Featured Stories
N.J. A.G. Davenport Challenges Trump Administration's Public Charge Rule
TRENTON, New Jersey, Sept. 15 -- New Jersey Attorney General Jennifer Davenport issued the following news release on Sept. 14, 2026:
* * *
AG Davenport Challenges Trump Administration's Public Charge Rule
DHS Rule Seeks to Punish Immigrants Entitled to Assistance for Seeking Vital Benefits
-
TRENTON - Attorney General Jennifer Davenport today joined a coalition of 21 other attorneys general in suing the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) over its unlawful public charge rule, which would allow immigration officials broad discretion to deny immigrants green cards for the lawful use of public
... Show Full Article
TRENTON, New Jersey, Sept. 15 -- New Jersey Attorney General Jennifer Davenport issued the following news release on Sept. 14, 2026:
* * *
AG Davenport Challenges Trump Administration's Public Charge Rule
DHS Rule Seeks to Punish Immigrants Entitled to Assistance for Seeking Vital Benefits
-
TRENTON - Attorney General Jennifer Davenport today joined a coalition of 21 other attorneys general in suing the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) over its unlawful public charge rule, which would allow immigration officials broad discretion to deny immigrants green cards for the lawful use of publicbenefits. DHS's reinterpretation of the public charge rule will harm public health, increase the spread of communicable diseases, contribute to hunger and food insecurity, and harm New Jersey financially.
"The Trump Administration's public charge rule is cruel and arbitrary," said Attorney General Davenport. "It forces immigrant families into an impossible position: fearing to seek help to cover their basic needs, including for healthcare or food, because of the risk that their green card applications might be flagged for rejection by an immigration official. If allowed to go into effect, this callous policy will harm not just immigrants but also the wider community by undermining public health and increasing costs for everyone."
Under the traditional interpretation of the "public charge ground of inadmissibility," noncitizens can be denied entry to the United States if they are unable to support themselves financially, without relying on cash assistance for income maintenance or long-term institutionalization at government expense. In 2022, DHS issued a rule reaffirming this long-standing interpretation.
DHS's new rule reverses the 2022 version and gives immigration officers broad discretion to count the use of any means-tested public benefit, for any length of time, against an applicant, including for individuals seeking permanent residency. The rule also allows immigration officers to consider some benefits legally used by the applicant's family members whom the applicant is legally obligated to support, even if the family member is a U.S. citizen.
There is no clear limit on which benefits, or how much use, count against an applicant, leaving families to guess which forms of assistance might put their immigration status at risk. However, the types of means-tested benefits that immigration officials could consider includes vital safety-net programs providing assistance with emergency medical treatment; health coverage (including through the Children's Health Insurance Program, known as CHIP, and Medicaid); food assistance through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP); housing assistance; and other programs.
The Administration's own comments acknowledge that the rule will have a "chilling effect" on those seeking assistance, causing eligible individuals, including U.S. citizens, to disenroll from or avoid seeking benefits to which they are legally entitled. This in turn will result in substantial decreases in federal funding to state-administered benefits programs.
New Jersey is home to nearly 2.2 million immigrants who make up almost a quarter of the state's population. If the rule is allowed to go into effect and eligible recipients disenroll from these programs, the impact of this draconian change will affect entire communities. If eligible people avoid seeking medical care or childhood immunizations to avoid adverse immigration consequences, this may contribute to the wider spread of communicable disease and create worse public health outcomes for everyone. And the rule will have other effects reaching far beyond the families who disenroll from public benefits. For example, when people lose access to health coverage, they delay care and turn to emergency rooms instead, resulting in additional uncompensated care for safety-net hospitals, and straining community health centers, raising costs for everyone. Reduced participation in SNAP can also harm local economies, draining money from the grocery stores and local businesses that depend on SNAP recipients' business.
The rule will also result in direct harm to states' finances. The Trump Administration's own estimates show that disenrollment or forgone enrollment resulting from this rule could reduce federal Medicaid and CHIP transfer payments to the states by more than $4 billion annually and federal SNAP funding by more than $1 billion annually.
The coalition argues that the new rule violates the Administrative Procedure Act because it is arbitrary and capricious, exceeds DHS's statutory authority, and departs from the longstanding meaning of the public charge provision established by Congress. The attorneys general are asking a federal judge in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York to declare the 2026 public charge rule unlawful and vacate it, protecting states and their residents from its unlawful harms.
