Former TN Attorney General Appointed As New State Legal Counsel

Image Credit: Thomas R Machnitzki / CC & tncourts.gov

The Tennessee Conservative [By Adelia Kirchner] –

Former Tennessee Attorney General Herbert Slatery finished out his term in Fall of 2022 but remains on the state payroll, using his legal experience to assist the Attorney General’s Office with “active and continuing oversight” of cooperation agreements.

The Former Attorney General served an eight-year term and before being appointed by the Tennessee Supreme Court in August 2014 he worked out of a private practice in Knoxville, holding the position of President from 1998-2007 and then Chairman from 2008-2011. 

He began working as Chief Legal Officer to Former Governor Bill Haslam in 2011.

Slatery’s expertise rests in the areas of both private and local government finance, corporate governance, capital formation, real estate, acquisitions and sales of businesses. 

He was tapped by his successor, Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti, back in January of this year, to oversee cooperation agreements under Tennessee’s Hospital Cooperation Act, via an appointment letter signed by Governor Bill Lee.

The state has agreed to pay Slatery $400/hr for his legal counsel and according to the Attorney General’s Office, his appointment is ongoing. 

This follows the state appointment of three other external lawyers for two ongoing lawsuits against the State of Tennessee. Since January 2022 the state government has actually hired a total of 27 lawyers, occasionally involving their firms, to assist with various legal cases.

According to The Tennessean, at least 10 of these appointments have been associated with legal issues concerning public universities. This includes cases on immigration, property rights, and two ongoing cases involving the NCAA at University of Memphis and the University of Tennessee.

Some of the other appointments were made in order to assist specific state agencies such as Tennessee’s Housing Development Agency and the Tennessee Education Lottery Corporation. 

While in office, the Former Attorney General made a similar request and brought on a Louisiana lawyer at $425/hr to represent Tennessee in a lawsuit brought by Louisiana against the federal government, challenging the federal COVID-19 vaccine mandate. 

Following suit, current Attorney General Skrmetti has since joined several multi-state litigation efforts, taking on issues like religious freedom and abortion. He has also pledged to launch a specialized unit to specifically bring lawsuits against the federal government. 

Back in May, Skrmetti brought on former Missouri Solicitor General D. John Sauer and his firm at $450/hr for “corporate accountability efforts” which presumably fall under his pledge to hold the federal government accountable.

In addition to his employment at a Missouri law firm, Sauer also holds the position of Special Assistant Attorney General for the Louisiana State Department of Justice and was part of a legal effort to challenge the results of the 2020 presidential election.

About the Author: Adelia Kirchner is a Tennessee resident and reporter for the Tennessee Conservative. Currently the host of Subtle Rampage Podcast, she has also worked for the South Dakota State Legislature and interned for Senator Bill Hagerty’s Office in Nashville, Tennessee. You can reach Adelia at adelia@tennesseeconservativenews.com.