Lawsuits & Settlements

OAKLAND – California Attorney General Rob Bonta today co-led a coalition of 17 attorneys general in submitting an amicus brief in San Francisco AIDS Foundation, et al. v. Trump, et al., opposing the Trump Administration’s executive orders targeting programs that promote diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA). These orders declare programs promoting DEIA to be illegal and discriminatory, and require executive agencies to certify that all their contracts and grants do not promote DEIA. In the brief, Attorney General Bonta and the other attorneys general support a coalition of LGBTQ, healthcare, and community advocacy groups (“the plaintiffs”) in their lawsuit challenging the executive orders as unlawful. The coalition urges the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit to uphold the preliminary injunction granted by a district court blocking the executive orders’ restrictions. 

“Trump’s continued attacks on programs that promote diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility threatens to rip crucial support structures from under the feet of transgender individuals and other vulnerable populations,” said Attorney General Bonta. “My fellow attorneys general and I will continue to oppose these attempts to undermine data-backed programs that provide social and economic benefits and help people of all backgrounds and identities grow and prosper.” 

In January 2025, the Trump Administration issued two executive orders targeting DEIA and “equity-related grants or contracts.” While the anti-DEIA executive orders did not define these or other key terms, they directed: (1) executive agencies to terminate equity-related grants or contracts; (2) agencies to require contractors and grantees to certify that they do not run DEIA programs that, in the Administration’s view, violate federal anti-discrimination laws; and (3) the U.S. Attorney General to take steps to discourage private-sector use of DEIA, including deterring such initiatives and promoting compliance investigations. 

The plaintiffs filed a lawsuit challenging these executive orders, alleging the orders unlawfully burden organizations providing critical services to LGBTQ communities and especially harm community-based services for transgender individuals. In June 2025, the United States District Court for the Northern District of California issued a preliminary injunction, concluding that the plaintiffs were likely to succeed on the merits of their claims that the executive orders’ “Equity Termination Provision” was unconstitutionally vague in violation of the Fifth Amendment; the orders’ Gender Termination Provision and Gender Promotion Provision discriminated on the basis of transgender status in violation of the Fifth Amendment; and that all three provisions abridged the plaintiffs’ freedom of expression in violation of the First Amendment. The Trump Administration appealed this decision to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. 

In an amicus brief filed today in the Ninth Circuit, Attorney General Bonta and the coalition argue:

• Practices that promote DEIA are permitted and often even required under federal civil rights and anti-discrimination laws. Even when not required by law, research indicates that DEIA-related policies and practices lead to benefits such as economic growth and better educational outcomes, rather than creating the purported “disastrous consequences” asserted by the executive orders.
• The executive orders lack clarity around the proposed certification requirements, creating confusion and compliance burdens that harm states, individuals, and businesses alike. The executive orders do not provide clear definitions of key terms like “DEIA,” “diversity,” “equity,” “inclusion,” or “accessibility,” nor do they explain what aspects of such terms now constitute violations of federal law. States and private agencies are unable to anticipate what funding streams might be cancelled or why. Such agencies face termination notices for grants such as those addressing teacher shortages, workplace harassment, and gender-based violence, with no clear explanation of what actions the agencies can take to avoid terminations. This opaqueness creates a chilling effect for state and private entities, who must choose between broadly halting programs and services that their communities rely on or risk facing litigation or loss of crucial federal funding. 
• The executive orders’ Gender Termination and Gender Promotion Provisions discriminate against transgender populations by directing agencies to terminate grants that serve or even acknowledge transgender people. 

Attorney General Bonta co-led today’s amicus effort with the attorneys general of Illinois and Massachusetts. They are joined by the attorneys general of Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawai’i, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington. 

A copy of the brief can be found here.

