Attorney General Schwalb Releases 2024 Impact Report

Highlights OAG Efforts to Improve Public Safety, Protect District Residents, and Serve as DC’s Independent Lawyer


Attorney General Brian L. Schwalb today released the Office of the Attorney General’s (OAG) 2024 Impact Report, highlighting how OAG has delivered for District residents over the past year, securing $661 million in savings and benefits — over four times its annual budget.

The full report is available here.

Highlights include:

  • $303.9 million in civil litigation liability avoided
     
  • $198.8 million in tax revenue preserved
     
  • $77.2 million secured in penalties and costs for violations of District law
     
  • $45.4 million in child support collected and distributed for children in DC
     
  • $17.6 million paid to consumers and DC through consumer enforcement actions
     
  • $9.2 million in unpaid wages, damages, and penalties returned to workers and DC
     
  • $5.4 million in rent refunds, credits, and penalties secured for tenants and DC
     
  • $2.3 million secured in environmental enforcement actions in DC
     
  • $1.2 million refunded to DC residents through OAG’s consumer mediation program


Public Safety

In the District of Columbia, OAG is responsible for prosecuting crimes committed by juveniles, as well as some adult misdemeanors. Adult felonies, which make up the vast majority of violent offenses, are prosecuted by the federally-appointed US Attorney for the District of Columbia (USAO DC). OAG prosecutes every serious violent offense when there is enough evidence to do so, helping ensure that young people face consequences when they break the law while supporting victims of crime and working with DC agencies responsible for preventing youth from reoffending.

In 2024, OAG prosecuted 84.3% of violent juvenile offenses.

For the most serious juvenile offenses, OAG’s prosecution rates per arrest were: 

  • Over 90% of homicide and attempted homicide cases
  • 87.1% of carjacking cases 
  • 85.7% of gun possession cases 
  • 78.9% of robbery cases
  • 88.1% of violent assault cases

In 2024, OAG prosecuted the highest percentage of cases for both violent juvenile offenses and all juvenile offenses overall since before 2019.

OAG also charged 2,995 adult misdemeanors, including 97% of adult DUI misdemeanor cases.


Fighting for Tenants & Affordable Housing

In 2024, OAG secured $5.4 million in rent refunds, credits, and penalties for tenants and the District.

  • Suing DC slumlords. Sued notorious DC slumlord Sam Razjooyan and his associates for horrific housing code violations, illegal construction, and defrauding DC’s Rapid Rehousing program. OAG won a court order requiring the landlord to address the serious issues at two properties - 1644–1656 W Street SE and Minnesota Commons - in Ward 7 and Ward 8.
     
  • Preserving affordable housing at Foster House. Secured a major settlement to preserve badly needed affordable housing units at Foster House in Ward 2’s Shaw neighborhood and $1.65 million for tenants who endured years of neglect.
     
  • Dismantling a title insurance kickback scheme. Uncovered and dismantled a sweeping and illegal title insurance kickback scheme that targeted DC homebuyers. The companies involved will now pay over $2 million in restitution to impacted homeowners and cease all illegal payouts.


Supporting Kids and Families

  • Keeping kids in school. OAG’s ATTEND (Abating Truancy Through Engagement and Negotiated Dialogue) Mediation Program operates in 8 District schools and works to combat truancy by addressing the underlying issues that cause chronic absenteeism. In 2024, kids who participated in ATTEND had 24.5% fewer unexcused absences.
     
  • Suing social media platforms for preying on kids. Sued TikTok for misleading users and their parents about the safety of its platform, which is intentionally designed to be addictive to kids and has caused significant psychological and physical harm to children in DC and across the country. The lawsuit also accuses TikTok of operating a predatory, illegal virtual economy that facilitates the financial and sexual exploitation of children.
     
  • Strengthening DC families. Successfully placed 132 District children from the foster care system with families, provided 200 legal consultations to keep families together, collected $45.4 million in child support payments, and connected 892 non-custodial parents with work opportunities and services.


Protecting DC Workers

In 2024, OAG returned $9.2 million in unpaid wages, damages, and penalties to workers and DC.

  • Combatting wage theft. Required Swahili Village, a Ward 2 restaurant, to pay $525,000 for systematically stealing workers’ wages and tips and violating other DC labor laws.
     
  • Securing DC’s largest-ever workers' rights settlement. Secured $3.75 million from Power Design for more than 1,200 harmed construction workers and the District.
     
  • Stopping illegal worker misclassification. Sued five construction companies and labor brokers for a sweeping illegal worker misclassification scheme that exploited more than 370 construction workers, including workers who labored on the high-end City Ridge development in Ward 3.


Combatting Fraud & Predatory Business Practices

  • Recovered $7.5 million from Curbio, a home renovation company that trapped DC homeowners — including many seniors — in financially devastating contracts and put an end to their predatory practices.
     
  • Sued Amazon for secretly excluding more than 48,000 Ward 7 and Ward 8 residents from Prime delivery benefits while charging them for full Prime memberships.
     
  • Blocked the $25 billion merger between Albertsons and Kroger that would have hiked grocery store prices and reduced competition, including in DC which has Kroger-owned Harris Teeter and Albertsons-owned Safeway stores.


Serving as DC’s Lawyer

As the District’s Chief Legal Officer, OAG defends the District from lawsuits and defends DC's laws when they are challenged in court. OAG also provides legal advice and representation to District leaders, lawmakers, and agencies. And OAG proactively advises DC agencies to help them operate effectively, reduce their liability, and save the District money.

Every dollar OAG saves is another dollar that can go towards improving District schools, maintaining our parks, operating our libraries, building affordable housing, supporting small businesses, and funding our police and fire emergency service departments.

In 2024, OAG:

  • Defended over 940 cases on behalf of the District.
     
  • Won 98% of cases brought against the District.
     
  • Handled $1.7 billion in government contracts.
     
  • Saved $31.8 million in eminent domain, affordable dwelling unit, and bankruptcy cases.
     
  • Reviewed 510+ bills and rulemakings for legal sufficiency.
     
  • Responded to 150+ confidential requests for legal advice.