Speaker Egolf’s (D) firm specializes in suing government entities

Albuquerque Journal ^ | 2/27/21 | Mike Gallagher

[brownwill6767]

Copyright © 2021 Albuquerque Journal

The law firm of House Speaker Brian Egolf, D-Santa Fe, who is co-sponsor of a state Civil Rights Act that would allow people to sue state and local governments for alleged civil rights violations under the state Constitution, has settled 10 legal actions against state agencies over the past five years for more than $2.3 million.

House Speaker Brian Egolf, D-Santa Fe, talks during debate this month over the proposed Civil Rights Act in the House. The bill, co-sponsored by Egolf, would remove qualified immunity in civil rights cases. (Eddie Moore/Albuquerque)

Two of those were civil rights cases and accounted for about $925,000 of the total. Overall, a review of state court actions filed over the past five years shows that more than 30% of lawsuits by Egolf’s firm involved state and local governmental entities as defendants – including personnel actions, cannabis-related matters and property disputes.

[brownwill6767]

In addition to creating a new civil rights cause of action in state court, House Bill 4 would prohibit the use of “qualified immunity” as a defense in those cases – a defense that is available to government employees in civil rights cases filed in federal court cases and considered by plaintiffs’ attorneys to be a major impediment to prevailing.

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The proposal has become one of the most intensely debated in this year’s legislative session, drawing support from lawyers and progressives along with opposition and questions from police groups and agencies that insure state and local governments and public schools.

[qaz123]

Imagine that. A Democrat making getting rich off the taxpayer.

[Getready]

If I were named after an electric Volkswagen or a virtual 18 hole game, I’d try to make dirty money too.

[coloradan]

Wow, an actual civil rights Democrat.