Attorney General Brian L. Schwalb today issued a statement after a federal judge halted the merger of Kroger and Albertsons, finding that a challenge is likely to succeed on the merits.

Attorney General Brian L. Schwalb, along with the Justice Department and a bipartisan coalition of 38 state attorneys general, today proposed a robust package of remedies to end Google’s unlawful monopoly over internet search engines and to restore competition to benefit consumers.

Attorney General Brian L. Schwalb today issued the below statement following the United States District Court’s ruling that Google, LLC (Google) has illegally maintained monopolies in multiple markets. The Office of the Attorney General (OAG) and a bipartisan coalition of 37 other state attorneys general filed a lawsuit alleging antitrust violations regarding Google’s anticompetitive practices in the online search markets.

As the District’s independent, elected Attorney General, there is no higher priority for me and those of us at OAG than public safety. Too many people, across all 8 Wards, don’t feel safe right now in our city.

Attorney General Brian L. Schwalb joined the US Department of Justice (DOJ) and a bipartisan coalition of 30 state Attorneys General in filing an antitrust lawsuit against Live Nation Entertainment, Inc., which owns Ticketmaster, alleging that the companies have illegally monopolized the live entertainment industry, increasing the prices District residents pay for live shows.

Attorney General Brian L. Schwalb today released a 2023 Impact Report detailing how over the past year, The Office of the Attorney General has delivered for District residents, securing $610 million in total savings and benefits – over four times its annual budget.

Yesterday, I testified in front of the DC Council’s Judiciary and Public Safety Committee for the Office of Attorney General’s annual performance oversight hearing. Oversight hearings are an important part of serving as an elected official, and this hearing was a chance to talk with the Council and DC residents about our work delivering for Washingtonians and making the District a safer, healthier, and more equitable place for all who live and work here.

Attorney General Brian L. Schwalb today joined the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and a bipartisan coalition including eight states in filing a lawsuit to prevent The Kroger Company (Kroger) from acquiring Albertsons Companies, Inc. (Albertsons). In the District, Kroger operates Harris Teeter and Albertsons operates Safeway. The lawsuit argues that the proposed merger between the nation’s two largest grocery store chains is anticompetitive and likely to reduce options on where to shop for groceries, increasing prices of food and everyday essential items.

Attorney General Brian L. Schwalb and a bipartisan group of 52 other attorneys general today announced that Google will pay $700 million to resolve an antitrust lawsuit involving the Google Play store. The lawsuit alleged that Google unfairly and illegally restricted competition for Android app distribution and in-app payment processing, limiting choices for consumers and driving up prices. As part of the settlement, Google will be required to pay $630 million in restitution to consumers nationwide and pay $70 million in penalties to the states and the District of Columbia. The District will receive nearly $2 million in penalties and costs of litigating the case, and the amount in restitution for residents will be determined through a claims process, to be announced at a later date.

Attorney General Brian L. Schwalb today announced a lawsuit against RealPage, Inc. (RealPage) and 14 of the largest residential landlords in the District for colluding to illegally raise rents for tens of thousands of DC residents by collectively delegating price-setting authority to RealPage, which used a centralized pricing algorithm to inflate prices, costing renters millions of dollars.