Attorney General
Here's a look at documents from state attorneys general
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Don't Touch That Dial: Attorney General Bonta Files Emergency Motion to Stop Nexstar/Tegna Merger
SACRAMENTO, California, March 20 -- California Attorney General Rob Bonta issued the following news release:
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Don't Touch That Dial: Attorney General Bonta Files Emergency Motion to Stop Nexstar/Tegna Merger
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OAKLAND -California Attorney General Bonta today led a coalition of eight attorneys general in filing a motion for a temporary restraining order (TRO) to stop the merger of Tegna Inc. (Tegna) and Nexstar Media Group, Inc. (Nexstar), after the broadcasting giants received merger approval from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ). On
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SACRAMENTO, California, March 20 -- California Attorney General Rob Bonta issued the following news release:
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Don't Touch That Dial: Attorney General Bonta Files Emergency Motion to Stop Nexstar/Tegna Merger
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OAKLAND -California Attorney General Bonta today led a coalition of eight attorneys general in filing a motion for a temporary restraining order (TRO) to stop the merger of Tegna Inc. (Tegna) and Nexstar Media Group, Inc. (Nexstar), after the broadcasting giants received merger approval from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ). OnWednesday night, Attorney General Bonta filed a lawsuit to block the merger, a deal that is expected to create the largest broadcast station group in the United States, put more broadcast programming in the hands of fewer people, cut local jobs, increase cable bills, and significantly impact the delivery of news and other media content to Americans nationwide.
"The federal government has an obligation to protect our economy, consumers' wallets, and competitive markets in which businesses and workers can thrive. With its approval of the disastrous Nexstar/Tegna broadcasting merger, the Trump Administration has once again put corporate interests ahead of the interests of everyday Americans -not on our watch," said Attorney General Bonta. "Today, alongside a coalition of attorneys general, I've filed an emergency motion asking the court to stop this merger. This merger is illegal, plain and simple, running contrary to federal antitrust laws that protect consumers. Nexstar/Tegna is not a done deal. I will not let these corporate behemoths merge without a fight."
If approved, this multibillion-dollar deal would combine the nation's largest and third-largest television-station conglomerates, creating a titan covering 80% of U.S. television households. In California, the combined entity would own half of the Big Four (FOX, NBC, ABC, and CBS) network-affiliated stations in two areas: the local FOX and ABC stations in the Sacramento-Stockton-Modesto area and the local FOX and CBS stations in the San Diego area. Alarmingly, reports have already detailed Nexstar's firing of long-standing journalists in Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York.
The Trump Administration has shown states and consumers that it is more concerned with protecting corporate interests than in doing its job to defend the public and uphold consumer protection and antitrust laws that help make life more affordable for American families. Attorney General Bonta has responded by intervening, after the Trump Administration allegedly greenlit the Hewlett-Packard Enterprises/Juniper Networks merger not for the public interest, but to line the pockets of its friends. And he is continuing to fight for a better deal for consumers after U.S. DOJ settled days into the much-awaited Live Nation/Ticketmaster trial -an action promptly rejected by a bipartisan group of attorneys general.
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Original text here: https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/don%E2%80%99t-touch-dial-attorney-general-bonta-files-emergency-motion-stop-nexstartegna
California Man Charged with Conducting Large-Scale Gift Card Fraud Scheme
LANSING, Michigan, March 20 -- Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel issued the following news release:
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California Man Charged with Conducting Large-Scale Gift Card Fraud Scheme
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LANSING - Today, Sinjuan Song, 31, of Alhambra, California, was arraigned before the Honorable Todd Fox of the 51 st District Court in Waterford for allegedly conducting a large-scale gift card fraud scheme, announced Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel. Song has been charged with one count of Conducting a Criminal Enterprise, a 20-year felony, and two counts of Possession of a Fraudulent Financial Transaction
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LANSING, Michigan, March 20 -- Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel issued the following news release:
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California Man Charged with Conducting Large-Scale Gift Card Fraud Scheme
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LANSING - Today, Sinjuan Song, 31, of Alhambra, California, was arraigned before the Honorable Todd Fox of the 51 st District Court in Waterford for allegedly conducting a large-scale gift card fraud scheme, announced Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel. Song has been charged with one count of Conducting a Criminal Enterprise, a 20-year felony, and two counts of Possession of a Fraudulent Financial TransactionDevice, each a 4-year felony.
