Sunday, February 22, 2015

Our governance in the United States

Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood and Louisiana Attorney General Buddy Caldwell are taking the lead in highly publicized lawsuits against State Farm and other major insurance companies, alleging they “steer” body shops toward “sub-par”parts. This has prompted Connecticut Senator Richard Blumenthal to consider getting the Department of Justice to investigate. See Autobody News, "Industry Responds to CNN Segment Exposing How Major Insurance Companies “Steer” Body Shops Toward “Sub-par” Parts", February 16, 2015.

Last October, Hood issued a 79 page subpoena to Google alleging violations of the Mississippi Consumer Protection Act. This led Google, in December, to file a suit in federal court in Jackson, Mississippi, to block Hood's probe. See Fortune, Google sues to block state AG Jim Hood’s probe, December 19, 2014.

In December, Rep. Henry Waxman, Senator Dick Durbin, and Rep. Frank Pallone, Jr. wrote a letter to Attorney General Hood, asking for his help in getting electronic cigarettes covered under the tobacco Master Settlement Agreement. See their Letter, dated December 19, 2914,

Earlier this month, the Mississippi House of Representatives rejected a bill that would require the Mississippi Attorney General to get the approval of the governor, lieutenant governor and secretary of state for the attorney general to file any lawsuit in which the state could win more than $250,000.
WTVA TV Tupelo Columbus, Bill fails that would limit attorney general's power to sue, February 4, 2015. See also Straight Out of Rosedale: Mississippi’s Sudden Interest in Limiting State Lawsuits While Google Sues Attorney General Jim Hood

In February, Hood announced that Mississippi would get an additional millions as part of a national settlement with the Standard & Poor's credit rating agency over allegations that it knowingly inflated ratings of risky mortgage investments ATTORNEY GENERAL HOOD RECOVERS ABOUT $76 MILLION TO DATE FOR MISSISSIPPI FROM FINANCIAL AND MORTGAGE CRISIS

The BP gulf oil spill is nearing its fifth anniversary. Near the 2013 third anniversary Hood acted to make Mississippi the third state to sue BP. The New York Times, Mississippi Suing BP Over Gulf Oil Spill, April 19, 2013. News at the current stage include indictments and convictions of persons who made fraudulent claims. FBI Birmingham division press release, Conspirators in Gulf Oil Spill Fund Fraud Sentenced, January 15, 2015. Also, BP continues embattled. The Columbian, BP urges judges to remove head of oil spill settlement fund, February 3, 2015. 

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