Joining Attorney General Davenport in filing this lawsuit, which was led by the attorneys general of New York, California, and Illinois, are the attorneys general of Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, and the District of Columbia, and the governor of Pennsylvania. The lawsuit was filed alongside a coalition of cities and counties led by the City of New York.
Complaint (http://www.njoag.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/2026-0914_Complaint.pdf)
* * *
Original text here: https://www.njoag.gov/ag-davenport-challenges-trump-administrations-public-charge-rule/
Statement from Attorney General Dan Rayfield on the Supreme Court's Rejection of Trump's Election Scheme
SALEM, Oregon, Sept. 14 -- Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield issued the following news release:
* * *
Statement from Attorney General Dan Rayfield on the Supreme Court's Rejection of Trump's Election Scheme
*
Attorney General Dan Rayfield issued the following statement after the U.S. Supreme Court rejected the Trump administration's push to put new restrictions on mail-in ballots ahead of the November midterms. The Court kept in place a lower court's ruling that blocked a U.S. Postal Service rule requiring states to meet new ballot design and voter-list requirements before ballots could
... Show Full Article
SALEM, Oregon, Sept. 14 -- Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield issued the following news release:
* * *
Statement from Attorney General Dan Rayfield on the Supreme Court's Rejection of Trump's Election Scheme
*
Attorney General Dan Rayfield issued the following statement after the U.S. Supreme Court rejected the Trump administration's push to put new restrictions on mail-in ballots ahead of the November midterms. The Court kept in place a lower court's ruling that blocked a U.S. Postal Service rule requiring states to meet new ballot design and voter-list requirements before ballots couldbe mailed.
"Today's Supreme Court ruling is a win for Oregon voters, and a win for free and fair elections. The U.S. Constitution is clear: no president has the authority to interfere with our elections, and today the Supreme Court affirmed that basic fact. Donald Trump will not be able to use the United States Postal Service to stand between you and your ballot.
"What does this mean for Oregon voters? It means we'll continue to vote in November just like we have for decades, with a Vote By Mail system that is safe, secure, and accurate. We can expect that Trump will continue looking for ways to meddle with our elections, and we'll continue blocking him. We must all remain vigilant, and we'll keep fighting to ensure that no one-not even the president-can interfere with our right to vote."
AG Rayfield and a coalition of 23 states, the District of Columbia, and the Governor of Pennsylvania have filed a lawsuit to block this rule from ever taking effect. The lawsuit argues that USPS's rule violates the Constitution, which makes clear that states have the primary authority to administer elections, and if implemented, would upend successful, longstanding vote-by-mail procedures. The lawsuit also argues the rule is inconsistent with USPS's governing statutes, ignores USPS's procedural requirements, violates the Privacy Act, and is inconsistent with federal voting rights law.
***
Original text here: https://www.doj.state.or.us/media-home/news-media-releases/ag-rayfield-statement-on-the-supreme-courts-rejection-of-trumps-election-scheme/
Attorney General Rayfield Stops Trump Administration from Gutting AmeriCorps Again
SALEM, Oregon, Sept. 14 -- Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield issued the following news release:
* * *
Attorney General Rayfield Stops Trump Administration from Gutting AmeriCorps Again
*
Attorney General Dan Rayfield has stopped the Trump administration from tearing apart AmeriCorps again without warning. AG Rayfield secured a settlement that protects critical AmeriCorps programming and volunteers; the resolution of this case follows a previous action that forced the administration to restore nearly $400 million in canceled AmeriCorps funding and release another $184 million that had been
... Show Full Article
SALEM, Oregon, Sept. 14 -- Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield issued the following news release:
* * *
Attorney General Rayfield Stops Trump Administration from Gutting AmeriCorps Again
*
Attorney General Dan Rayfield has stopped the Trump administration from tearing apart AmeriCorps again without warning. AG Rayfield secured a settlement that protects critical AmeriCorps programming and volunteers; the resolution of this case follows a previous action that forced the administration to restore nearly $400 million in canceled AmeriCorps funding and release another $184 million that had beenheld back from programs in Oregon and across the country.