Song is allegedly connected to an organized retail crime group that distributed altered gift cards at Meijer locations in White Lake, Waterford, Auburn Hills, Southgate, Allen Park, and Taylor in March 2025. The investigation was led by the United States Postal Inspection Service in collaboration with the Attorney General's FORCE Team and the Michigan State Police.
Gift card fraud scams typically begin with the theft of empty, unsold gift cards from retail stores. The cards are then tampered with to reveal their unique redemption numbers, recorded by alleged scammers, then concealed once again with an adhesive to appear as though they have not been tampered with. The altered gift cards are then returned to their original intended retail point of sale, and the alleged scammers use computer programs to monitor when any card is activated with a balance of funds. As soon as a shopper places a balance on the card, the balance is transferred into another digital account. The gift card, when given as a gift and redeemed, is already depleted.
Attorney General Nessel, who was named the inaugural attorney general strategic partner of the Gift Card Fraud Prevention Alliance, previously released a video alerting Michiganders to the gift card scam, detailing how the scam is believed to operate, and offering tips to avoid becoming a victim.
"Organized crime syndicates are increasingly conducting large-scale retail fraud here in Michigan and across the country, harming not only retailers but consumers looking to purchase gifts for loved ones," said Attorney General Nessel. "I am proud of the work my FORCE Team does with Michigan State Police and the Postal Inspection Service to stop these illegal schemes and hold those responsible accountable."
Song was given a $500,000 cash/surety bond. He is prohibited from leaving Oakland County and must surrender his passport among other conditions. Song is next scheduled to appear before the 51 st District Court for a Probable Cause Conference on March 31 at 2:30 p.m.
The FORCE Team was established in January 2023 by the Attorney General to target criminal organizations that steal products from retailers to repackage and sell for a profit. Two assistant attorneys general serve the unit full time, working with special agents within the Department of Attorney General and Michigan State Police detectives to investigate and prosecute these crimes. The FORCE team also partners with the FBI's Detroit Fraud and Financial Crimes Task Force and the Postal Inspection Service. This is a first-in-the-nation unit, unique in the 50 states as being the first such unit with embedded, dedicated staff from the Department of Attorney General.
The FORCE Team is dedicated to working collaboratively with retailers and local law enforcement agencies to combat organized retail crime. FORCE is an acronym that stands for Focused Organized Retail Crime Enforcement. Recent corporate partners on investigations have included Sam's Club/Walmart, Meijer, Target, Home Depot, TJ Maxx, Rite-Aid, Lululemon, Ulta Beauty, Amazon, and Lowe's.
Please note: For all criminal proceedings, a criminal charge is merely an allegation. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. The Department does not provide booking photos.
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Original text here: https://www.michigan.gov/ag/news/press-releases/2026/03/20/california-man-charged-with-conducting-large-scale-gift-card-fraud-scheme
Attorney General Bonta Secures Ruling Blocking Trump Administration's Illegal Attempt to Limit Access to Gender-Affirming Care
SACRAMENTO, California, March 20 -- California Attorney General Rob Bonta issued the following news release:
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Attorney General Bonta Secures Ruling Blocking Trump Administration's Illegal Attempt to Limit Access to Gender-Affirming Care
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OAKLAND -California Attorney General Rob Bonta yesterday secured a ruling from the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon blocking U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.'s December 18, 2025 declaration (Kennedy Declaration). The Kennedy Declaration claims that gender-affirming care fails to meet professionally
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SACRAMENTO, California, March 20 -- California Attorney General Rob Bonta issued the following news release:
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Attorney General Bonta Secures Ruling Blocking Trump Administration's Illegal Attempt to Limit Access to Gender-Affirming Care
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OAKLAND -California Attorney General Rob Bonta yesterday secured a ruling from the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon blocking U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.'s December 18, 2025 declaration (Kennedy Declaration). The Kennedy Declaration claims that gender-affirming care fails to meet professionallyrecognized standards of care and that, as such, HHS may disqualify any doctors or hospitals that provide such care from federal healthcare programs like Medicare and Medicaid. By threatening to disqualify providers from Medicare and Medicaid, the Trump Administration has sought to bully doctors and hospitals into no longer providing medically necessary gender-affirming care.
"This ruling marks a major victory in our fight against the Trump Administration's cruel campaign against transgender Americans," said Attorney General Bonta. "The Kennedy Declaration sought to unlawfully bully doctors and hospitals into halting crucial care for transgender individuals nationwide. I am pleased the court has ruled in our favor, and I will continue to fight to protect Americans and the providers they trust from this Administration's hateful agenda."
