Judicial Watch, a public interest group that investigates and prosecutes government corruption, has obtained records from the California Legislature Joint Rules Committee that reveal the Legislature will pay Holder’s law firm – Covington & Burling – $25,000 a month for 40 hours of work each month through April. The firm will provide “legal strategies regarding potential actions of the federal government that may be of concern to the State of California.”

While one Republican lawmaker in Sacramento argues the short-term contract with Holder violates the state constitution, Judicial Watch president Tom Fitton describes the contract this way: “corny corruption, pure and simple.”

Irene Garcia is an investigative reporter for Judicial Watch. “This is a pretty outrageous waste of taxpayer dollars just to kind of look into preemptive measures that might be considered ‘racist’ or ‘anti-immigrant’ under the Trump administration,” she tells OneNewsNow.

“It’s money that’s being spent illegally, in my opinion, ‘just in case.’ This is certainly outrageous.”

While the contract stipulates Holder and his firm are under contract to help with “legal strategies” and that anything outside that purview will require a “new engagement letter,” Garcia believes the former AG will assist the state in its efforts to become a sanctuary state.

“And not just ‘sanctuary,’ which is bad enough, but all the taxpayer-funded benefits that come with being a legal resident or citizen of this country,” she adds. “I tell you: I lived in California 21 years, I went to college there, worked at the LA Times. I am glad I’m no longer a taxpaying citizen of California.”

In announcing the hiring last month, the president pro tempore of the California Senate, Kevin De Leon, said Holder and his law firm will be “advising us in our efforts to resist any attempts to roll back the progress California has made.” De Leon is the Democratic lawmaker who recently admitted that many members of his own family are in the country illegally, have obtained false documents, and likely “would be eligible for deportation.”