El Departamento de Justicia de California se prepara para tomar medidas contra quienes explotan a los inquilinos de California 

LOS ANGELES — El fiscal general de California, Rob Bonta, ha celebrado hoy una rueda de prensa en Los Angeles para pedir a los inquilinos de California que hayan sufrido daños por parte de sus propietarios que den a conocer sus experiencias. El pasado mes de junio, el fiscal general Bonta demandó a Mike Nijjar, uno de los mayores propietarios de California, y al grupo de empresas inmobiliarias y de gestión de propiedades de su familia, por infringir las leyes de California que protegen a los inquilinos. El Departamento de Justicia de California (California DOJ) desea conocer las historias de los californianos que han sido perjudicados por las empresas del Sr. Nijjar, o por cualquier otro propietario. Aunque California DOJ no representa a particulares, su historia puede ayudarnos a investigar o a emprender otras acciones legales para proteger a los californianos. Las personas que deseen compartir sus historias pueden hacerlo enviando un informe a oag.ca.gov/reportar. Existe la opción de presentar su informe en español.

"Los inquilinos de California tienen derecho a vivir en una casa o apartamento seguro, independientemente del idioma que hablen, su estatus migratorio o su nivel de ingresos. Como fiscal general, mi trabajo consiste en exigir responsabilidades a los propietarios que violan las leyes de protección de los inquilinos, que garantizan su seguridad y su vivienda", afirmó el fiscal general Bonta. "Este verano, mi oficina presentó una demanda en la que se alegaba que el propietario Mike Nijjar y sus empresas explotaban a familias vulnerables sometiendo a los inquilinos a condiciones de vivienda inseguras, como plagas de cucarachas y roedores, goteras en los techos y desbordamientos de alcantarillado, todo ello mientras engañaban a los inquilinos sobre sus derechos a demandar al propietario y exigir reparaciones. Si usted o su familia han sufrido condiciones como estas, quiero saberlo. Póngase en contacto con mi oficina presentando una denuncia en oag.ca.gov/report. Aunque mi oficina no puede representar a inquilinos individuales, sus historias nos ayudan en nuestro proceso judicial contra los propietarios que explotan a los inquilinos de California".

El Sr. Nijjar y sus empresas poseen y gestionan más de 22,000 viviendas de alquiler en todo el estado, principalmente en vecindarios de bajos ingresos y de habla hispana. Las empresas gestoras, anteriormente denominadas PAMA Management e IE Rental Homes, ahora se denominan: 

• Legacy Management (en el condado de Los Angeles y el Inland Empire)
• Regency Management (en el área metropolitana de Los Angeles y el valle de San Gabriel)
• Bridge Management (en el valle de Antelope y el condado de San Bernardino)
• Hightower Management (en la ciudad de San Bernardino y sus alrededores)
• Pro Management (en los condados de San Bernardino y Riverside)
• Equity Management (en Bakersfield, Stockton, Sacramento, Fresno y sus alrededores)
• Mobile Management (en todo el estado)

La demanda del fiscal general Bonta contra el Sr. Nijjar y sus empresas alega que estas empresas someten a los inquilinos a condiciones insalubres e inseguras, lo que supone una violación de la ley de protección de los inquilinos. La demanda alega que las empresas de Nijjar:

• No proporcionan a los inquilinos traducciones al español de sus contratos de alquiler y otros documentos importantes, tal y como exige la ley estatal, incluso cuando llevan a cabo el proceso de alquiler en español.
• Discriminan las solicitudes con vales de la Sección 8 negándose a alquilarles.
• Incluyen cláusulas engañosas en sus contratos de alquiler.
• Aumentaron ilegalmente el alquiler a muchos inquilinos. 

El objetivo principal de la demanda contra el Sr. Nijjar y sus empresas es garantizar que proporcionen condiciones de vida seguras a todos sus inquilinos y cumplan con la ley. California DOJ reconoce la importancia de preservar todas las opciones de vivienda existentes para los californianos con bajos ingresos y no pretende desalojar a los inquilinos de sus hogares ni obligar a la venta de los edificios a promotores inmobiliarios. La demanda busca las medidas correctivas adecuadas según la ley, incluida la indemnización a los inquilinos afectados y medidas cautelares que obliguen a los demandados a cumplir la ley y mejorar las condiciones de sus propiedades. 

Para presentar una queja y compartir su historia con California DOJ, visite oag.ca.gov/reportar. 

