Round Up: Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul Secures Major Settlements for Wisconsinites
MADISON, Wis. — Over the past year, Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul has secured several major settlements for Wisconsinites, benefiting everyone from farmers to teenagers to vehicle owners. Through these settlement victories, AG Kaul has been instrumental in bringing hundreds of millions of dollars to Wisconsin—holding greedy and reckless corporations accountable for harmful practices and providing relief to consumers across the state.
See below for some of Attorney General Kaul’s recent settlement victories:
WPR: Wisconsin consumers, state to receive more than $11M from auto finance settlement
Wisconsin consumers and the state will receive more than $11 million as part of a multi-state settlement with one of the nation’s largest auto finance companies, the Wisconsin Department of Justice announced Monday.
Under the settlement, Credit Acceptance Corporation, or CAC, will provide $694 million in cash and debt relief to consumers connected to their car loans, the state Department of Justice says. But the deal does not require the company to admit fault or wrongdoing.
Wisconsin consumers will receive an estimated more than $10 million in debt relief and $959,988 in restitution, while the state will receive $218,319, according to the state Department of Justice.
WPR: Wisconsin to get more than $200M from settlement with Meta
Wisconsin expects to get hundreds of millions of dollars from a recently announced settlement with the company that owns Instagram and Facebook.
That’s after multiple states sued, accusing Meta of harming kids’ mental health. Among other allegations, the lawsuit contended that Meta designed its apps to be addictive to children, and that it hid known risks from parents and the public.
In all, the states that sued will receive up to $17 billion over 10 years. For its share, Wisconsin will get at least $219 million, and could receive up to $313 million, according to Wisconsin’s Department of Justice.
The Wisconsin Department of Justice (DOJ) and a coalition of 43 states and territories are announcing a $400 million settlement in principle with Sandoz Inc. to resolve allegations that the generic drug manufacturer engaged in conspiracies to artificially inflate and manipulate prices, reduce competition, and unreasonably restrain trade with regard to numerous generic prescription drugs.
“We will not stand for anticompetitive conduct that causes people to pay more for their prescriptions,” said AG Kaul. “We must keep cracking down on companies that, instead of competing fairly, restrict competition in order to increase prices.”
WEAU: WI DOJ announces settlement in antitrust lawsuit against Deere & Company
The Wisconsin Department of Justice, the Federal Trade Commission, and four other states, secured a settlement in an antitrust lawsuit against farm equipment manufacturer Deere & Company
According to a press release from the Wisconsin Department of Justice, the settlement requires Deere—for the next 10 years and under the supervision of the FTC and plaintiff states—to provide farmers and independent repair providers with the same equipment repair resources, including applicable software capabilities, that it currently provides to authorized Deere dealers.
Urban Milwaukee: Wisconsin DOJ and Coalition Announce $45 Million Multistate Settlement With Block Inc. Over Alleged Deceptive Practices on Cash App
The Wisconsin Department of Justice (DOJ) and a coalition of 45 other states today announced a $45 million multistate settlement with Block, Inc., the company behind the popular peer-to-peer payments app Cash App. The settlement resolves allegations that Block misled consumers about the safety of Cash App, failed to protect users from fraud on the platform, and didn’t provide the fraud protection and resolution that it promised and that was required by law. In short, the company allegedly failed to help people when things went wrong.
“Consumers who entrust a company with their money should be provided with a clear picture of how safe their money will be,” said AG Kaul. “Companies that take responsibility for people’s money must not mislead their users or customers about the strength of their consumer protections.”
WPR: Wisconsin DOJ announces settlement in alleged multi-state scheme to raise egg prices
A multi-state investigation found that three of the country’s largest egg producers allegedly worked together for years to artificially increase the price of eggs.
The Wisconsin Department of Justice, along with state attorneys general in 16 other states, and the U.S. Department of Justice announced a settlement with the egg producers this week.
According to the state DOJ, the coalition secured more than 50 million eggs and $3.3 million from the companies through the settlement. The eggs will be provided to food banks and nonprofit organizations across the country at the producers’ expense.
WPR: Enbridge to Pay $275K Settlement for 2019 Wisconsin Spill After DOJ Action
The Wisconsin Department of Justice announced a $275,000 settlement Thursday with energy firm Enbridge in a 2019 spill in Jefferson County.
The state alleged Enbridge violated the spills law by failing to report a release from a faulty valve that occurred on its Line 13 pipeline in Fort Atkinson on April 26, 2019. The company didn’t report the spill to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources until July 31, 2020 — more than a year later.
The Wisconsin Department of Justice (DOJ) announced two settlements totaling $325,000 involving law violations of air pollution control and hazardous waste management, according to a release.
The settlement with WRR Environmental Services Co., Inc. (WRR) resolves civil environmental enforcement action against the company for allegedly violating its permits for air pollution control and hazardous waste management.
WSAW: Wisconsin DOJ settles with Tyco over PFAS contamination
The Wisconsin Department of Justice has reached a settlement with Tyco Fire Products over PFAS contamination.
Tyco will pay $10 million to the state’s PFAS trust fund. This payment is in addition to the nearly $100 million Tyco has already spent to deal with PFAS contamination.
Attorney General Josh Kaul called it one of the most significant environmental settlements in state history.
WEAU: Wisconsin DOJ helps secure final approval in $700M Google settlement
According to a press release from the Wisconsin DOJ, the lawsuit challenged Google’s control over Android app distribution and in-app payments. The approval of the settlement ends a five-year case and gives relief to consumers nationwide who were affected by Google’s actions.
Most of the settlement funds will go directly to people who made purchases on Google Play from August 2016 to September 2023. Most recipients won’t need to fill out a claim form and will receive their payments through PayPal or Venmo.