On December 23, 2025, Attorney General Bonta joined a coalition of 18 other attorneys general and one governor in filing a lawsuit challenging the Kennedy Declaration.
In yesterday's ruling, the court granted the states' motion for summary judgment, declaring that the Kennedy Declaration lacks the authority to establish superseding standards of care to exclude providers from federal healthcare programs.
BACKGROUND
Attorney General Bonta is committed to defending transgender individuals' right to safely access medically necessary gender-affirming care and to protecting medical providers' ability to continue providing medically necessary care for their patients. In August 2025, Attorney General Bonta co-led a multistate coalition in filing a lawsuit that challenges the Trump Administration's executive order attempting to restrict the provision of medically necessary gender-affirming care for individuals under the age of 19 by threatening providers with civil and criminal prosecution under specious legal theories. In December 2025, he joined a coalition of 19 attorneys general in filing amicus briefs opposing efforts by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission to undermine the independence of scientific organizations that support medically necessary gender-affirming care. In late 2025, he filed amicus briefs opposing the U.S. Department of Justice's (U.S. DOJ) subpoenas for private medical records, including patient records, related to gender-affirming care at Children's Hospital Colorado, Boston Children's Hospital and Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. In January 2026, he filed a lawsuit against Rady Children's Health for unlawfully closing its gender-affirming care program for patients under the age of 19.
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Original text here: https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/attorney-general-bonta-secures-ruling-blocking-trump-administration%E2%80%99s-illegal
Attorney General Bonta Announces Settlement with El Monte Union High School District to Address Handling of Sexual Harassment, Assault, and Abuse Allegations
SACRAMENTO, California, March 20 -- California Attorney General Rob Bonta issued the following news release:
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Attorney General Bonta Announces Settlement with El Monte Union High School District to Address Handling of Sexual Harassment, Assault, and Abuse Allegations
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EL MONTE -California Attorney General Rob Bonta today announced a proposed stipulated judgment with the El Monte Union High School (District) to address critical and systemic shortfalls in the District's response to allegations and complaints of sexual harassment, assault, and abuse of students. Following a comprehensive
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SACRAMENTO, California, March 20 -- California Attorney General Rob Bonta issued the following news release:
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Attorney General Bonta Announces Settlement with El Monte Union High School District to Address Handling of Sexual Harassment, Assault, and Abuse Allegations
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EL MONTE -California Attorney General Rob Bonta today announced a proposed stipulated judgment with the El Monte Union High School (District) to address critical and systemic shortfalls in the District's response to allegations and complaints of sexual harassment, assault, and abuse of students. Following a comprehensiveinvestigation, the California Department of Justice (DOJ) found that the District systemically violated laws and regulations in place to protect against and address these types of allegations and complaints, including the California Education Code and the Child Abuse and Neglect and Reporting Act. The stipulated judgment permanently enjoins the District from violating these and other anti-sexual assault laws, requires a minimum of four years of oversight by the court and Attorney General, and includes wide-ranging reforms to prevent, stop, and remedy sexual harassment, assault, or abuse on the District's campuses.
"Every child deserves to learn and grow in a safe and supportive school environment. Unfortunately, our investigation found that this has not always been the case for students enrolled in El Monte Union High School District," said Attorney General Rob Bonta. "Across multiple years, the District consistently mishandled students' complaints of sexual harassment, assault, and abuse by District employees and others. In doing so, it jeopardized the safety and well-being of its students and violated the community's trust. Today's settlement marks a beginning, not an end. I am hopeful that the District will move swiftly to implement the reforms required by this settlement, and my office will be monitoring closely to ensure its compliance."
"At El Monte Union High School District, student safety and well-being remain our highest priorities," said El Monte Union High School Superintendent Dr. Edward Zuniga. "This agreement reflects our continued commitment to strengthening systems that support safe, inclusive, and respectful learning environments. Through enhanced protocols, increased transparency, and expanded training for staff, students, and families, we are reinforcing our responsibility to protect every student and ensure they feel supported, valued, and ready to learn."
In August 2024, DOJ opened an investigation under Government Code section 11180, et seq. to determine whether the District had complied with laws and regulations related to its obligations to prevent and respond to allegations of sexual harassment, assault, or abuse of its students. DOJ's investigation focused on the period of time between 2018 to the fall of 2025 and included the review of over 88,000 documents and 199,000 emails; interviews with 26 administrators, staff, former students, and other witnesses; and review of 113 complaints.
