Whenever money, funds, or property of a city, school district, municipal government, or the state are illegally paid or are diverted for an illegal purpose, or paid to a person not authorized by law to receive them, they may be recovered by an action instituted by the attorney general. When it appears to the attorney general that it is more advantageous to begin or conduct the action with additional counsel, the attorney general may choose and authorize additional counsel to bring the suit in the name of the proper party.