The Minnesota Attorney General reached a civil settlement with MN Fundraising Initiative (MNFI), a sham charity that misclassified hundreds of concession stand workers as 'volunteers' while paying them 'grants' in exchange for their labor. The scheme violated Minnesota nonprofit corporation laws, the Minnesota Fair Labor Standards Act, and misclassification statutes. Under the settlement, MNFI must dissolve and file for Chapter 7 bankruptcy.
MNFI must wind up remaining affairs and dissolve, provide regular updates to the AGO, and has voted to file for Chapter 7 bankruptcy.
In-house legal teams should review vendor agreements with staffing agencies and nonprofits to ensure proper worker classification. Key clauses to examine include those defining employee vs. independent contractor vs. volunteer status, compliance with wage and hour laws, indemnification for misclassification claims, and any provisions that exchange labor for donations or grants. Additionally, contracts with for-profit concession operators should be audited to ensure they are not indirectly benefiting from misclassification through 'donations' tied to labor provided.
Entity
MN Fundraising Initiative
Industry
Other"MN Fundraising Initiative (“MNFI”)"
"systematic and unlawful misclassification of its workers as “volunteers,” rather than employees"
"Minnesota Fair Labor Standards Act"
"Minn. Stat. § 177.23"
"Minn. R. 5200.0230"
"MNFI must wind up any remaining affairs and dissolve"
The Minnesota court denied X.AI's request for a temporary restraining order that would have halted enforcement of Minnesota's first-in-the-nation AI nudification ban (HF 1606). The law bans technology that generates fake nude images of real people, and Attorney General Ellison argued that X.AI's delay in filing the motion showed no immediate harm. The court agreed, allowing the law to take effect as planned.
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison and a bipartisan coalition of 50 attorneys general submitted comments to the FCC urging stronger Know Your Customer (KYC) rules to prevent scammers from using the U.S. communications network for illegal robocalls. The coalition recommends requiring providers to understand customers' business practices, holding all originating providers to KYC standards, and collecting additional information on high-risk customers. This effort is part of Phase 2 of Operation Robocall Roundup.
This press release is about a court temporarily blocking the merger of Warner Bros. Discovery and Paramount Skydance Corporation based on antitrust concerns under the Clayton Act. It is not a privacy-related enforcement action. The Minnesota Attorney General joined a multistate coalition to challenge the merger, and the court granted a temporary restraining order.
$29.6M
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison joined a 48-state coalition in a $29.6 million settlement with generic-drug manufacturer Glenmark to resolve allegations of a widespread conspiracy to artificially inflate and manipulate prices, reduce competition, and restrain trade for numerous generic prescription drugs. The settlement requires Glenmark to cooperate in ongoing multistate lawsuits and implement internal reforms to ensure compliance with antitrust laws.
The Minnesota Attorney General filed a lawsuit against Maduro Distributors, Inc. (doing business as Loon) for illegally manufacturing, distributing, and selling flavored vapes that appeal to minors, using flavors like 'Cotton Candy' and 'Blue Razz Slushy' and kid-friendly characters. The lawsuit also alleges Loon deceptively marketed its products as accepted for FDA approval when they were not. The state seeks a permanent injunction, civil penalties up to $25,000 per violation, restitution, and attorney fees.
Attorney General Ellison and 48 other attorneys general called on the FCC to strengthen rules to cut off scammers' access to legitimate telephone numbers. The coalition is responding to the FCC's proposed rules to combat illegal robocalls and texts, which cost Americans nearly $2 billion last year.