The National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG) developed the Multistate Settlements Database to serve as a centralized, publicly accessible repository of information about multistate enforcement actions led by state attorneys general (AGs). The database is intended to support legal research, comparative analysis, policy evaluation, and transparency in multistate enforcement activity.
Data Sources and Verification
Initial case entries are derived from publicly available materials, including:
- State attorney general press releases and websites
- Press releases of Federal agencies like the Federal Trade Commission
- Settlement agreements
- Consent judgments and court filings
- Publicly posted litigation summaries
- Industry publications
- Web searches and use of artificial intelligence
To ensure accuracy and reduce reliance on secondary reporting, each settlement entry is subject to a multi-step verification process. This includes:
- Identifying the lead state(s) in the action
- Direct outreach to lead AG offices to confirm the facts and outcomes of the case, including scope, participating jurisdictions, and payment and injunctive terms
- Requesting non-public or supplemental documentation where necessary to clarify or complete the record
Only matters with sufficient source documentation and confirmation are included in the published database. When inconsistencies are identified between public materials and information received from lead states, priority is given to direct confirmations and legal filings.
Scope and Inclusion Criteria
The database focuses on civil enforcement actions that:
- Involve coordination by two or more attorneys general against the same defendant(s)
- Result in a settlement, consent decree, or comparable resolution
- Relate to areas of common multistate jurisdiction, including consumer protection, antitrust, environmental protection, privacy, and related statutory frameworks
Cases are prioritized for inclusion based on recency, the breadth of state participation, and the public interest or legal significance of the matter.
Criminal prosecutions, single-state actions, and informal investigations without a formal resolution are generally excluded. Additionally, this database does not include Medicaid fraud cases, which are typically handled by specialized Medicaid Fraud Control Units (MFCUs) within attorney general offices. These cases differ from most of the enforcement actions included in this database because they are based upon federal False Claims Act statutes rather than broad state-level consumer protection or antitrust statutes. You can learn more about MFCUs and attorneys general’s work to combat Medicaid fraud here.
Ongoing Updates and Limitations
The database is updated on a rolling basis as new settlements are finalized and as historical data is reviewed and validated. While NAAG endeavors to maintain a comprehensive and current resource, not all multistate matters may be captured, particularly older cases or settlements without accessible public records.
Researchers are encouraged to use the database as a reference point and to consult individual state AG offices or primary legal documents for case-specific analysis. NAAG welcomes feedback or contributions that improve the completeness and accuracy of the database over time.
To submit suggestions or additions for the database, please complete this form.
See “Multistate Consumer Protection Actions” (December 1, 2021) written by Dr. Paul Nolette, Associate Professor and Chair, Department of Political Science, Marquette University. Dr. Nolette collaborated with NAAG in creating the Database in 2021, and he oversaw the addition of hundreds of multistate settlements to the Database.