"AmeriCorps volunteers show up for Oregon communities every day, strengthening our schools, our nonprofits, and our neighborhoods," said Attorney General Rayfield. "We already stopped the Trump administration from dismantling this program once. This settlement protects AmeriCorps for another year."
AmeriCorps pays for and places volunteers with local organizations that do work like tutoring students, cleaning up after disasters, and supporting low-income families. Those organizations depend on AmeriCorps to recruit and manage the volunteers who do that work.
Under the settlement, AmeriCorps has agreed that this year it won't cancel grants all at once like it did last spring, lay off represented employees beyond cuts already planned, or dismiss volunteers en masse. The federal administration will have to warn the states 30 days ahead of time if it proposes major changes to the program and explain its legal justification.
AmeriCorps also agreed to spend nearly all of this year's funding by September 30, and to run two of its programs -the National Civilian Community Corps and AmeriCorps VISTA -according to federal law. The administration can't change the terms for people currently serving in those programs except in specific situations spelled out in the settlement.
The states sued in April 2025, after the Trump administration tried to cut nearly 90 percent of AmeriCorps' staff, cancel its contracts, and shut down $400 million worth of programs. A federal court ordered the administration to restore the programs it had illegally canceled. In August 2025, the administration agreed to release more than $184 million in funding.
***
Original text here: https://www.doj.state.or.us/media-home/news-media-releases/ag-rayfield-stops-trump-administration-from-gutting-americorps-again/
Attorney General James Calls on Congress to Preserve States' Ability to Protect Americans from Cryptocurrency Scams
ALBANY, New York, Sept. 14 -- New York Attorney General Letitia James issued the following news release:
* * *
Attorney General James Calls on Congress to Preserve States' Ability to Protect Americans from Cryptocurrency Scams
*
September 14, 2026
NEW YORK - New York Attorney General Letitia James today led a bipartisan coalition of 17 other attorneys general in opposing the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act (Clarity Act). In a letter sent to Senators Tim Scott and Elizabeth Warren, Chair and Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, Attorney General
... Show Full Article
ALBANY, New York, Sept. 14 -- New York Attorney General Letitia James issued the following news release:
* * *
Attorney General James Calls on Congress to Preserve States' Ability to Protect Americans from Cryptocurrency Scams
*
September 14, 2026
NEW YORK - New York Attorney General Letitia James today led a bipartisan coalition of 17 other attorneys general in opposing the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act (Clarity Act). In a letter sent to Senators Tim Scott and Elizabeth Warren, Chair and Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, Attorney GeneralJames and the coalition warn that the Clarity Act would jeopardize their ability to protect investors from rampant digital cryptocurrency fraud and scams. The attorneys general caution that as written, the Clarity Act would prevent states from serving as the first line of defense against the escalating epidemic of cryptocurrency fraud.
"My office has proudly led the fight to protect New Yorkers and all Americans from rampant cryptocurrency fraud," said Attorney General Letitia James. "As written, the Clarity Act would embolden scammers and potentially strip attorneys general of our authority to protect our states' investors and their wallets. Together with my attorney general colleagues, I urge Congress not to pass the Clarity Act."
The Office of the New York Attorney General (OAG) leads the nation in holding crypto companies accountable for failing to protect investors from scams. In 2019, Attorney General James brought the first and only enforcement action against the largest stablecoin issuer, Tether, for recklessly and unlawfully covering up massive financial losses from investors. The OAG has secured billions of dollars in refunds and fines from major crypto brokers that violated NY law or failed to protect investors from scams, including Coin Cafe, Gemini, Genesis, and KuCoin. The OAG has also worked with federal counterparts to secure major victories on behalf of fraud victims including in cases brought against GTV, Nexo, and Blockfi.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) reported $11.4 billion in losses from complaints involving cryptocurrencies in 2025, an increase of 22 percent from 2024, with an average reported loss of $62,604. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has reported $1.78 billion in losses from complaints involving cryptocurrencies in 2025, a 25.6 percent increase from 2024. In New York, complaints to the OAG regarding crypto scams have tripled over the last three years, and crypto scam losses reported to the OAG totaled nearly half a billion dollars over the last five years.
