Announcements, information and updates from CWAG Members and Associates
December 14, 2017
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2018 CWAG Chair's Initiative
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May 3-4, 2018
Scottsdale, Arizona
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CWAG Chair, Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich, announces his 2018 CWAG Chair's Initiative, which will focus on cyber security, data privacy, and digital piracy. Please mark your calendars and prepare to engage in a dialogue on these important topics!
Building on CWAG's Cyber Security efforts in 2016 and 2017 at the Cyber Security and Technology Forums and the Cyber Security Working Group established in June 2017, General Brnovich's Initiative will feature an in-depth conversation to discuss financial technology and government and industry cooperation, vertical integration and platform development issues, encryption and data security issues facing public, private and law enforcement along with national and international privacy concerns.
To find complete details about hotel accommodations, suggested transportation and to register online, use the following link
CWAG 2018 Chair's Initiative Registration Site. To register click on the "Register" link and enter your name, last name and email address, then select your registration type.
If you are an existing sponsor you may use the registration code that was provided to you to register for the Annual Meeting. If you need your code re-sent, please contact Event Coordinator and Meeting Manager Ale Stephens at
[email protected] or 303.304.9206.
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CWAG Attorney General Office News
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CWAG Attorney General Doug Chin of Hawaii
issued this statement in response to the announcement that the American Civil Liberties Union of Hawaii has hired Joshua Wisch as its new Executive Director to start in 2018: “All of us at the Attorney General’s office are proud of Josh Wisch as he starts his next chapter. Josh is extraordinarily talented and has a very big heart. The ACLU of Hawaii is getting a great person to lead the organization during a turbulent time for civil rights.” Wisch’s last day with the State of Hawaii will be on January 2, 2018. Starting January 3, 2018, attorney Dana Viola will replace Wisch as the Special Assistant to the Attorney General – a role which includes being the department’s spokesperson and legislative liaison. Viola previously worked for the Attorney General’s office from 1999 to 2009.
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AG REYES STATEMENT ON PRESIDENT TRUMP'S MODIFICATION OF BEARS EARS AND GRAND STAIRCASE- ESCALANTE NATIONAL MONUMENTS
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CWAG Attorney General Sean Reyes of Utah released the following statement on President Donald J. Trump's modification today of Bears Ears National Monument and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. "Today, with the designation of five new monument units, President Trump has taken a historic step to correct the hubris of past administrations. The new designations are much closer in scope to the "smallest areas compatible with proper care and management" of protected objects, as required by the Antiquities Act. These corrections were made after extensive input from local citizens and interests, including tribal members, conservationists, ranchers, hunters, business owners and elected representatives. President Trump and Secretary Zinke have found a balance that considers the needs of our local communities and still protects the singular, stunning, and sacred lands of our state for future generations.”
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AG BALDERAS: TRUMP LACKS LEGAL AUTHORITY TO SHRINK NATIONAL MONUMENTS PLEDGES TO PROTECT NEW MEXICO’S NATIONAL MONUMENTS
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CWAG Attorney General Hector Balderas of New Mexico released the following statement after President Trump announced that he is decreasing the size of Bears Ears National Monument and Grand Staircase-Escalante: “President Trump simply has no legal authority to alter monument designations under the Antiquities Act. His drastic reduction of the Utah monuments is a direct attack on the proud natural, historical and cultural heritage of the Southwest, and it ignores critical voices of tribal leaders and local stakeholders on these lands. If the President chooses to continue these attacks and comes after either Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks or Rio Grande del Norte, I will fight him every step of the way.”
