Attorney General Jay Jones joined a coalition of 26 states to sue the Trump administration over unlawful conditions attached to counterterrorism and emergency funding. The conditions would require states to share voter data with DHS and assist in immigration enforcement, which the coalition argues violates the Administrative Procedure Act and the Spending Clause.
The coalition seeks to enjoin DHS and FEMA from imposing the challenged conditions on federal grant programs, including voter data sharing and immigration enforcement requirements.
In-house legal teams should review all federal grant agreements and contracts with DHS and FEMA for any conditions that require data sharing, particularly voter data or cooperation with immigration enforcement. They should also examine data sharing agreements with third parties to ensure compliance with state laws regarding voter privacy and election integrity. Additionally, contracts with election system vendors should be checked for any obligations to comply with federal audit or verification requirements that may conflict with state law.
Entity
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Industry
OtherOfficial Press Release
https://www.oag.state.va.us/media-center/news-releases/3086-attorney-general-jones-files-lawsuit-against-trump-administrations-unlawful-conditions-for-counterterrorism-and-emergency-funding
Virginia Attorney General Enforcement Page
https://www.oag.state.va.us/consumer-protection/
"Trump administration"
"requires states to transmit lists of all registered voters to The Department of Homeland Security"
"Administrative Procedure Act"
"U.S. Constitution’s Spending Clause"
Other enforcement action: Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield, joined by 18 other states, sued the Trump Administration over its unlawful $100,000 fee for H-1B visa petitions. The lawsuit alleges that the policy violates the Administrative Procedure Act by exceeding congressional authority and bypassing required rulemaking procedures, harming educational institutions and employers.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta co-led a coalition of 18 attorneys general in submitting a comment letter opposing the Department of Homeland Security's expansion of the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) program to include U.S.-born citizens. The coalition argues the expansion violates the Privacy Act of 1974, creates a massive surveillance database, increases data breach risks, and will lead to inaccurate verifications and denial of benefits.
Attorney General Jay Jones announced the creation of the Regulated Products Enforcement Unit to centralize civil enforcement for liquid nicotine products, THC and hemp-derived products, kratom, and related intoxicants. The unit will oversee compliance, directory administration, and public education. It will coordinate with Virginia ABC and other agencies to take legal action against violators.
$18.0M
Virginia Attorney General Jay Jones joined a coalition of 42 state attorneys general in a multistate settlement with 23andMe over a 2023 data breach that exposed the genetic data of approximately 6.9 million customers. The settlement requires 23andMe to pay $18 million to the states and $46.75 million to affected consumers, resolving allegations of inadequate security practices and delayed breach notification.
Virginia Attorney General Jay Jones joined a bipartisan coalition of 13 attorneys general alleging that Nexstar and Tegna are violating a court's hold-separate order by allowing Nexstar personnel to remain on Tegna's Board of Directors during the merger litigation. The coalition seeks clarification of the order to ensure the companies operate independently while the antitrust case proceeds.
$663K
Attorney General Jay Jones joined 42 attorneys general in a multistate settlement with 23andMe's bankruptcy trustee over a 2023 data breach that compromised genetic data of nearly 7 million customers. The settlement includes $150 million in allowed claims, with immediate recovery of $18 million from bankruptcy funds, of which Virginia receives $662,649. The settlement also requires enhanced data security measures and consumer protections for the new entity, 23andMe Research Institute.