneys to represent the state in cases involving everything from routine litigation to sensitive matters such as Louisiana's lawsuit against Big Tobacco.

Foti put an end to that to some degree and turned to his own assistant attorney generals to handle most of the caseload; he said the move saved the taxpayers some money.

In turning to his own assistants to represent the state in lieu of hiring outside legal counsel, Foti cost many private law firms a lot of money. Gone were those lucrative contracts representing the state and the steady paychecks that followed.

What happens when an elected official meddles with somebody's money?

At the very least, the ones whose pocketbooks have been hit the hardest shop for a candidate to run against the individual who cut off the gravy train.

That's where Foti finds himself today.

That's also why Foti finds himself in a heated bid for a second term in office.