Announcements, information & updates from
the Attorney General Alliance Members and Associates
August 18, 2023
AGs IN THE NEWS
Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita announced his office has "obtained legal commitments from the Indianapolis Housing Agency (IHA) to rectify miserable living conditions at the Lugar Tower Apartments and to extend new protections to tenants."
Hawai'i Attorney General Anne Lopez has announced that the Department of the
Attorney General will be conducting a comprehensive review of critical decision-making and standing policies leading up to, during, and after the wildfires on Maui and Hawaiʻi islands this week.
Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch announced that "[P]ursuant to the global state-federal plea agreement announced earlier this month, the six officers involved in a shooting on January 24, 2023, in Braxton, Mississippi, pleaded guilty to Aggravated Assault, Home Invasion, Obstruction of Justice/Hindering Prosecution in the First Degree, and Conspiracy to Commit Obstruction of Justice/Hinder Prosecution today in Rankin County Circuit Court."
Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr warned Georgians about "increased reports of imposter scams in which con artists pose as law enforcement officials in an attempt to steal money from unsuspecting consumers."
North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein announced that an individual "was sentenced to two years in prison for conspiracy to commit health care fraud. His fraudulent practices cost Medicare and the North Carolina Medicaid program more than $4 million over a decade."
Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry provided constituents with "a handy list of "Back-to-School Safety Tips" for parents and guardians eager to ensure the well-being of their children as we begin a new school year."
Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson announced that "his lawfully owed DNA project has reached a significant milestone, with more than 2,000 new profiles added to the national DNA database since the effort began."
Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes announced his office has filed an appeal in Garfield County v Biden.
The New Jersey Office of the Attorney General announced that "five individuals were charged in an 80-count indictment for their alleged participation in a statewide prescription drug theft scheme spanning 11 counties."
West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey announced that "a Hancock County Circuit Court judge has awarded $270,000 in civil penalties against a 'disc jockey' for violation of the Consumer Credit & Protection Act."
New Mexico Attorney General Raul Torrez announced his office "appeared before the Interim Committee for Water and Natural Resources and confirmed that it is actively investigating allegations that several landowners continue to block access to rivers and streams in defiance of state law."
New York Attorney General Letitia James announced her office secured $275,000 from a car rental company "for illegally denying car rentals to consumers who did not provide a credit card."
HUMAN TRAFFICKING
California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced the "arrests of 22 suspects as part of a multiagency, four-day sexual predator apprehension operation in Kern County. 'Operation Bad Barbie' targeted adults seeking to sexually exploit children by using undercover agents and detectives posing as minors offering sex for pay on online websites commonly used by victims of sex trafficking."
GAMING
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong warned consumers about "the risks of illegal gambling operators, which target consumers by posing as legitimate gaming platforms."
OPIOIDS AND ILLICIT DRUGS
North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein announced that "North Carolinians can view how their local governments plan to spend the approximately $1.2 billion coming to counties and municipalities to combat the opioid overdose crisis. The information is available on the Community Opioid Resources Engine for North Carolina (CORE-NC), which was created in partnership with the UNC Injury Prevention Research Center, North Carolina Association of County Commissioners, and the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services."
Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita announced his office prevailed "when the Indiana Court of Appeals upheld the conviction of a 53-year-old Indianapolis man who provided fentanyl to a 28-year-old co-worker from Zionsville that caused the younger man’s death."
California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced the arrest of and filing of charges against a Santa Clara County doctor accused of illegally prescribing opioids to patients.
Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares announced that an individual from Houston, Texas was sentenced to 25 years in federal prison. The individual was convicted "of trafficking large quantities of high-purity methamphetamine from Mexico into Southwest Virginia."
Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul announced that an individual "has been sentenced to 11.5 years of initial confinement and ten years of extended supervision after he was found guilty of First-Degree Reckless Homicide-Deliver Drugs, Possession with Intent to Deliver-Heroin, and Maintaining a Drug Trafficking Place earlier this year."
Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. Brown announced that "the State of Maryland and its subdivisions recently received nearly $24 million as the 2023 installments of payments due under consent judgments that the Office of the
Attorney General entered into last year with the three largest pharmaceutical distributors in the United States...."
CANNABIS
South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley announced his office released the final explanation of ballot language for an initiated measure to "repeal the state’s medical marijuana program that was approved by voters in the 2020 general election." Under state law, the attorney general is required "to draft a title and explanation for each initiated measure, initiated constitutional amendment, constitutional amendment proposed by the Legislature, or referred measure that may appear on an election ballot."
FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong, Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul, New Hampshire Attorney General John Formella, and Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti co-led "a coalition of 30 attorneys general nationwide in providing comments to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) as part of a bipartisan effort to improve collaboration between the FTC and state attorneys general."
HEALTH CARE
California Attorney General Rob Bonta led a multistate coalition of 20 attorneys general who filed an amicus brief in L.W. v Skrmetti.
PROTECTING HUNTING AND HERITAGE ACT
Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti led a coalition of 24 states who sent a letter to Congress regarding the Protecting Hunting Heritage and Education Act.
DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell led a coalition of 19 state attorneys general in writing a letter to the federal Department of Homeland Security regarding "work authorization permits for immigrants lawfully paroled into the United States."
CLASS ACTION SETTLEMENT
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison led a coalition of seven attorneys general "in urging the federal court overseeing a private, consumer class-action settlement" which involves several automobile manufacturers.
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin led an eight state letter to leadership of the US Congress regarding pending legislation - the Protecting Investors’ Personally Identifiable Information Act - in particular as it relates to the SEC's Consolidated Audit Trail.
AGO HIGHLIGHTS
Delaware Attorney General Kathy Jennings announced several staff changes within her leadership team.
Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird announced her appointment of Leif Olson as Chief Deputy Attorney General.
AGA NEWSLETTERS
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