Latest news with #BrianL.Schwalb
Yahoo
18-04-2025
- Yahoo
DC AG suing landlord over poor living conditions: 'Mountains of trash,' bedbugs, drugs, guns
WASHINGTON - Dozens of tenants in D.C. have been forced to leave their homes after the city deemed their building unsafe and unlivable. Now, there's a lawsuit from the Attorney General's office against the landlord. What we know The landlord of 5128 and 5134 Sheriff Road in Northeast D.C. is facing a lawsuit from D.C. Attorney General Brian L. Schwalb. The lawsuit details poor living conditions, including "mountains of trash," rodent and bedbug infestations, mold, and more. "Landlords and property managers have a legal obligation to provide a safe and sanitary living environment for their residents. Tenants at Sheriff Road have been forced to endure horrific, dangerous conditions for far too long, and such blatant disregard for District residents' health and safety stops today," said Schwalb in a statement. "My office will continue to use our independent authority to stand up for tenants and ensure that all Washingtonians have a safe place to call home." OAG filed its lawsuit against Mikhail Phillips, 711 49th Street LLC, RLP Investment Group LLC and Vision Realty Management LLC. The OAG's office say they collectively own or manage two multifamily buildings with 25 total units located in Ward 7. The OAG's office also alleges at least seven people were found murdered or dead at the two properties since 2023. The tenants in one of the buildings were required to evacuate Thursday — temporarily — until the building is deemed safe. What they're saying "For a very long time, they've been reaching out to the property owner … but they've gotten no responses. That stops today. This lawsuit is about restitution for the tenants and getting conditions fixed so we can have safe, habitable housing for the tenants," said Zenia Wilson Laws, Special Counsel for Nuisance Abatement. "This is the second year that I have been living with terrible, dangerous conditions including a massive roach infestation—my stove doesn't work and mold has accumulated around the door frames of the kitchen," said tenant Karen Glover in a statement. "I have been living without hot water because of a massive water leak that destroyed my heating tank." The Source This story includes information from the Office of the Attorney General as well as reporting from FOX 5's Shirin Rajaee.
Yahoo
21-02-2025
- Yahoo
DC sues 3 Maryland drivers for $90K in unpaid traffic fines: Attorney General
The Brief DC sues three Maryland men for over $90,000 in unpaid traffic fines. New amendment allows DC to sue out-of-state drivers with numerous violations. Attorney General emphasizes enforcement to protect Washingtonians' lives. WASHINGTON - The District has announced lawsuits against three Maryland men for failing to pay over $90,000 in fines for dangerous driving violations, according to the Office of the Attorney General. Attorney General Brian L. Schwalb stated that the lawsuits were filed against: Andre E. Bowman, who owes the District $36,986 for 135 traffic infractions, including 94 for speeding. READ MORE Earl D. Curtis, who owes the District $27,882 for 115 traffic infractions, including 52 for speeding. READ MORE Leon L. Carter, who owes the District $30,666 for 84 traffic infractions, including 80 for speeding. READ MORE Schwalb noted that these lawsuits are the first filed by the OAG under the new STEER Act, an amendment that allows actions to be taken against dangerous drivers with large numbers of unpaid tickets for speeding, reckless driving, and other traffic violations. The STEER Act enables the Attorney General's Office to sue drivers who break traffic laws in the District, even if they reside outside of D.C. "Like the three defendants we've sued today, many of the drivers wreaking havoc on our streets come from outside D.C. and have snubbed their noses at our traffic laws," Attorney General Schwalb said in a press release. "I'm grateful to Councilmember Allen for leading the passage of the STEER Act, which gives my office new authority to hold dangerous scofflaw drivers accountable, wherever they live. As D.C.'s independent Attorney General, I plan to enforce this new law aggressively, making clear that there are consequences for any driver that puts Washingtonians' lives at risk." Schwalb added that 52 people lost their lives in traffic crashes last year in the District. The Source DC Office of the Attorney General (OAG) and FOX 5 DC
Yahoo
07-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
OAG: Amazon to pay $3.95M to DC in settlement over misleading customers about tips
WASHINGTON () — Amazon settled a lawsuit with the Office of the Attorney General (OAG), which alleged it misled customers in the District by assuring them that 100% of tips would go to Amazon Flex delivery drivers. Rather, much of the tips were diverted to reduce Amazon's labor costs and increase profits, Attorney General Brian L. Schwalb announced Friday. As part of the $3.95 million settlement, Amazon is required to pay financial penalties, cover the cost of the OAG's litigation and change its business practices to disclose how exactly tips are being used. Amazon drivers have already been reimbursed for the wages they were denied as part of a previous restitution-only settlement with the Federal Trade Commission, the OAG noted in a . DC Attorney sues Amazon, claims residents were excluded from Prime delivery benefits despite paying for it Amazon Flex was launched in 2015, offering fast delivery of Amazon products. During the checkout process, Amazon encouraged customers to tip their delivery drivers, offering a default tip amount and claiming 100% of tips would go to the drivers. In 2016, the OAG said Amazon changed its payment model so that a large portion of tips did not go to increasing drivers' compensation, but instead were used to cover a portion of the base wages Amazon had promised to pay them. It continued to do so until August 2019, according to the . Amazon hid this change and continued assuring customers that all tips went to the drivers, the OAG added. In 2022, the OAG filed suit, alleging Amazong violated D.C.'s consumer protection laws by falsely leading customers to believe their tips were increasing workers' pay by the amount they tip. Restaurant workers rally in DC, alleging workplace harassment, mistreatment Though Amazon already compensated its drivers as part of its previous settlement, 'it is not enough for a company to repay stolen funds—significant fines are necessary to disincentivize unlawful behavior,' the OAG wrote. Under the terms of the settlement, Amazon was ordered to pay $3.95 million to the District, including $2.45 million in penalties and $1.5 million in costs. It was also ordered to maintain transparent tipping practices. To report unfair business practices, scams or fraud you can: Submit a consumer complaint Call the OAG Consumer hotline at (202) 442-9828 Email Workers who believe their rights have been violated or have experienced wage theft or other wage and hour violations can contact the OAG at (202) 724-7730 or email workers@ or trabajadores@ Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Associated Press
