Nearly two dozen state attorneys general signed a confidential agreement in April 2024 to coordinate litigation against Donald Trump, according to a document obtained by The Center Square. The pact formed a "Project for Federal Accountability" targeting his administration months before Trump secured his second term.

The document was signed three months before President Joe Biden withdrew from the 2024 presidential race and Vice President Kamala Harris became the Democratic nominee. It preceded Trump's reelection — he won by 2.3 million votes over Harris — by nearly seven months and his inauguration by almost nine months.

Since January 2025, state attorneys general have filed nearly 100 lawsuits against the Trump administration. The coordinated effort targets various federal actions, including new interest rules for homeowners.

California Attorney General Rob Bonta has engaged in 82 of those lawsuits. Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser has joined at least 75 cases, while Washington state Attorney General Nick Brown has participated in 70. Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes has signed onto 46 legal challenges.

Speaking at a news conference Tuesday, Bonta described the lawsuits as "apolitical." He also said the legal actions have cost California taxpayers $19 million to date.

Former Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff, a Republican during his tenure who now often votes for Democrats, called the timing of the agreement unusual. Planning hypothetical lawsuits so far in advance of government action was "not normal at all," he said.

Shurtleff, who served from 2001 to 2013, said he signed similar documents during his time in office but none that outlined such distant legal strategies. He said the current political climate sees candidates running for attorney general often fundraise on pledges to "stop President Trump."

The agreement — titled "PRIVILEGED & CONFIDENTIAL COMMON INTEREST AGREEMENT" — included provisions to shield some information from public disclosure. The parties aimed to pursue their shared interest in "Federal Accountability issues and litigation(s) addressing such issues, while avoiding any waiver of the confidentiality of those privileged materials."

Not every attorney general joined all lawsuits; some offices took the lead on different cases within the broader project.