The financial impact of crypto scams on victims can be devastating. In its present form the Clarity Act would muddy the waters, making it harder for OAG-and attorneys general nationwide-to continue efforts to crack down on cryptocurrency scams and hold platforms that violate the law accountable. The Clarity Act would also allow the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to preempt state registration authorities. This unprecedented grant of authority would not only apply to digital assets but would also broadly grant unilateral discretion to SEC to reset the scope of federal preemption, potentially upending the state securities regulatory regime. The attorneys general assert that Congress should not cede such significant power to SEC.
State enforcement powers have been a critical weapon in fighting the crypto fraud epidemic. Since 2017, states have brought over 330 anti-fraud enforcement actions against scammers in the crypto ecosystem, shutting down fraudulent websites and schemes, securing justice for victims, and prioritizing cases where victims had no federal or private recourse.
Maintaining state oversight of the cryptocurrency industry is critical to protect consumers and investors. In their letter, the attorneys general advocate for legislation that would:
* Preserve states' enforcement role for both tokenized and non-tokenized securities;
* Preserve cooperation between the federal government and the states;
* Codify states' role as regulators of cryptocurrencies and preserve their registration regimes that require crypto platforms to certify with states; and
* Clarify ambiguous language that could otherwise embolden bad actors and lead to legal battles over enforcement.
Joining Attorney General James in sending the letter to Congress are the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Kansas, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, Ohio, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, and the District of Columbia.
Attorney General James is a national leader in protecting New York investors and holding cryptocurrency companies accountable. In April 2026, Attorney General James secured over $5 Million from crypto platform Uphold for promoting a fraudulent investment scheme. In July 2025, Attorney General James took action to stop a crypto scam targeting Russian-speaking New Yorkers. In March 2025, Galaxy Digital, a New York-based crypto firm, agreed to settle OAG's claims that it fraudulently pumped the price of Luna tokens in a $200 million settlement. In January 2025, Attorney General James became the first regulator to provide notice of litigation by depositing a nonfungible token (NFT) into the wallets scammers used to steal the victims' cryptocurrency. In June 2024, Attorney General James sued cryptocurrency trading company NovaTechFx for engaging in an illegal pyramid scheme that defrauded hundreds of thousands of investors worldwide, including over 11,000 New Yorkers, of over a billion dollars' worth of cryptocurrency.
***
Original text here: https://ag.ny.gov/press-release/2026/attorney-general-james-calls-congress-preserve-states-ability-protect-americans
AG Labrador Defends Parents' Right to Raise Their Children
BOISE, Idaho, Sept. 14 -- Idaho Attorney General Raul R. Labrador issued the following news release:
* * *
AG Labrador Defends Parents' Right to Raise Their Children
*
BOISE, ID -Attorney General Raul Labrador is defending the fundamental right of parents to direct the upbringing of their children, urging the Ninth Circuit to affirm a federal district court ruling against California policies that allow public schools to facilitate a child's gender identity and social transition and actively conceal it from their parents.
Idaho joined Florida and 15 other states in filing an amicus brief in
... Show Full Article
BOISE, Idaho, Sept. 14 -- Idaho Attorney General Raul R. Labrador issued the following news release:
* * *
AG Labrador Defends Parents' Right to Raise Their Children
*
BOISE, ID -Attorney General Raul Labrador is defending the fundamental right of parents to direct the upbringing of their children, urging the Ninth Circuit to affirm a federal district court ruling against California policies that allow public schools to facilitate a child's gender identity and social transition and actively conceal it from their parents.
Idaho joined Florida and 15 other states in filing an amicus brief inMirabelli v. Bonta, arguing that parental rights are among the oldest and most established fundamental rights recognized by American law. The brief asks the Ninth Circuit to recognize that those rights extend to parents' ability to make lawful decisions concerning their children's education, care, and well-being.
"Children suffering from gender dysphoria deserve understanding, compassion, and competent mental health support," said Attorney General Labrador. "The last thing they need is to have the state and schools drive a cruel wedge between a child and their parents at a time when that child needs the guidance of their parents the most."
The case involves California policies that allow public schools to withhold information about a student's gender expression from parents, protect school officials who refuse to disclose that information, and prohibit schools from requiring parental notification concerning a student's social transition.
