Sounds like collusion to me. Plotting in secret to ripoff businesses is fraudulent........more like con artists than lawyers and legislators (snigger).
Hobbs Act comes into play here-----harming our economic interests through illegal means......then there's legal extortion.....besides RICO and all those other nice laws on conspiracy.
I would also not be surprised to find out these sharpies cooked the books and shipped a lot of the proceeds offshore, out of sight of the IRS and state and US banking laws.
Just nice little trial lawyers working for the common rat voter and providing a sure lottery win for those who sue.