Federal Consumer Protection News: January 2022
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB or “Bureau”) announced an initiative to reduce so-called “junk fees” charged by banks and other financial institutions. Noting that credit card late fees and bank charges for overdraft and non-sufficient funds fees cost consumers nearly $30 billion in 2019, the Bureau published a request for…
Attorney General Consumer Protection News: January 2022
Multistate Actions Led by California Attorney General Rob Bonta, Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul, Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey, and Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro, a bipartisan coalition of 39 attorneys general obtained a $1.85 billion settlement with student loan servicer Navient. Under the settlement, Navient will make a total of $95 million in restitution…
Consumer Chief of the Month: Shennan Kavanagh, Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office
I joined the Consumer Protection Division (CPD) at the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office (MA AGO) in October of 2015 after 12 years in private practice litigating consumer finance class actions. My entire legal career has been devoted to consumer protection. It is an area of law that, in my experience, provides boundless opportunities to serve…
Communities of Color, Fraud, and Consumer Protection Agencies
In recent months, both the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (“CFPB”) produced reports on the connection between minority populations and consumer issues.1 Each report came to the same conclusion: unfair and deceptive practices have unique and disproportionate impacts on communities of color. These findings suggest that more needs to be…
2022 Attorney General Symposium
April 25-27, 2022 Hyatt Regency Austin Austin, TX Join the attorney general community for one of NAAG’s biggest events of the year. A first-time event, Attorney General Symposium will bring together attorneys general with local, state, and federal partners to discuss a variety of topics and issues impacting the nation, such as consumer protection, cryptocurrency,…
The Anticorruption Manual: Section III: Criminal Corruption Statutes
This article is part of a series about The Anticorruption Manual: A Guide for State Prosecutors. The other articles in the series are: The Anticorruption Manual: Helping State Corruption Prosecutors Fill the Role the U.S. Supreme Court Expects Them to Play Section I: Species of Corruption Section II: Investigating Corruption Cases Section IV: The Corruption…
Supreme Court Report: Kemp v. United States, 21-5726
January 20, 2022 Volume 29, Issue 6 This Report summarizes opinions issued on January 13, 2022 (Part I); and cases granted review on January 10, 2022 (Part II). Cases Granted Review: Kemp v. United States, 21-5726 Kemp v. United States, 21-5726. The Court will consider whether a motion for relief from judgment under Federal Rule…
Supreme Court Report: Siegel v. Fitzgerald, 21-441
January 20, 2022 Volume 29, Issue 6 This Report summarizes opinions issued on January 13, 2022 (Part I); and cases granted review on January 10, 2022 (Part II). Cases Granted Review: Siegel v. Fitzgerald, 21-441 Siegel v. Fitzgerald, 21-441. This case involves the constitutionality of provisions of the Bankruptcy Judgeship Act of 2017, which established…
Supreme Court Report: United States v. Washington, 21-404
January 20, 2022 Volume 29, Issue 6 This Report summarizes opinions issued on January 13, 2022 (Part I); and cases granted review on January 10, 2022 (Part II). Cases Granted Review: United States v. Washington, 21-404 United States v. Washington, 21-404. The Court will determine whether a Washington workers’ compensation law that applies exclusively to…
Supreme Court Report: Babcock v. Kijakazi, 20-480
January 20, 2022 Volume 29, Issue 6 This Report summarizes opinions issued on January 13, 2022 (Part I); and cases granted review on January 10, 2022 (Part II). Opinion: Babcock v. Kijakazi, 20-480 Babcock v. Kijakazi, 20-480. By an 8-1 vote, the Court held that “civil-service pension payments based on employment as a ‘dual-status military…