The brief reads: "Whereas a "child may balk at hospitalization or complain about a parental refusal to provide cosmetic surgery," (Parham, 442 U.S.) a parent typically will know better and should have the "authority to decide what is best for the child." (Id. at 604.) That basic right is only more pressing when the ideology pushed by schools ignores basic reality about the two sexes and further confuses innocent and impressionable children."
The states also warn that California's approach is part of a growing national problem. The brief cites evidence that more than 1,200 school districts have adopted policies allowing schools to facilitate a child's social transition without parental knowledge, potentially affecting approximately 12.3 million public-school students.
Idaho and the other states urge the Ninth Circuit to affirm the district court and protect parental rights nationwide.
***
Original text here: https://www.ag.idaho.gov/newsroom/ag-labrador-defends-parents-right-to-raise-their-children/
AG Campbell Sues To Block Trump Administration's New Public Charge Rule
BOSTON, Massachusetts, Sept. 14 -- Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell issued the following news release:
* * *
AG Campbell Sues To Block Trump Administration's New Public Charge Rule
*
BOSTON -Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell today joined 21 other states and D.C. in suing to stop the Trump Administration's new public charge rule, which would allow immigration officials to punish immigrants for lawful use of public benefits.
The new Department of Homeland Security (DHS) policy would give immigration officers broad discretion to deny green cards based on use
... Show Full Article
BOSTON, Massachusetts, Sept. 14 -- Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell issued the following news release:
* * *
AG Campbell Sues To Block Trump Administration's New Public Charge Rule
*
BOSTON -Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell today joined 21 other states and D.C. in suing to stop the Trump Administration's new public charge rule, which would allow immigration officials to punish immigrants for lawful use of public benefits.
The new Department of Homeland Security (DHS) policy would give immigration officers broad discretion to deny green cards based on useof public benefits. AG Campbell and the coalition are asking the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York to declare this rule unlawful and block its implementation.
"Access to basic necessities like food, health care, and housing should never be used as a weapon against immigrants, and immigrants should never be forced to choose between getting the help they need while seeking permanent status in this country," said AG Campbell. "The Trump Administration's new public charge rule threatens to punish immigrants for lawfully accessing public benefits, and I will continue to hold them accountable for their unlawful actions and efforts to create fear and uncertainty around essential services while undermining the dignity of immigrants."
A "public charge" refers to a person who is likely to become primarily dependent on the government for long-term subsistence. In 2022, the federal government issued a rule limiting public charge determinations to individuals requiring cash assistance for income maintenance or long-term institutionalization at government expense, consistent with the long-standing interpretation of this term.
The Trump Administration's new rule, taking effect September 18, would let immigration officers count nearly any means-tested public benefit, used for any length of time, against an applicant. The rule also allows immigration officers to consider some benefits legally used by family members, even if the family member is a U.S. citizen. There is no clear limit on which benefits, or how much use, count against an applicant, leaving families to guess which forms of assistance might put their immigration status at risk.
AG Campbell and the coalition argue that the Administration has acknowledged that the fear and confusion created by the new rule could lead immigrant families to disenroll from benefits to which they are legally entitled. DHS estimates that disenrollment or forgone enrollment resulting from the new rule could reduce federal Medicaid and CHIP transfer payments to the states by approximately $4.05 billion annually and federal SNAP transfer payments by approximately 1.02 billion annually.
According to the lawsuit, the consequences arising from the administration's new rule will be wide ranging. When people lose access to health coverage, they delay care and turn to emergency rooms instead, straining safety-net hospitals and community health centers and raising costs for everyone. Schools risk losing automatic certification for free and reduced-price meal programs when SNAP and Medicaid enrollment drops below required thresholds, cutting off meals for eligible students regardless of income or immigration status. Federal Title I education funding is also likely to fall if student enrollment in benefits decreases. Reduced participation in SNAP can also harm local economies, draining money from the grocery stores and local businesses that depend on SNAP recipients' business.
The states and local governments that administer these benefit programs will bear direct costs, including new communications, staff trainings, and information technology changes needed to manage the disruption arising from the public charge rule. These costs are on top of the added strain of residents cycling on and off programs out of fear.
AG Campbell and the coalition argue that the new rule violates the Administrative Procedure Act because it is arbitrary and capricious, exceeds DHS's statutory authority, and departs from the longstanding meaning of the public charge provision. The attorneys general are asking a federal judge to declare the 2026 public charge rule unlawful and vacate it, protecting states and their residents from its unlawful harms.
