Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford is under fire for how he has handled public records requests related to the Nevada opioid litigation settlements.
The issue revolves around allegations of substantial legal fees paid to a firm connected to Ford and delays in providing requested documents to the Las Vegas Review-Journal. In July 2023, the newspaper submitted a public records request seeking details about the settlements and associated costs after Ford announced a $1.1 billion opioid settlement deal.
Ford had publicly praised the settlements as a significant achievement. However, there are new concerns about how his office spent the funds and the involvement of his former law firm, Eglet Prince.
Ford hired Eglet Prince to manage the opioid litigation after taking office. The contract, signed in 2019, stated that if the state recovered between $1 billion and $1.25 billion, the fees to the firm would be $240 million.
Critics argue that the fee is excessive, especially considering the 2015 law capping outside legal fees at $10 million, which is lower than the sum Eglet Prince will receive. The cap was lifted in 2017, a year after Ford, a state senator at the time, settled his own IRS debts.
The timing of these events has raised questions. In 2015, Ford had substantial back taxes, and shortly after settling his debts, he held a role in passing legislation to remove the $10 million fee cap, replacing it with a 25 percent limit.
While Ford did not involve himself in the selection process for the outside counsel, the committee, which consisted of individuals from his office, reportedly gave Eglet Prince the highest score, while external panelists favored another firm. Despite his assertion that hiring outside counsel led to higher recovery amounts, the process and financial arrangements remain suspect.
The LVRJ public records request, submitted in July 2023, has experienced repeated delays. While Ford’s office has stated an opioid settlement website would be launched, the delay in providing records has intensified suspicions of transparency issues.
A spokesperson has acknowledged the delays but has not provided a clear explanation as to why. The lack of timely access to documents has amplified scrutiny of Ford’s handling of the opioid settlements and the associated fees.
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