Troutman Pepper State Attorneys General Monitor — December 12, 2024

State attorneys general increasingly impact businesses in all industries. Our nationally recognized state AG team has been trusted by clients for 20 years to navigate their most complicated state AG investigations and enforcement actions.

State Attorneys General Monitor analyzes regulatory actions by state AGs and other state administrative agencies throughout the nation. Contributors to this newsletter and related blog include attorneys experienced in regulatory enforcement, litigation, and compliance.

Contact our State AG Team at StateAG@troutman.com.

Podcast Updates

The 12 Days of Regulatory Insights

We are excited to share our special holiday series, “The 12 Days of Regulatory Insights,” as part of our Regulatory Oversight podcast. This 12-part series covers a variety of critical regulatory topics, offering concise and insightful discussions from members of our Regulatory Investigations, Strategy + Enforcement practice group and State Attorneys General team. We feature guest commentary from several esteemed colleagues across various areas of the firms, as well as attorneys from Locke Lord.

Latest episodes:

• 12 Days of Regulatory Insights: Day 1 – The Impact of the 2024 State AG Elections

• 12 Days of Regulatory Insights: Day 2 – AI Under Scrutiny

• 12 Days of Regulatory Insights: Day 3 – State AG Oversight in the Health Care Industry

• 12 Days of Regulatory Insights: Day 4 – A Focus on the FCA

• 12 Days of Regulatory Insights: Day 5 – Cannabis Chronicles

State AG Updates

New Jersey’s Updated Sports Betting Policy for Combative Sports

By Troutman Pepper State Attorneys General Team

Recently, Attorney General (AG) Matthew J. Platkin announced, in a joint press release with the New Jersey State Athletic Control Board (SACB), the adoption of a new sports betting policy related to combative sports. The policy aims to eliminate certain betting practices perceived as unethical and reinforce public trust in combative sports such as boxing, wrestling, and other related events. More than half of the states in the U.S. offer some form of legal sports betting. The proliferation of sports betting laws followed a 2018 Supreme Court decision striking down the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA), which imposed a federal ban on sports betting. The Supreme Court’s landmark ruling allowed states legalize sports betting within their borders if they so desired. New Jersey was one of the first states to adopt its own comprehensive sports wagering law after the 2018 decision. The new policy follows recent concerns over the integrity of high-profile combative sports events. Most recently, the global phenomenon of Jake Paul’s defeat of Mike Tyson in an adjusted-rules boxing match raised questions about the fight’s integrity. Amid these concerns, Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions issued a statement refuting claims of match rigging, and asserting that the bout was a professional match sanctioned by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulations (TDLR).

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Movie Theater Data Breach Leads to Settlement and Class Action Lawsuits

By Troutman Pepper State Attorneys General Team, Karla Ballesteros, and Nick Gouverneur*

New York Attorney General (AG) Letitia James and global movie theater operator National Amusements, Inc. (National) settled a lawsuit stemming from a 2022 data breach reported by National, which affected 82,128 National employees. As part of its settlement, National agreed to pay $250,000 in penalties to the state and to “improve existing cybersecurity infrastructure to prevent future data breaches.”

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Connecticut AG Reaches $2M Settlement With Pike Fuels Over Environmental Protection Claims

By Troutman Pepper State Attorneys General Team

Connecticut Attorney General (AG) William Tong announced a $2 million settlement with Pike Fuels to resolve allegations that the company violated Connecticut environmental protection laws by, among other things, falsifying monthly leak inspection records for a New Haven petroleum distribution facility.

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Colorado Hemp Company Settles With AG Over Alleged Violations of Consumer Protection Law

By Jean Smith-Gonnell, Nick Ramos and Troutman Pepper State Attorneys General Team

The Colorado Attorney General’s (AG) Office recently entered into a settlement agreement with Bee’s Knees Enterprises, LLC, dba Bee’s Knees CBDs, addressing allegations of violations of the Colorado Consumer Protection Act (CCPA). The CCPA generally prohibits deceptive trade practices, including false representations or advertising, and allows for public or private enforcement and civil penalties. The settlement agreement resolves claims against Bee’s Knees without admitting liability.

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AG Of the Week

Andrew Bailey, Missouri

Andrew Bailey was sworn in as the 44th AG of the state of Missouri on January 3, 2023. Bailey is a combat veteran, father of four, prosecutor, and constitutional conservative.

Bailey attended the University of Missouri on an Army scholarship. Following the September 11 terrorist attacks on the U.S., Bailey was commissioned as an officer in the Army and took an oath to defend the Constitution. He volunteered for combat duty and did two tours in Iraq as an armored cavalry officer. For his service, Bailey was awarded two Army Achievement Medals, an Army Commendation Medal, a Combat Action Badge, and two Bronze Star Medals.

Bailey then returned to his alma mater to attend law school and began his legal career at the Missouri AG’s office as an assistant AG. He later served as an assistant prosecuting attorney for the Warren County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office and as general counsel for the Missouri Department of Corrections. In 2019, Bailey joined the Missouri governor’s office, serving first as deputy counsel and then general counsel.

Upcoming AG Events

• January: RAGA | Winter National Meeting | Austin, TX

• February: DAGA | Los Angeles Policy Conference | Los Angeles, CA

• February: RAGA | Victory Fund Ski Retreat | Big Sky, MT

For more on upcoming AG Events, click here.

* Nick Gouverneur is not licensed to practice law in any jurisdiction.

Our Cannabis Practice provides advice on issues related to applicable federal and state law. Marijuana remains an illegal controlled substance under federal law.