DOJ's investigation found that the District had not complied with laws and regulations that require it to: (1) respond in a legally compliant manner to notice of sexual harassment, assault, or abuse of students; (2) develop, post, and disseminate a legally adequate notice of nondiscrimination; (3) promulgate legally adequate sexual harassment, assault, and abuse procedures and policies; (4) train and provide appropriate oversight to a Uniform Complaint Procedures Compliance Officer or Title IX Coordinator to handle, coordinate, and track complaints of sexual harassment, assault, and abuse; and (5) adequately create, maintain, and retain records of complaints of sexual harassment, assault, or abuse.
DOJ and the District worked cooperatively on an extensive four-year plan memorialized in a stipulated judgment that permanently enjoins the District from violating all laws and regulations related to sexual harassment, assault, and abuse, and, among other requirements, requires the District to:
* Designate a new Compliance Coordinator, approved by DOJ, to investigate and resolve all complaints of sexual harassment, assault, and abuse.
* Create an electronic Centralized System for all oral and written complaints, along with any and all documents related to those complaints.
* Maintain a consolidated list of substitutes who will not be reappointed based on sustained findings of Boundary Policy violations or sexual harassment.
* Revise board policies and administrative regulations to ensure the District is in compliance with state and federal law.
* Provide DOJ with sexual harassment, assault, and abuse complaints and the District's response to ensure legal compliance.
* Offer compensatory education and mental health services to complainants.
* Provide age-appropriate annual training to students and parents on how to report sexual assault, harassment, and abuse and their right to a prompt and effective response and a discrimination-free school environment and to staff on their duties to prevent and address reports of sexual assault, harassment, and abuse.
* Establish a School Climate Advisory Committee that will study the District's efforts to prevent and respond to sexual harassment, abuse, and assault and make additional recommendations to the District for improving those efforts.
Attorney General Bonta is committed to defending and upholding the civil rights of California students. In 2024, he secured a wide-ranging settlement with Redlands Unified School District to address critical and systemic shortfalls in the district's policies and practices regarding their response to allegations and complaints of sexual harassment, assault, and abuse of students. More recently, Attorney General Bonta announced a settlement with the Sacramento City Unified School District to address unlawful enrollment policies and practices that unfairly disadvantaged certain student groups, such as foster youth and youth experiencing homelessness.
Here is a copy of the stipulated judgment. Here is a copy of the complaint, filed today in Los Angeles County Superior Court.
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Original text here: https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/attorney-general-bonta-announces-settlement-el-monte-union-high-school-district
Ariz. A.G. Mayes Challenges Utility Rate Mechanism That Could Guarantee Higher Bills
PHOENIX, Arizona, March 20 -- Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes issued the following news release on March 19, 2026:
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Attorney General Mayes Challenges Utility Rate Mechanism That Could Guarantee Higher Bills
Attorney General Kris Mayes today filed an Application for Rehearing challenging a recent Arizona Corporation Commission decision that approved a new rate-setting mechanism for UNS Gas, Inc. that could lock in automatic annual rate increases for the company's ratepayers with little meaningful oversight.
The filing argues that the Annual Rate Adjustment Mechanism (ARAM) approved
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PHOENIX, Arizona, March 20 -- Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes issued the following news release on March 19, 2026:
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Attorney General Mayes Challenges Utility Rate Mechanism That Could Guarantee Higher Bills
Attorney General Kris Mayes today filed an Application for Rehearing challenging a recent Arizona Corporation Commission decision that approved a new rate-setting mechanism for UNS Gas, Inc. that could lock in automatic annual rate increases for the company's ratepayers with little meaningful oversight.
The filing argues that the Annual Rate Adjustment Mechanism (ARAM) approvedin Commission Decision No. 81653 imposes unjust and unreasonable rates by shifting financial risk from UNS Gas shareholders to ratepayers and essentially guaranteeing that the company will earn its authorized rate of return regardless of how efficiently it operates.
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"Arizonans deserve utility rates that are fair and transparent, not a rubber stamp process designed to increase rates automatically," said Attorney General Mayes. "This mechanism strips ratepayers of the due process protections they're entitled to under the Arizona Constitution."
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The filing also argues the ARAM's streamlined annual review process -- which gives parties just a few months to challenge rate increases with limited discovery and no witness testimony from the company -- fails to provide constitutionally required due process.
