FIRST ON THE DAILY SIGNAL—As the Department of Government Efficiency continues to flag unusual federal government expenditures, state attorneys general are asking the Trump administration to secure funding for their initiatives in Mexico and Costa Rica meant to train foreign prosecutors.
Seven state attorneys general from both parties signed a letter insisting the programs are beneficial to the United States in curbing transnational crimes.
The attorneys general represent both the Attorney General Alliance and the National Association of Attorneys General. Though bipartisan, both organizations have come under fire in recent years. Five Republican state attorneys general left the National Association of Attorneys General in 2021 and 2022, alleging the group had a leftward tilt. Meanwhile, the Attorney General Alliance has faced scrutiny for close corporate and lobbyist ties.
These organizations “are worried about their gravy train of federal money drying up,” said Tom Jones, founder of the watchdog group American Accountability Foundation.
The letter, obtained by The Daily Signal, was sent to President Donald Trump, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Specifically, the letter asks for continued federal support for Attorney General Alliance’s Binational State Attorneys General Exchange and Training program with Mexico. It also addresses the National Association of Attorneys General’s award it co-sponsors with the U.S. Department of State that offers technical assistance and support to the Costa Rican Judicial Police under the Costa Rica Attorney General’s Office.
“As attorneys general, we see firsthand the impact of transnational crime—particularly drug trafficking, violent crime, and money laundering—on our communities. The AG Alliance and NAAG programs are vital in addressing these threats through enhanced collaboration and by strengthening Mexico and Costa Rica’s legal systems,” says the letter.
Those signing the letter were Republicans Treg Taylor of Alaska, John Formella of New Hampshire, Lynn Fitch of Mississippi, and Liz Murrill of Louisiana; and Democrats Kwame Raoul of Illinois, Aaron Ford of Nevada, and Raúl Torrez of New Mexico.
The three Democrats are also suing the Trump administration on various issues, including the dismissal of federal employees, the temporary pause on certain federal spending, and the elimination of diversity, equity, and inclusion programs at entities that receive federal funding.
“Focusing first on AG Alliance’s Binational State Attorneys General Exchange Program, this initiative, facilitated by the AGA and involving state and territorial attorneys general, brings together U.S. and Mexican law enforcement officials, including prosecutors, investigators, forensic experts, and criminal analysts,” the letter continues.
“Continuing the essential work underwritten by this grant helps to reduce transnational crime, corruption, and deficient investigative and vulnerable judicial practices in Costa Rica, all of which ultimately can and will have deleterious effects on the United States,” the letter later adds.
Such funding is being paused, however.
“Consistent with President Trump’s executive order on reevaluating and realigning United States foreign aid, Secretary Rubio has paused all U.S. foreign assistance funded by or through the State Department and USAID for review,” a State Department spokesperson told The Daily Signal in a statement. “He is initiating a review of all foreign assistance programs to ensure they are efficient and consistent with U.S. foreign policy under the America First agenda.”
Jones, of the American Accountability Foundation, wasn’t familiar with the specific letter from the attorneys general to the Trump administration, but his organization has filed a complaint against the Attorney General Alliance on a separate matter.
“Nobody believes an AGA conference is anything other than a tool to facilitate lobbyists’ access to attorneys general at foreign resorts,” Jones told The Daily Signal. “The AGA is a swampy organization that helps interactions with lobbyists. It is not the kind of organization that should get federal funds.”
The Daily Signal previously reported on the international travel sponsored by the AG Alliance covered by the dues of the state offices.
The Daily Signal provided a copy of the letter to both attorneys general groups. In an email, a National Association of Attorneys General spokesperson said, “Unfortunately, we are unable to provide a comment for your story or participate directly.”
The Attorney General Alliance did not immediately respond by publication time, but the organization’s website says: “Binational exchanges and workshops organized through the Attorney General Alliance—in conjunction with Mexico’s Federal Attorney General’s Office, Mexico’s National Conference of Attorneys General, and Mexico state Attorneys General—help establish and nurture cross-jurisdictional cooperation on law enforcement issues like consumer fraud, piracy, drug trafficking, and money laundering.”
The Alliance’s 2022 filing with the Internal Revenue Service says it received $1.5 million in government grants and another $825,000 for “other contributions, gifts, grants, and similar amounts not included above.” The total revenue from dues paid by state attorneys general was $484,074. The National Association of Attorneys General filing for 2022 doesn’t specify the amount received from government grants.
From 2011 through 2017, the State Department and the controversial U.S. Agency for International Development spent $7 million on the Alliance’s Binational State Attorneys General Exchange and Education program, according to a Government Accountability Office report.
The State Department’s Bureau of International Narcotics Law Enforcement Grants provided a grant of up to $3.12 million for the training program in 2021, according to FederalGrants.com.
[Editor’s note: This story originally was published by The Daily Signal.]
