Read the California DOJ Weekly Newsletter

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President Trump is jeopardizing the academic success of an entire generation of American children.

The U.S. Department of Education abruptly and unlawfully blocked access to over $200 million in education funds for California. Funds that are meant to bridge the learning loss created by the pandemic, and support after school and summer initiatives, mental health services, and the purchase of educational technology.

Clawing back these education funds is illegal.

By pulling Congressionally-authorized funding that was already approved and awarded to our state, Trump and Education Secretary Linda McMahon are breaking the law, overstepping their bounds, and throwing our schools into turmoil. Yet again, Trump is acting as if he’s above the law: he isn’t. This week, I filed my 13^th lawsuit against the president to ensure our kids get all of the educational opportunities they deserve.

As Attorney General and a father of three, I refuse to allow Trump to use our children’s future as a pawn in his political games.

In service, 

Rob

Fighting for Our Kids' Education

With each step President Trump takes to dismantle the Education Department, he is throwing our schools into turmoil and jeopardizing the academic success of our children. This week, I sued the Trump Administration for blocking California's access to over $200 million in previously awarded education funding. Rescinding access to this funding is arbitrary and capricious in violation of the Administrative Procedures Act, exceeds the Education Department’s statutory and regulatory authority under the law, and will cause immediate and devastating harm to school districts in California and across the nation. Once again, my office is taking the President to court to help ensure our kids get the educational opportunities they deserve.

Announcing Grand Jury Indictments in Unlicensed Tobacco Scheme

Also this week, I announced the grand jury indictment of five suspects for selling tobacco without a license and committing tax fraud that cost the state of California over $24 million in lost tax revenue. Schemes that defraud the government of millions in taxpayer money will not be tolerated. On March 14, 2025, the Sacramento County criminal grand jury indicted the five suspects with 118 counts of conspiracy, selling tobacco as an unlicensed distributor, filing false tax returns, money laundering, and a white-collar enhancement. Let this serve as a reminder: If you break the law and engage in fraud and theft, my office will hold you accountable.

Securing Hundreds of Millions of Dollars to Combat Opioid Crisis

My office continues to hold pharmaceutical companies accountable for their role in fueling the opioid crisis. This week, I announced a multistate settlement in principle with pharmaceutical company Mylan Inc. that will deliver up to $335 million nationwide to help combat the opioid crisis. For years, Mylan is alleged to have deceptively promoted its products as less prone to abuse, despite knowing that many of its opioid products — particularly its fentanyl patches — were actually more vulnerable to abuse. The company also fueled the opioid crisis by marketing directly to doctors, leading to dangerous overprescribing and diversion of its opioids into the illegal drug market. The opioid crisis does not distinguish between Democrats or Republicans, and I’m proud to have worked on this with a bipartisan coalition of attorneys general.

Pushing Back on the Trump Administration's Unlawful Actions

President Trump continues to violate the law, and my office continues to take action to hold him accountable. In addition to filing our 13th lawsuit against the Trump Administration this week, my office filed five amicus briefs in support of challenges to the Trump Administration's unlawful actions. This includes two briefs in support of WilmerHale and Jenner & Block in their lawsuits challenging President Trump's retaliatory executive orders, which target law firms that represent clients or positions he disagrees with. It also includes a brief challenging the Trump Administration's executive orders allowing for the ideologically-motivated revocation of visas for students and faculty and two briefs challenging the unlawful removal of Gwynne Wilcox from the National Labor Relations Board and removal of Cathy Harris from the Merit Systems Protection Board. 

Making Your Life Affordable

From groceries to gas, costs seem to be rising and rising ... and rising. California DOJ has your back and is committed to protecting California families grappling with the high cost of living. In this segment, find some of the ways California DOJ is protecting Californians — and their wallets.

Case Studies: Settlements with Liberty Tax and Intuit (TurboTax)

What We Did: In the last few years, California DOJ has secured settlements with tax preparation providers for deceiving and misleading consumers into thinking their services were free, when they were not. 

What This Means to You: Californians should be able to file taxes safely and businesses should clearly state when a service is free and when it comes at a price. In going after deceptive practices in the tax industry, my office sent a loud and clear message: We are watching and are prepared to go to the mat for California consumers. In 2023, as a result of our settlement with TurboTax, 400,000 Californians — consumers who were eligible for a free tax filing program and were instead deceived into paying to file their federal tax return — received approximately $12.2 million back in settlement checks. 

Don’t forget! You may be eligible for free or low-cost tax filing options, like IRS DirectFile — learn more here! You may also qualify for up to $3,644 cash back or a reduction of the tax you owe under the Earned Income Tax Credit and the California Earned Income Tax Credit programs.

Keeping You Safe: Taking Illegal Guns Off the Streets

This week, my office announced the arrest and charges filed against two convicted felons who were in possession of a significant cache of firearms, including an assault rifle, 13 pistols, two ghost guns, nine rifles, five short-barreled rifles, approximately 160 large-capacity ammunition magazines, and over 20,000 rounds of ammunition, in addition to hundreds of gun parts, manufacturing tools, and manuals. Both subjects are prohibited from owning firearms due to numerous previous felony convictions. As California’s chief law enforcement officer, protecting public safety and our communities from the threat of gun violence is a top priority.

Post of the Week

FLASH BRIEFING

Attorney General Bonta Issues Statement on Trump Administration Tariff Flip-Flop

Attorney General Bonta Puts Nine Companies on Notice for Transmitting Illegal Robocall Traffic

Attorney General Bonta: Orange County Superior Court Wrong Again in Huntington Beach Voter ID Case, State Looks Forward to Appealing Decision

Attorney General Bonta to the U.S. House of Representatives: Protect American Consumers from Predatory Overdraft Fees

Video of the Week

As California’s Chief Law Enforcement Officer, I’m here to make sure our state remains the best place to live, work, raise a family, and run a business.
 
That’s why I’ll continue to marshal the resources, expertise, and intelligence of California DOJ to stop these fraudulent schemes.

NEWS FLASH

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