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AG COFFMAN JOINS PUEBLO COMMUNITY LEADERS TO ANNOUNCE YOUTH SUICIDE PREVENTION INITIATIVES ACROSS COLORADO
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CWAG Attorney General Cynthia H. Coffman
of Colorado
announced the launch of two new statewide youth suicide prevention initiatives. “Suicide is not only a mental health, family or school issue, it is public health challenge and community issue that requires coordinated and comprehensive prevention efforts,” said Attorney General Coffman. “Too many families in our state have faced the incredible tragedy of losing a child, and when a young person dies by suicide it doesn’t just impact their family or friends, it causes ripples across the community. We know that we have young people in our state who are struggling and we must respond to their cries for help.” Colorado consistently ranks in the top ten states with the highest suicide rate. More Coloradans die by suicide than by homicide, motor vehicle crash, diabetes, and breast cancer, and it is the 2nd leading cause of death for those ages 10-34.
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ATTORNEY GENERAL LAXALT ISSUES STATEMENT APPLAUDING APPROVAL OF $300,000 IN SETTLEMENT FUNDS FOR VETERANS MEMORIAL PROJECT
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CWAG Attorney General Adam Paul Laxalt of Nevada
issued the following statement after the Interim Finance Committee’s unanimous, bipartisan approval of non-taxpayer settlement funds to construct and install the Battle Born Memorial to Nevada’s Fallen Warriors in Carson City on the Capitol Complex. During the 2013 Legislative Session, the Legislature approved Senate Bill 230 authorizing the memorial. At its June 2017 meeting, the Nevada Veterans Service Commission voted unanimously on the design of the memorial, and will be spearheading its construction. The Office of the Nevada Attorney General has since pledged $300,000 in settlement monies to fund the monument: Attorney General Laxalt stated: “This monument will be a lasting tribute to those Nevadans among our bravest Americans who made the ultimate sacrifice for the safety and liberties we enjoy today. My office is proud to assist our military and veterans wherever possible, and together with Governor Sandoval, I am committed to making Nevada the most military-friendly state in the country. This monument will honor our veterans and serve as a daily reminder of our State’s gratitude for their heroic actions and sacrifices.”
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ATTORNEY GENERAL FOX SUES MAKER OF PRESCRIPTION OPIOID OXYCONTIN
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CWAG Attorney General Tim Fox of Montana announced his office filed a consumer protection lawsuit in Montana District Court against Purdue Pharma LLC., for ongoing deceptive marketing practices involving its prescription opioids, including OxyContin. “Pharmaceutical companies that knowingly and deceptively harm consumers must be held accountable,” said Attorney General Fox. “As our investigation revealed and our complaint alleges, for years, Purdue knew the damage caused by OxyContin, and rather than scale back or eliminate distribution of the drug, it ramped-up deceptive marketing tactics to present the drug as ‘safe.’ Purdue manipulates doctors, lies to consumers, and its actions contributed to thousands of deaths across the country.”
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AG FERGUSON, AMAZON SUE OVER “GET RICH QUICK” SCAM
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CWAG Attorney General Bob Ferguson of Washington filed a consumer protection lawsuit against a Massachusetts-based company, alleging it deceptively advertises and sells training packages to potentially thousands of Washingtonians for as much as $35,000 with promises of inside information on how to make money selling on Amazon. Instead, the company, FBA Stores LLC, peddled bad advice and in some cases bad products likely to cause Amazon to shut down consumers’ accounts, leaving them without the promised income and sometimes in debt. “The defendants promise easy money, but deliver a scam,” Attorney General Ferguson said. “I will not tolerate scammers preying on Washingtonians.”
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AG RACINE WINS JUDGMENT FOR MORE THAN $425K FROM COMPANY RUNNING STUDENT LOAN DEBT RELIEF SCAM
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CWAG Associate Attorney General Karl A. Racine of the District of Columbia announced that his office obtained a judgment for more than $425,000 in restitution and civil penalties from a company that deceived student borrowers into paying fees for services they could have obtained for free. The Superior Court of the District of Columbia ordered the company, Student Aid Center, Inc., to repay 233 District consumers for all fees the company had unlawfully collected, which total $192,824.95. The court also permanently barred the company from misleading consumers and charging up-front fees for student loan debt relief services. In addition, the court also ordered Student Aid Center to pay $233,000 as a civil penalty. “We will not tolerate scammers preying on District residents who worked hard to get an education and are now struggling to repay their student loans,” said Attorney General Racine. “There are many free resources available to make repaying student loans easier, and consumers should be skeptical of any student loan debt relief company that charges advance fees. We will continue to aggressively pursue companies like this one that take advantage of our residents.”