AG Mayes is asking the Commission to rehear the decision and issue an amended order consistent with Arizona's constitutional requirements.
A copy of the filing is available (https://azag.us5.list-manage.com/track/click?u=cc1fad182b6d6f8b1e352e206&id=69b44c88ce&e=9153ff6c96).
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Original text here: https://www.azag.gov/press-release/attorney-general-mayes-challenges-utility-rate-mechanism-could-guarantee-higher-bills
Ariz. A.G. Mayes Challenges Unlawful Rescission of Landmark 2009 Greenhouse Gas Endangerment Finding
PHOENIX, Arizona, March 20 -- Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes issued the following news release on March 19, 2026:
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Attorney General Mayes Challenges Unlawful Rescission of Landmark 2009 Greenhouse Gas Endangerment Finding
Attorney General Kris Mayes today joined a coalition of states, counties and cities to challenge the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's unlawful attempt to rescind its 2009 Endangerment Finding - the agency's seminal determination that greenhouse gas pollution from motor vehicles drives climate change and endangers public health and welfare.
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"On the day
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PHOENIX, Arizona, March 20 -- Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes issued the following news release on March 19, 2026:
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Attorney General Mayes Challenges Unlawful Rescission of Landmark 2009 Greenhouse Gas Endangerment Finding
Attorney General Kris Mayes today joined a coalition of states, counties and cities to challenge the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's unlawful attempt to rescind its 2009 Endangerment Finding - the agency's seminal determination that greenhouse gas pollution from motor vehicles drives climate change and endangers public health and welfare.
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"On the daywe file this lawsuit, much of Arizona is under an extreme heat warning due to an unprecedented early heatwave that has spiked temperatures over twenty degrees above normal," said Attorney General Mayes. "The science behind the 2009 Endangerment Finding is real and grounded in rigorous research. It is abundantly clear that greenhouse gas pollution has fueled climate change in our state and across the entire planet. The decision by the Trump administration to rescind the Endangerment Finding will only accelerate climate change. Putting the profits of the fossil fuel industry over the future of our planet is a failure of historic proportions and we will fight it with every tool we have."
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The 2009 Endangerment Finding was the direct result of the landmark 2007 Supreme Court decision in Massachusetts v. EPA, which confirmed that the Clean Air Act authorizes EPA to regulate greenhouse gas emissions that endanger public health and welfare. Based on years of rigorous scientific analysis and review, in 2009 EPA determined that emissions from motor vehicles contribute to air pollution that harms public health and the environment. EPA then set federal standards to limit those emissions, which have led to significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions from motor vehicles.
Now, almost two decades later, EPA has rushed a rulemaking process to rescind the Endangerment Finding and repeal all motor vehicles greenhouse gas standards, blatantly disregarding the law and science. EPA's rescission is based on flawed interpretations of the law --- previously rejected by the Supreme Court -- that the agency lacks authority to regulate greenhouse gas emissions. The rescission also ignores decades of peer-reviewed scientific evidence confirming the reality and severity of climate change. By eliminating all existing and future federal vehicle greenhouse gas emission standards, the rule violates EPA's legal obligations, fundamental principles of administrative law, and its mission to protect public health and welfare.
The threat of severe climate change in Arizona cannot be overstated. In 2023, for example, Arizona experienced its hottest summer since recordkeeping began more than 100 years ago. In Maricopa County alone, more than 500 people died, and emergency rooms statewide recorded more than 4,000 heat-related visits. The severity and frequency of high temperatures continues to increase, which poses risks to public health, infrastructure, and our economy.
Climate change also increases the frequency and severity of wildfires, a constant source of danger in Arizona's desert climate. Just last year, the Dragon Bravo Fire--one of the largest in Arizona history--burned 145,504 acres and destroyed 113 structures on the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park, including the historic Grand Canyon Lodge. Severe wildfires threaten human life, cause substantial landscape disturbance, and create significant and cascading economic impacts for the State and its residents.
Today's lawsuit is the latest action taken by AG Mayes and the coalition in their ongoing effort to fight back against EPA's unlawful rescission of the 2009 Endangerment Finding. In the fall of 2025, 23 attorneys general and seven counties and cities in submitting two comment letters urging EPA to abandon the proposal, arguing that it would violate settled law, clear Supreme Court precedent, and scientific consensus, endanger hundreds of millions of Americans--particularly communities disproportionately burdened by environmental harms--and cause unprecedented disruption to the regulatory landscape with catastrophic consequences for residents, industries, natural resources, and public investments.
