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04/23/2024 11:00:40 am

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Louisiana Gov. Jindall Uses Taxpayers Money For Legal Counsel

Louisiana Rep. Bobby Jindal

(Photo : REUTERS) Louisiana Rep. Bobby Jindal

Louisiana Rep. Bobby Jindal (R) filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Education regarding the Common Core program, and is using taxpayers money to pay for his legal aid for which he is being criticized.

The governor, along with state government offices and the Louisiana Division of Administrations, agreed to pay as much as US$275,000 for legal counsel in their state and federal lawsuit.

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Jindal will be represented by his former legal counsel, Jimmy Faircloth.

According to reports, Faircloth will be paid US$50,000 for the federal court case and up to US$75,000 for the state court proceedings.

In addition, the Division of Administration, State Offices and the Office of Contractual Review, hired two legal teams to represent them in a lawsuit filed by parents, teachers and school groups regarding their decision to drop the Common Core.

A spokesperson from the Division of Administration, said that the two legal teams will be paid as much as US$75,000 each for the representation.

If the case is settled soon, the payment could be cheaper.

The move by Jindal, is earning criticism because the legal aid is funded by state money, which came from taxpayers, and if the lawsuit drags on, it will be even more costly.

When the Common Core education standards were announced, Jindal was one of the many who immediately embraced the program.

He urged Louisiana education officials to implement and adopt the program to the school's curriculum.

However, when the governor learned that Republicans were not in favor of the Common Core, Jindal changed his decision about the education standard and went on opposing it.

The governor filed the federal lawsuit on Wednesday, saying that the Department of Education is illegally forcing states to adopt the Common Core.

But not everyone is buying into Jindal's reason of "illegal coercion" because according to the Department of Education, Common Core is a program that states can enter voluntarily.

Different states can adopt the Common Core through their own initiative and will not be forced to do so.

Since Jindal was reportedly persuasive when he first proposed the Common Core, the state education officials and his administration, remains supporters of the Common Core.

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