State Senate Republicans spent two days this week putting Attorney General Josh Kaul on the hot seat over the Wisconsin Department of Justice’s use of environmental prosecutors whose salaries were covered by an outside foundation, a marathon grilling Kaul dismissed as pure political theater. The hearings threw a spotlight on a national fellowship program that places New York University funded legal fellows inside state attorneys general offices, a setup that has quickly become a favorite target for GOP critics heading into the 2026 elections.
The positions, formally titled “special assistant attorneys general,” began working in the DOJ’s Environmental Protection Unit in 2022, and the most recent fellow was hired in 2024 with an annual salary of $90,000. Those salaries came through the New York University State Energy & Environmental Impact Center, a program that has received funding from Bloomberg Philanthropies. As reported by Wisconsin Public Radio, Kaul told lawmakers the DOJ is not currently using one of the fellows. For background on the center itself, see the State Energy & Environmental Impact Center at State Energy & Environmental Impact Center.
What Republicans Are Asking
Republican members of the new oversight panel argue that privately funded fellows create both the appearance and the risk of outside influence over prosecutions and public policy. They zeroed in on hiring decisions, documentation and who ultimately calls the shots when a lawyer’s paycheck comes from somewhere other than the state.
"Our Department of Justice in this state is not NASCAR to be plastered with sponsorship stickers furnished by special interests," Sen. Mary Felzkowski told the committee, according to Wisconsin Public Radio. The special committee was launched in December by Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu and plans to release a report in mid April, according to WisPolitics.
Kaul Pushes Back
Kaul repeatedly labeled the hearings a partisan stunt and “political theater,” arguing that the committee gave a microphone to powerful business interests while declining to hear from people harmed by pollution, as reported by the Wisconsin Examiner. He defended the decision to bring in fellows as a way to boost capacity for complex environmental cases at a time when, he said, state resources are limited.
Background And Legal Fight
The controversy follows a February 2025 lawsuit from dairy and farm groups that asked a circuit court to block the DOJ’s agreement with New York University after the office hired a Bloomberg funded special assistant attorney general, according to reporting by the Wisconsin Law Journal. Supporters of the fellowship model counter that it is a long standing tool for cash strapped attorneys general offices that need specialized expertise. Marquette professor Paul Nolette testified that it is “not new” and “can be very beneficial,” per Urban Milwaukee coverage of the hearings.
What Comes Next
The committee says it will sift through testimony and documents and issue recommendations by April 14. Its findings could lead to statutory changes or new disclosure rules for attorneys whose positions are funded from outside sources, WisPolitics reports. With Kaul already eyeing re election, the fight over privately funded legal fellows is poised to remain a live issue right through the 2026 campaign season.
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