Co-led by the attorneys general of California, Connecticut, New York and Massachusetts, AG Mayes is joined in filing this challenge, by the attorneys general of: Colorado, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, Nevada, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, the District of Columbia. In addition, this challenge is joined by Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro; City of Boston, Massachusetts; City of Chicago, Illinois; City of Cleveland, Ohio; City of Columbus, Ohio; City and County of Denver, Colorado; City of Los Angeles, California; City of New York, New York, City and County of San Francisco, California; City and County of Santa Clara, California, and Harris County, Texas
A copy of the filing is available (https://azag.us5.list-manage.com/track/click?u=cc1fad182b6d6f8b1e352e206&id=b18b91d932&e=9153ff6c96).
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Original text here: https://www.azag.gov/press-release/attorney-general-mayes-challenges-unlawful-rescission-landmark-2009-greenhouse-gas
ATTORNEY GENERAL RAOUL FILES EMERGENCY MOTION TO STOP NEXSTAR/TEGNA MERGER
CHICAGO, Illinois, March 20 -- Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul issued the following news release:
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ATTORNEY GENERAL RAOUL FILES EMERGENCY MOTION TO STOP NEXSTAR/TEGNA MERGER
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Chicago -Attorney General Kwame Raoul today, as part of a coalition of eight attorneys general, filed a motion for a temporary restraining order to stop the merger of Tegna Inc. (TEGNA) and Nexstar Media Group Inc. (Nexstar), after the broadcasting giants received merger approval from the Federal Communications Commission and the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ). On Wednesday night, Attorney General Raoul filed
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CHICAGO, Illinois, March 20 -- Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul issued the following news release:
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ATTORNEY GENERAL RAOUL FILES EMERGENCY MOTION TO STOP NEXSTAR/TEGNA MERGER
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Chicago -Attorney General Kwame Raoul today, as part of a coalition of eight attorneys general, filed a motion for a temporary restraining order to stop the merger of Tegna Inc. (TEGNA) and Nexstar Media Group Inc. (Nexstar), after the broadcasting giants received merger approval from the Federal Communications Commission and the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ). On Wednesday night, Attorney General Raoul fileda lawsuit to block the merger, a deal that is expected to create the largest broadcast station group in the United States, put more broadcast programming in the hands of fewer people, cut local jobs, increase cable bills, and significantly impact the delivery of news and other media content to Americans nationwide.
"I join my fellow attorneys general in asking the court to stop this illegal merger between Nexstar and TEGNA. If allowed to proceed, it would create a broadcast behemoth with control over an unprecedented share of broadcast television content, including local news and sports," Raoul said. "The effect would mean higher prices for Illinois consumers, less competition in local news and job cuts to newsrooms and on-air staff. Now more than ever, consumers should have access to the diverse ideas represented in independent newsrooms."
If allowed to go forward, this multibillion-dollar deal would combine the nation's largest and third-largest television-station conglomerates, creating a titan covering 80% of U.S. television households. In Illinois, these concerns are especially real. In the Quad Cities, Nexstar already controls the CBS- and FOX-affiliated stations while TEGNA owns the ABC-affiliated station. And in the St. Louis market - which includes 14 counties in southwestern Illinois - Nexstar already owns the FOX- and CW-affiliated stations, while TEGNA owns the NBC-affiliated station. In the Chicago market, Nexstar has already reportedly cut newsroom and on-air staff at WGN-TV in anticipation of the merger, raising serious concerns about what more consolidation could mean for local journalism across the state.
The Trump administration has shown states and consumers that it is more concerned with protecting corporate interests than in doing its job to defend the public and uphold consumer protection and antitrust laws that help make life more affordable for American families. Attorney General Raoul has responded by intervening when the Trump administration allegedly greenlit the Hewlett-Packard Enterprises/Juniper Networks merger not for the public interest, but to line the pockets of its friends, and by continuing to fight for a better deal for consumers after the DOJ settled days into the much-awaited Live Nation/Ticketmaster trial -an action promptly rejected by a bipartisan group of attorneys general.
Joining Raoul in filing the lawsuit challenging the merger of Nexstar and TEGNA are the attorneys general of California, Colorado, Connecticut, New York, North Carolina, Oregon and Virginia.
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Original text here: https://www.illinoisattorneygeneral.gov/news/story/attorney-general-raoul-files-emergency-motion-to-stop-nexstar-tegna-merger
