News from 2012
Mo. AG says contractor defrauded tornado victims
Koster JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (Legal Newsline) - Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster filed a lawsuit on Friday against an Indiana contractor and his construction company for allegedly defrauding Joplin tornado victims.
Ill. village must provide clean drinking water
Madigan CHICAGO (Legal Newsline) - Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan obtained a court order on Friday to make sure that residents of Sauk Village will continue to have access to safe drinking water.
Coakley settles discrimination suit against landlords
Coakley BOSTON (Legal Newsline) - Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley announced a settlement on Monday with the owners of two Watertown apartments who allegedly discriminated against families with children to avoid the obligation to remove lead paint hazards.
Okla. AG asks judge to lift stay in health care suit
Pruitt OKLAHOMA CITY (Legal Newsline) - Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt has asked a federal judge to lift a stay on the state's health care lawsuit, allowing it time to address the U.S. Supreme Court's recent ruling on the federal health care law.
DOJ settles fraud lawsuit against union
NEW YORK (Legal Newsline) - A civil fraud lawsuit was filed and settled Friday against District Council 1707, Local 95, Head Start Employees Welfare Fund, a Voluntary Employee Benefits Association in Manhattan.
Report: Fla. AG campaigns for Romney
Bondi BEDFORD, N.H. (Legal Newsline) - Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi reportedly spent part of the weekend stumping for Republican Presidential hopeful Mitt Romney.
Ill. man gets 10-year sentence over asbestos removal
WASHINGTON (Legal Newsline) - Illinois federal judge Michael McCuskey has sentenced Duane "Butch" O'Malley, to 10 years in prison over asbestos cleanup violations.
Capital One to pay $12M in settlement
WASHINGTON (Legal Newsline) - Capital One has agreed to pay approximately $12 million to settle a Justice Department lawsuit that accused it of violating the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act, it was announced Thursday.
N.Y. man charged with stealing federal housing funds
NEW YORK (Legal Newsline) - Louis Abate was arrested Friday by federal law enforcement agents and is accused of stealing federal housing benefits intended for low-income Long Islanders in need of financial assistance.
Ecuadorian judge increases Chevron damages to $19B
Hinton QUITO, Ecuador (Legal Newsline) - An Ecuadorian judge ruled last week that Chevron Corp. now must pay more than $19 billion for the alleged damage it has caused to the country's Amazon region.
SEC alleges insider trading in Nexen acquisition
NEW YORK (Legal Newsline) - The Securities and Exchange Commission obtained an emergency court order Friday freezing the assets of traders using accounts in Hong Kong and Singapore to allegedly make insider trading profits of more than $13 million.
SEC says man pretended to be president of company
WASHINGTON (Legal Newsline) - The Securities and Exchange Commission charged Ronald Feldstein Wednesday for his alleged role in disseminating a fake investment to boost a struggling penny stock company.
Papa John's franchise owner says Obamacare may force job cuts
Nichols BEAUMONT - Papa John's pizza restaurant owner Judy Nichols' plan to expand her business in Southeast Texas with a fourth location is on hold because of uncertainty over the impact "Obamacare" will have on her operations.
Wis. justice recuses self from court-fight case
Prosser MADISON, Wis. (Legal Newsline) - A Wisconsin Supreme Court justice says she must disqualify herself from the disciplinary proceedings involving an altercation between two other justices.
Conn. AG wants probe into Energy Plus Holdings
Jepsen HARTFORD, Conn. (Legal Newsline) - Connecticut Attorney General George Jepsen and Consumer Counsel Elin Swanson Katz jointly petitioned the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority on Thursday.
Koster suing Calif. company
Koster JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (Legal Newsline) - Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster announced a lawsuit on Thursday against a California-based company for allegedly distributing deceptive advertisements and soliciting service contracts without a license.
W.Va. judge tells companies to comply with AG's subpoenas
McGraw CHARLESTON, W. Va. (Legal Newsline) - West Virginia Attorney General Darrell McGraw announced on Friday that the Circuit Court of Kanawha County has ordered three payday lenders to appear in court to answer McGraw's allegations of contempt.
States settle pricing allegations against McKesson
Harris SAN FRANCISCO (Legal Newsline) - Thirty states have settled fraud charges against drug maker McKesson Corporation for $151 million.
Shenango to pay $1.75M in civil penalties
PHILADELPHIA (Legal Newsline) - Shenango Inc. must pay $1.75 million in civil penalties and make significant upgrades to its plant as part of a settlement reached with the Environmental Protection Agency.
Two construction companies fined $50K in Kansas
Schmidt TOPEKA, Kan. (Legal Newsline) - Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt announced fines of $50,000 against two construction companies from outside the state on Wednesday for allegedly violating the Kansas No-Call Act.