AGs Racine and Frosh Welcome Federal Court Ruling Allowing Lawsuit Against President Trump to Move Forward

WASHINGTON – Today, the United States District Court for the District of Maryland ruled that the District of Columbia and Maryland have standing to challenge President Trump’s violation of the Emoluments Clauses. The Emoluments Clauses are the Constitution’s anti-corruption provisions. Their purpose is to ensure that the President makes decisions in the best interest of the country and its citizens, not his own personal financial interests.

 

Judge Blocks Staples-Office Depot Merger in Response to Federal Trade Commission Suit Joined by District and Pennsylvania

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Attorney General Karl A. Racine welcomed news that the United States District Court for the District of Columbia has blocked a proposed merger between Staples, Inc. and Office Depot, Inc. Last December, Attorney General Racine joined colleagues from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in a lawsuit that asserted the proposed merger would have lessened competition in violation of federal antitrust laws.

DC AG's Office Announces that $1,950,000 is Available for Eligible Drizly Drivers as a Result of Tip-Theft Investigation

WASHINGTON, DC – Attorney General Brian L. Schwalb today announced that Drizly delivery drivers who delivered orders from any retail store located in the District of Columbia between January 1, 2019, through November 14, 2022, may be eligible to receive money from a $1.95 million settlement pool created as a result of the Office of the Attorney General’s (OAG) investigation into Drizly’s failure to ensure tips collected through its platform were paid to delivery drivers.

How to Get Relief If You Were Harmed by Equifax’s Data Breach

Equifax

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

How do I know if I am covered by the settlement?

Equifax has provided a lookup tool on the settlement website (www.EquifaxBreachSettlement.com) that you can use to determine whether you are affected by the data breach.  You will be required to input the last 6 digits of your Social Security Number that Equifax will use only to determine whether you are one of the affected consumers. 

I am an eligible consumer who wants to make a claim from the settlement fund. How do I make a claim?

You can make a claim through the settlement website (www.EquifaxBreachSettlement.com).  This is the simplest and quickest way to file a claim.  However, you also can request a paper claim form via the settlement website or by calling (1-833-759-2982).  The deadline to file all claims is January 22, 2020.  Please record your claim number and retain it for future reference.

I am an eligible consumer who wants to make a claim from the settlement fund. What can I request in my claim?

You can request, before January 22, 2020, free credit monitoring and reimbursement for money and time spent addressing the data breach.  Specifically, you can:

  • Sign up for the free 10 years of credit monitoring that Equifax is offering. It consists of at least 4 years of three bureau credit monitoring that monitors your credit report with Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion, followed by up to 6 years of single bureau credit monitoring of your Equifax credit report;
  • Request reimbursement for:
    • Time spent trying to avoid or recover from identity theft (up to 20 total hours at $25 per hour)
    • Money spent trying to avoid or recover from identity theft (such as money paid to freeze or unfreeze your credit report, money paid to a professional for identity theft services, postage, etc.)
    • If you do not wish to utilize the offered free 10 years of credit monitoring, you can request reimbursement of up to $125 for what you spent to purchase alternative credit monitoring services.

Also, all affected consumers are eligible to use the free offered Identity Restoration services for seven years.  Affected consumers do not need to enroll in this service in order to be able to use it. 

When is the deadline to file a claim against the settlement fund?

The deadline is January 22, 2020.

I filed a claim against the settlement fund. How can I find out about the status of the claim?

The settlement administrator will contact you when a decision is made about your claim.  Also, you can check the status of your claim at www.EquifaxBreachSettlement.com. Please be prepared to enter your claim number that the settlement administrator provided to you when you filed your claim.

I have questions about the Equifax settlement. Where can I get information about the settlement?

You can go to www.EquifaxBreachSettlement.com for information about the settlement and to view important documents associated with the settlement. Also, you can call (1-833-759-2982) to obtain information about the settlement. District consumers who have questions that were not answered by the website or toll-free number may contact OAG’s Office of Consumer Protection at 202-442-9828.

I am concerned about identity theft. How can I place a freeze on my credit report?

Credit freezes are free of charge, and in order to place a freeze on your credit report, you must contact each of the major consumer reporting agencies directly and identify yourself to them.  A credit freeze prevents companies from viewing your credit report if they are considering granting credit unless you prove to them that you are who you say you are.  It can help protect you from identity thieves who are trying to open a credit account in your name.  The consumer reporting agencies are not permitted to charge you any fee to place or lift the freeze.  You should know that if you plan to apply for credit when you have a freeze in place, there may be a delay in processing your credit application while you request that the credit freeze be lifted.  You can find instructions on how to place a credit freeze at: https://oag.dc.gov/consumer-protection/consumer-alert-identity-theft.