Joining AG Campbell in filing this lawsuit are the attorneys general of California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, and the District of Columbia, and the governor of Pennsylvania. The lawsuit was also filed alongside a coalition of cities and counties led by the City of New York.
* Office of the Attorney General
The Attorney General is the chief lawyer and law enforcement officer of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
***
Original text here: https://www.mass.gov/news/ag-campbell-sues-to-block-trump-administrations-new-public-charge-rule
AG Campbell Blocks Avon Debt Collector From Operating In Massachusetts, Secures Over $50 Million In Debt Relief For Consumers
BOSTON, Massachusetts, Sept. 14 -- Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell issued the following news release:
* * *
AG Campbell Blocks Avon Debt Collector From Operating In Massachusetts, Secures Over $50 Million In Debt Relief For Consumers
*
BOSTON -Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell today announced that her office entered into a consent judgement with debt collection and debt buying companies Judgment Acquisitions Unlimited, Champion Funding, Inc. and their owner, Andrew Metcalf (together "the Defendants"), resolving allegations that the Defendants engaged in unfair
... Show Full Article
BOSTON, Massachusetts, Sept. 14 -- Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell issued the following news release:
* * *
AG Campbell Blocks Avon Debt Collector From Operating In Massachusetts, Secures Over $50 Million In Debt Relief For Consumers
*
BOSTON -Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell today announced that her office entered into a consent judgement with debt collection and debt buying companies Judgment Acquisitions Unlimited, Champion Funding, Inc. and their owner, Andrew Metcalf (together "the Defendants"), resolving allegations that the Defendants engaged in unfairand deceptive debt collection practices under the Massachusetts Consumer Protection Act, particularly by seizing consumers' vehicles to coerce payment.
The settlement prohibits the Defendants from buying, selling, transferring, assigning, or collecting on debts allegedly owed by Massachusetts consumers - effectively providing over 6,000 Massachusetts consumers with approximately $52 million in relief from alleged debts. The settlement also permanently bars the Defendants from seeking a debt collector license in Massachusetts and from engaging in any collection activity from or within the Commonwealth, even on debts allegedly owed by non-Massachusetts consumers.
If the Defendants violate the settlement, or if it is revealed that they were not truthful in claiming an inability to pay, they are subject to a $650,000 suspended penalty to be paid to the Commonwealth.
"As Massachusetts residents continue to face rising costs, they should not be subject to aggressive and unlawful debt collection practices like those Andrew Metcalf allegedly engaged in," said AG Campbell. "Because of this settlement, thousands of families in the Commonwealth will be provided with debt relief and these predatory companies will never be allowed to operate in Massachusetts again."
Andrew Metcalf and his companies ran their debt buying and debt collection operation out of Avon, Massachusetts. The AGO alleges the Defendants used aggressive methods to collect the debts they claim to own. These collection methods included seizing consumers' cars as a way to coerce payments from them - even when the consumer's car was worth so little that it was exempt from seizure by law and was the consumer's only way of getting to work. These seizures were not typical repossessions, where a lender takes possession of a vehicle if the consumer fails to pay their car loan. Rather, the cars seized by the Defendants were completely unrelated to any car loan the consumer may have had.
In February 2024, the AGO sued the Defendants for violating state consumer protection laws and subsequently won two preliminary injunctions blocking the companies from engaging in harmful practices. This settlement resolves the AGO's lawsuit against the Defendants, permanently bars the companies and Andrew Metcalf from operating a debt collection business in Massachusetts, and delivers essential debt relief for thousands of residents across the Commonwealth.
This matter was handled by Assistant Attorneys General Colin Harnsgate and Jane Alexandra Sugarman, Senior Trial Counsel Megan Barriger, and Division Chief Yael Shavit, all of the AGO's Consumer Protection Division, and Senior Investigator Anthony Crespi of the AGO's Civil Investigations Division.
* Office of the Attorney General
The Attorney General is the chief lawyer and law enforcement officer of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
***
Original text here: https://www.mass.gov/news/ag-campbell-blocks-avon-debt-collector-from-operating-in-massachusetts-secures-over-50-million-in-debt-relief-for-consumers
