A federal judge ruled that Nexstar Media Group violated a court order requiring it to keep TEGNA Inc. operating as an independent company while a multistate antitrust lawsuit challenging the merger proceeds. The court found that Nexstar installed its own executives on TEGNA's board, failed to disclose the appointments, and lacked candor with the court. The court ordered Nexstar to comply immediately, file status reports, respond to discovery, and turn over board and financial documents, with a special master to oversee compliance.
The court ordered Nexstar to come into compliance immediately, file a status report within 10 days, respond to outstanding discovery requests within 7 days, turn over TEGNA board meeting minutes, budget and forecast changes, financial reports, and any changes in directors or officers on a monthly basis. The parties have 14 days to propose a special master to oversee ongoing compliance.
In-house legal teams should review any merger or acquisition agreements to ensure they include robust independence and non-interference clauses that prevent the acquiring company from exerting control over the acquired entity's board or management. They should also verify that any contractual provisions align with court orders and antitrust requirements, and include mechanisms for compliance reporting and oversight, such as special master provisions. Additionally, agreements should address disclosure obligations and cooperation with regulatory or judicial inquiries to avoid findings of lack of candor.
Entity
Nexstar Media Group
Industry
Media & EntertainmentOfficial Press Release
https://www.doj.state.or.us/media-home/news-media-releases/ag-rayfield-wins-federal-court-decision-over-nexstar-violating-merger-order/
2026 08 06 Order Granting Motion for Clarification
https://www.doj.state.or.us/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/2026-08-06-Order-Granting-Motion-for-Clarification.pdf
Oregon Attorney General Enforcement Page
https://www.doj.state.or.us/consumer-protection/
"Nexstar Media Group violated a court order"
"violated a court order requiring it to keep TEGNA Inc. operating as an independent company"
"installed its own top executives – including its CEO and CFO – on TEGNA’s five-member Board of Directors"
"The court’s order requires Nexstar to come into compliance immediately and to file a status report within 10 days detailing the steps it has taken to do so."
"the 12 other states that sued"
$694.0M
Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield announced a $694 million multistate settlement with Credit Acceptance Corporation (CAC), a subprime auto lender, resolving allegations that CAC originated unaffordable loans and allowed dealers to 'pack' unwanted Vehicle Service Contracts and Guaranteed Asset Protection products into consumer loans. The settlement provides $60 million in cash restitution, $634 million in debt relief, and injunctive reforms including off ramps for risky loans, enhanced disclosures, and dealer monitoring.
$384.2M
Abbott Laboratories agreed to pay more than $384 million — including $977,558 to Oregon — to resolve allegations that it sold powder infant formula and nutritional therapy products made in unsafe manufacturing conditions to Medicaid and food assistance programs such as WIC between January 2018 and December 2022. Investigators found Abbott failed to maintain manufacturing equipment and control water at its Sturgis, Michigan, and Casa Grande, Arizona, facilities, and withheld test results showing contamination during FDA inspections in 2019 and 2022. The settlement was negotiated by the National Association of Medicaid Fraud Control Units on behalf of the federal government and 39 states.
Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield, leading a bipartisan coalition of 48 other state and territorial attorneys general, sent a letter urging the FCC to strengthen its 'Know Your Upstream Provider' (KYUP) rule so phone companies must properly vet, continuously monitor, and cut ties with upstream providers that facilitate illegal robocalls and caller ID spoofing. The coalition asks the FCC to set minimum vetting standards, require periodic re-checks rather than one-time contract reviews, strengthen caller ID authentication across the call chain, impose meaningful penalties, and mandate record-keeping for investigators. No fine or injunction was imposed; the letter notes Americans received more than 29.6 billion scam robocalls and texts last year and lost nearly $2 billion to these scams.
Attorney General Dan Rayfield and a coalition of 21 attorneys general and Pennsylvania filed lawsuits against the U.S. Department of Transportation, FMCSA, and AAMVA to block demands for a database containing personal information of 17 million commercial drivers. The federal government threatened to withhold $10 million in funding unless the data was turned over, which the coalition argues violates privacy law.
Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield co-led a coalition of 10 states in a federal lawsuit against the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) to block a rule that invalidates state laws requiring mortgage lenders to pay interest on escrow accounts. The lawsuit argues the OCC's rule oversteps federal authority, gives national banks a competitive advantage over state-chartered banks, and takes money away from homeowners.
Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield, joined by a coalition of 23 other states, the District of Columbia, and two governors, sued the Trump administration to block a new policy by the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) that would allow federal officials to access private records of millions of TANF recipients. The coalition argues the policy illegally shares sensitive personal data, including Social Security numbers and immigration status, with other federal agencies and private organizations, violating the Administrative Procedure Act and the Spending Clause. The lawsuit seeks to declare the policy illegal and block it from taking effect.