Overview
- The state’s highest court, which heard arguments Wednesday, floated a court order that would give Attorney General Andrea Campbell a set window to either represent Auditor Diana DiZoglio, allow her suit to proceed, or decline involvement.
- A central fight before the court concerns whether DiZoglio can sue legislative leaders and hire outside counsel without the attorney general’s approval, after Campbell moved to strike the case and asserted her office is the gatekeeper for such disputes.
- Campbell’s team said unanswered questions about the scope of the proposed audit have stalled a decision, a claim DiZoglio rejects as her lawyer Shannon Liss-Riordan urged the court to let the case advance.
- The justices are not deciding now whether the auditor has constitutional authority to audit the Legislature, and their procedural ruling will determine if and how that broader question reaches a full merits review.
- The clash grew from a 2024 ballot measure approved by about 72% of voters, with legislative leaders citing separation of powers and some House Republicans and one Democrat filing briefs for DiZoglio, a split that could shape how soon the public sees any independent review of Beacon Hill.