07-02-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Amazon to pay nearly $4M to settle lawsuit alleging it took tips from drivers
Amazon has agreed to pay nearly $4 million to settle charges that the e-commerce company subsidized its labor costs by taking tips its delivery drivers received from customers, District of Columbia Attorney General Brian L. Schwalb said Friday. The settlement came four years after Amazon forked over $61.7 million to resolve a complaint the Federal Trade Commission brought over similar accusations. In 2022, the office of DC's attorney general at the time followed up with a lawsuit alleging Amazon violated the District's consumer protection laws by misleading residents about how tips paid digitally were used. According to the lawsuit, the affected drivers were part of Amazon's Flex business, which allows people to deliver Amazon packages with their own cars. DC's lawsuit said that after launching the program in 2015, the company represented to consumers that all tips added during check-out for Amazon Flex orders would go to drivers. But both the District and the FTC alleged that Amazon changed its payment model in late 2016 to lower its costs but did not disclose the switch to either customers or drivers. In particular, the FTC's previous complaint alleged the company algorithmically reduced its own wages for drivers in different locations using data it collected about average tips in a specific area. Amazon then used the tips to make up the difference between its new base pay and the $18-25 per hour it had promised drivers, the complaint said. The FTC said Amazon didn't stop taking the tips until 2019, when the company found out about the agency's investigation into the issue. Amazon has denied the allegations and did not admit to wrongdoing as part of the settlement announced Friday. 'Like any successful program, Amazon Flex has evolved over time, and this lawsuit relates to a practice we changed more than five years ago,' Amazon spokesperson Steve Kelly said in a statement.
CBC
05-02-2025
- Sport
- CBC
Settlement creates $5M US fund for NWSL players abused by coaches, officials
The U.S. National Women's Soccer League will establish a $5-million US fund for players as part of a settlement that stemmed from allegations of emotional and sexual misconduct that rocked the league in 2021. Attorneys general from Washington, D.C., Illinois and New York announced the settlement with the league on Wednesday. The funds will go to players who experienced abuse. The settlement also requires the league to maintain safeguards put into place following a pair of investigations released in late 2022 that found widespread misconduct that impacted multiple teams, coaches and players. It also gives the attorneys general, Brian L. Schwalb of Washington, D.C., Letitia James of New York and Kwame Raoul of Illinois, the ability to oversee changes that the NWSL made after the scandal broke, and the ability to fine the league if it fails to uphold those changes. "Today's settlement is only possible because of the players who courageously stepped forward to tell their stories and expose the league's systemic failures. While NWSL has made critical improvements, the victims never received any compensation for the sexual and emotional abuse they endured on the league's watch," Schwalb said in a statement Wednesday. "No dollar amount could ever fully address the damage that was inflicted, but now my office, together with New York and Illinois, will have oversight authority to ensure that the league's new safety policies are implemented and that current and future players are protected." A pair of former players, Sinead Farrelly and Mana Shim, came forward in 2021 and accused longtime NWSL head coach Paul Riley of sexual harassment and coercion. Riley, who has denied the allegations, was fired by the North Carolina Courage in the aftermath. He was among five head coaches in the league who were either fired or resigned in 2021 amid claims of misconduct. The NWSL commissioner at the time also resigned. Safeguards in collective agreement Both the NWSL and U.S. Soccer launched investigations into the allegations. The U.S. Soccer report was led by former acting U.S. Attorney General Sally Q. Yates, who found emotional abuse and sexual misconduct were "systemic" in the sport. Following the investigation, the NWSL implemented changes to protect players. The NWSL Players Association also negotiated safeguards in the league's collective bargaining agreement. "This investigation was initiated by the NWSLPA because players refused to stay silent in the face of systemic abuse. The human rights and civil rights violations they endured were enabled by a system that failed in its most basic duty: to protect its players," said Meghann Burke, NWSLPA executive director. "This settlement not only acknowledges those failures but, for the first time, establishes enforcement mechanisms under the law to hold NWSL accountable and to prevent future harm." Among the safeguards that are mandated to continue include comprehensive vetting of certain team personnel, mechanisms for players to report abuse, player access to free and unlimited counselling, access to a league safety officer and policies that prevent teams from investigating themselves. "We have worked collaboratively with the NWSLPA and the attorneys general to add greater strength to the programmatic changes we adopted in 2023 in light of the joint investigative reports, and we look forward to supporting the administrator in distributing the Players' Restitution Fund," current NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman said in a statement. "We will continue to do the work necessary to maintain the trust of our players." The NWSL played its inaugural season in 2013. The professional women's league now has 14 teams, with two more joining in 2026. "This settlement sends a clear message that such misconduct will not be tolerated and ensures players receive the compensation and protections they deserve," James said in a statement. "Every athlete should be able to compete in a safe, supportive environment, and I thank the brave individuals who came forward to share their experiences."
