Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison has announced a settlement with two debt settlement companies, Financial Solutions Group and Accelerated Debt Settlement. These companies were found to have collected illegal fees from consumers and misrepresented their services. As part of the settlement, they will cease operations in Minnesota and provide full refunds to affected customers.
Attorney General Keith Ellison has issued a warning to iDentidad Advertising Development LLC, also known as iDentidad Telecom, regarding the transmission of suspected illegal robocall traffic. This action is part of his involvement with the bipartisan Anti-Robocall Multistate Litigation Task Force.
Attorney General Keith Ellison announced that Xcel Energy will refund tens of millions of dollars to Minnesota consumers. This decision follows a ruling by the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) on October 15, 2024, which agreed with Ellison’s Office and the Minnesota Department of Commerce.
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison has achieved a legal victory against Wall & Associates, Inc., a tax debt settlement company based in Virginia. Following a 12-day trial, the court found that the company and its owner and CEO knowingly deceived hundreds of Minnesotans who sought help to resolve their tax debts. The court determined that Wall's claims of being a local law firm with a track record of settling clients' tax debts for 10% of what was owed were false.
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison announced that his office will host an expungement clinic in Moorhead on Tuesday, October 15. The clinic aims to assist Minnesotans in reviewing their records and determining eligibility for expungement. If eligible, the office will help file the necessary paperwork to seal records.
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison has reached a settlement with Northern Lakes Rescue (NLR), a nonprofit based in Brainerd, following an investigation into the misuse of charitable assets by its founder and former president, Shannon Steele. According to an Assurance of Discontinuance filed in Ramsey County, Steele unlawfully used approximately $156,000 of NLR funds for personal expenses such as jet ski rentals and credit card payments.
Attorney General Keith Ellison announced a settlement with Marriott International, Inc. involving a data breach of the Starwood guest reservation database. The breach, which spanned four years, exposed 131.5 million guest records including sensitive information such as passport numbers and payment card details. The settlement involves Marriott paying $52 million nationally, with Minnesota receiving $814,847.
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, along with a bipartisan group of 21 other attorneys general, has requested a Tennessee court to enforce orders compelling TikTok to comply with an ongoing multistate consumer protection investigation. The coalition seeks the preservation and production of evidence from TikTok.
The National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG) has appointed Minnesota Assistant Attorney General Elizabeth Odette as chair of the national Multistate Antitrust Task Force. The announcement was made by the current NAAG Antitrust Committee co-chairs, Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser and Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti.
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison has issued updated guidance for voters, focusing on ensuring safe and intimidation-free voting. The guidance, available on the Attorney General's website, outlines state and federal protections for voters. A new Election Report Form is also available for Minnesotans to report any voting challenges.
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison has announced a settlement with Evergreen Acres Dairy and its associated entities, addressing wage theft and housing issues for dairy workers. The agreement requires Evergreen to pay $250,000 in back wages and improve employee housing conditions to meet legal standards.
As of October 1, significant provisions of the Minnesota Debt Fairness Act have come into effect. These new regulations aim to protect Minnesotans from certain practices related to medical debt. Under the new law, medical debt cannot be automatically transferred to a spouse, used as a reason to deny medically necessary care, or reported to credit agencies.
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison has initiated legal action against Nolosha Development, LLC, a property development company in Minnesota. The lawsuit, filed in Hennepin County, accuses the company of misleading Somali families by misrepresenting critical sale details to secure $25,000 down payments for homes.
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison has joined a coalition of 22 attorneys general in supporting the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives’ (ATF) rule aimed at preventing illegal gun trafficking. The rule requires private gun sellers to obtain a license and conduct background checks on potential buyers. This multistate coalition filed an amicus brief in Texas v. ATF, arguing that the ATF’s rule is essential for public safety and preventing dangerous individuals from obtaining guns illegally.
Attorney General Keith Ellison has filed a lawsuit against MV Realty PBC, LLC, its Minnesota branch MV Realty of Minnesota, LLC, and their officer Amanda Zachman. The lawsuit alleges that the company violated Minnesota consumer protection laws by selling contracts with oppressive terms to homeowners while concealing these terms in verbal sales pitches. These contracts were named "Homeowner Benefit Agreements" (HBAs).
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison has filed a petition requesting the Hennepin County District Court to supervise the dissolution of Rainbow Health Minnesota. The nonprofit recently disclosed its insolvency and intention to dissolve.
A Benton County district court has sentenced Michael Carpenter to life in prison for the October 2022 murder of his co-worker, Nicole Hammond. A jury convicted Carpenter of first-degree premeditated murder and second-degree intentional murder on August 2, 2024, after a two-week trial. The statutory sentence for first-degree premeditated murder is life without the possibility of release.
September 19, 2024 (SAINT PAUL) — Attorney General Keith Ellison has issued a warning to Minnesotans regarding the rise in mortgage assistance scams, following an increase in reports to his Office’s Consumer Action Division. This alert is part of the Attorney General’s monthly Scam Stopper series aimed at protecting Minnesota consumers from common scams.
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison announced today that Shamsia Hopes, a nonprofit organization based in Shakopee, has agreed to dissolve following an investigation revealing governance failures and misuse of assets by its founder and president, Mekfira Hussein. The agreement does not prevent further claims against Ms. Hussein or other individuals.
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison announced a settlement securing refunds for dozens of clients, primarily Somali and Ethiopian, who retained immigration legal services from Daniel Patrick Brown and DPB Legal, PLLC. Between 2021 and 2023, DPB Legal accepted 100 clients seeking asylum in the U.S. but provided incorrect information regarding their eligibility for work authorization permits.
