California Attorney General (AG) Rob Bonta is asking the Los Angeles County Superior Court to enter a civil forfeiture order allowing the state to collect unpaid taxes and fees from an unlicensed marijuana business by seizing its assets.
Coalition of 22 State AGs Oppose 3M’s $12.5 Billion PFAS Settlement
A bipartisan coalition of attorneys general (AGs) from 22 states is urging the federal district court in South Carolina to reject a proposed $12.5 billion settlement between 3M and a group of public water utilities, who are suing the company over alleged per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS) contamination.
Bipartisan Coalition Targets Billion-Dollar Illegal Telemarketing Industry
A bipartisan coalition of attorneys general (AGs) representing each state and Washington D.C. joined forces with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Department of Justice (DOJ). They have announced their unified commitment to an initiative known as ‘Operation Stop Scam Calls,’ which has already made a significant impact. Illinois AG Kwame Raoul — a fervent advocate for consumer rights — underscored this commitment, saying, “[c]ompanies responsible for these illegal, annoying calls must be held accountable.”
Illinois AG Settles Investigation Into Company’s Payment Practices for $950K
On July 6, Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul announced a $950,000 settlement concerning the Illinois Wage Payments and Collection Act, marking the conclusion of an investigation into GrapeTree Medical Staffing (GrapeTree), a medical staffing company that operates in 12 states.
Mississippi AG Sues Two Companies for Placing Nearly 1,000 Illegal Robocalls to Mississippi Residents
As a result of legislation passed this month, Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch filed lawsuits against two companies, The Depository Trust and Clearing Corporation and NaturaLawn of America, for allegedly violating the Mississippi Telephone Solicitation Act. The lawsuits allege that these companies made nearly 1,000 unauthorized calls to Mississippians on the state’s Do Not Call Registry.
Tennessee AG Sues More Than 20 PFAS Manufacturers
Tennessee AG Jonathan Skrmetti is suing more than 20 per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS) manufacturers, including 3M and DuPont, seeking injunctive and monetary relief under the state’s public nuisance and uniform fraudulent transfer laws.
North Dakota Settles With Three Gaming Companies Accused of Exploiting Nonprofit
On July 6, North Dakota Attorney General Drew Wrigley announced a settlement of an administrative complaint, accusing Western Distributing Company and affiliate companies Plains Gaming Distributing Inc. and Midwest Gaming Distributing Inc. of violating the state’s gambling laws and regulations by facilitating excessive rent payments and attempting to influence bars’ charitable gambling activities through the Wall of Honor veterans nonprofit.
MDL Panel Applies Procedural Rule to Texas-Led Multistate Action Against Google
On June 5, the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation (JPML) in Texas v. Google, LLC ruled that the State Antitrust Enforcement Act of 2021 applies to pending state antitrust enforcement actions, including to actions the JPML previously centralized. Specifically, the JPML ordered that a 16-state multistate attorneys’ general antitrust litigation against Google should be remanded to federal court in Texas.
Ten State AGs Sue Coinbase, Alleging Securities Law Violations
On June 6, Alabama, California, Illinois, Kentucky, Maryland, New Jersey, South Carolina, Vermont, Washington, and Wisconsin each filed enforcement actions against leading cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase and its parent, alleging that Coinbase’s staking rewards program constituted unregistered securities sales in violation their states’ securities laws. These actions followed an investigation by a multistate task force with assistance from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
Thirteen Democratic AGs Encourage EPA to Adopt Stricter Standards for Ethylene Oxide
On June 27, Illinois AG Kwame Raoul led a coalition of 13 Democratic attorneys general nationwide in submitting a letter to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), supporting more stringent regulation of ethylene oxide (EtO) emissions. In their letter, the coalition urged the EPA to adopt proposed amendments to EtO standards under the National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants program (NESHPA), and also offered several recommendations for more regulatory requirements “based on several states’ experiences regulating commercial sterilizers.”