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ATTORNEY GENERAL BECERRA ISSUES CONSUMER ALERT ON PRICE GOUGING FOLLOWING STATE OF EMERGENCY IN VENTURA AND LOS ANGELES COUNTIES
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CWAG Attorney General Xavier Becerra of California issued a consumer alert following the Governor’s declaration of a state of emergency in Ventura and Los Angeles Counties due to widespread fires. They remind all Californians that price gouging during a state of emergency is illegal under Penal Code Section 396. “Fires have quickly spread in Southern California, fueled by strong winds,” said Attorney General Becerra. “As our brave firefighters are working to contain the blazes and as many Californians are being evacuated, it should not be open season on innocent victims. Our State’s price gouging law protects people impacted by an emergency from illegal price gouging on housing, gas, food, and other essential supplies. As the top law enforcement officer in California, I encourage anyone who has been the victim of price gouging, or who has information regarding potential price gouging, to immediately file a complaint through my Office’s website or call (800) 952-5225, or to contact their local police department or sheriff’s office.”
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We must reconcile privacy and safety in the digital era
BY SEAN REYES, OPINION CONTRIBUTOR
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CWAG Attorney General Sean Reyes of Utah issued a statement regarding consumer privacy: “The fourth industrial age has been driven by a transformative digital revolution. Billions of people worldwide are now inter-connected. We have nearly unlimited access to knowledge, computer processing power, and cloud-based data storage. Such rapid technological advances create serious challenges for us in law enforcement. We struggle to keep up with criminals’ use of technology even as our agencies increasingly rely on digital tools. It is a high-tech game of cat and mouse. Attorney General offices, for example, with criminal and civil enforcement functions are at the forefront of leveraging technology. We utilize cutting edge analytics and other advancements for investigations and prosecutions, increasing public safety and consumer protection. However, the digital revolution also intensifies fundamental tensions regarding how best to reconcile the privacy of our citizens with our desire for personal safety; pitting at times national security against our own individual liberties, and balancing the interests of a company's customers against its civic responsibilities."
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SUPREME COURT JUSTICES QUESTION BAN ON SPORTS BETTING
At issue is whether 1992 law violates principles of states’ rights
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Supreme Court justices voiced skepticism of a 25-year-old federal law that has prevented formal betting on sports in most states, a sign that the landscape for wagers on professional and college games could dramatically open up. The high court heard oral arguments in the state of New Jersey’s challenge to the 1992 Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act, which says that states can’t “sponsor, operate, advertise, promote, license, or authorize” sports gambling. Legal wagering on individual sports contests currently takes place only in Nevada, which was grandfathered into the federal law. New Jersey, which is trying to clear the way for sports wagers within its borders, argues the federal law violates principles of states’ rights. A group of 18 state attorneys general and three governors filed a brief supporting New Jersey.
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CWAG Alliance Partnership in Peru
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Dr. Pablo Sánchez Velarde, Attorney General of Perú
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Addressing Anti-Corruption Efforts on National TV
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Discussing CWAG in Parliament
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CWAG Attorney General Sean Reyes of Utah shared the vision of the CWAG Alliance Partnership throughout Peru's legal community this week, visiting with the Attorney General, the Andean Parliament, the Master Business School and various national news programs. He addressed topics of bilateral concern, including corruption, money laundering, human trafficking, cyber crime and drug trafficking, and received an enthusiastic commitment to foster a mutually beneficial ongoing relationship among our organizations.
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