Para obtener más información sobre sus derechos como inquilino, visite aquí. 

Los californianos que se enfrentan a un desalojo o creen que su arrendador ha violado sus derechos como inquilinos deben buscar ayuda legal de inmediato. Si no puede pagar un abogado, podría calificar para asistencia legal gratuita o de bajo costo. Para encontrar una oficina de asistencia legal cerca de su domicilio, visite lawhelpca.org y haga clic en la pestaña "Buscar Ayuda Legal". Si no califica para asistencia legal y necesita ayuda para encontrar un abogado, visite la página web del Colegio de Abogados del Estado de California para encontrar un servicio local de referencia de abogados certificados, o visite la página web de los Tribunales de California para inquilinos que enfrentan desalojos.

Para usar gráficos en sus informes, consulte aquí para un mapa de algunas propiedades de Nijjar. Consulte aquí y aquí para una llamada a la acción en español e inglés, respectivamente.

California DOJ prepared to take action against those who exploit California tenants  

LOS ANGELES — California Attorney General Rob Bonta today held a press conference in Los Angeles to ask California tenants who have been harmed by their landlords to come forward with their experiences. This past June, Attorney General Bonta sued Mike Nijjar, one of California’s biggest landlords, and his family’s group of property management and real estate holding companies, for violating California laws that protect tenants. The California Department of Justice (California DOJ) would like to hear the stories of Californians who were harmed by Mr. Nijjar’s companies — or by any other landlord. While California DOJ does not represent individuals, your story may help us investigate or take other legal action to protect Californians. People who wish to share their stories can do so by submitting a report to oag.ca.gov/report. There is an option to make your report in Spanish to oag.ca.gov/reportar. 

“California tenants have the right to live in a safe house or apartment — no matter the language they speak or their immigration status or income level. As the People’s Attorney, it is my job to hold landlords accountable for violating tenant protection laws that keep tenants safe and housed,” said Attorney General Bonta. “This summer, my office filed a lawsuit alleging landlord Mike Nijjar and his companies exploited vulnerable families by subjecting tenants to unsafe housing conditions, including cockroach and rodent infestations, leaking roofs, and overflowing sewage, all while deceiving tenants about their rights to sue their landlord and demand repairs. If you or your family have experienced conditions like these, I want to know. Please reach out to my office by filing a report at oag.ca.gov/report. While my office cannot represent individual tenants, your stories help us in our prosecution of landlords who exploit California tenants.”

Mr. Nijjar and his companies own and manage over 22,000 rental housing units statewide, primarily in lower-income, Spanish-speaking neighborhoods. The management companies, formerly called PAMA Management and IE Rental Homes, go by the following names: 

• Legacy Management (in Los Angeles County and the Inland Empire)
• Regency Management (in metropolitan Los Angeles and the San Gabriel Valley)
• Bridge Management (in Antelope Valley and San Bernardino County)
• Hightower Management (in and near the City of San Bernardino)
• Pro Management (in San Bernardino and Riverside Counties)
• Equity Management (in and around Bakersfield, Stockton, Sacramento, and Fresno)
• Mobile Management (statewide) 

Attorney General Bonta’s lawsuit against Mr. Nijjar and his companies alleges that these companies subject tenants to unhealthy and unsafe conditions, in violation of tenant protection law. The lawsuit alleges that the Nijjar companies:

• Do not provide Spanish translations of their leases and other important documents to tenants, as required by state law, even when they conduct the leasing process in Spanish.
• Discriminate against applications with Section 8 vouchers by refusing to rent to them.
• Include deceptive lease terms in their leases.
• Unlawfully increased rent for many tenants.  

The main goal of the lawsuit against Mr. Nijjar and his companies is to ensure they provide safe living conditions for all their tenants and comply with the law. California DOJ recognizes it is important to preserve all existing housing options for lower-income Californians and is not seeking to remove tenants from their homes or force the sale of buildings to developers. The lawsuit seeks appropriate remedies under the law, including restitution to affected tenants and injunctive terms requiring the defendants to follow the law and improve conditions at their properties. 

To file a complaint and share your story with California DOJ, please visit oag.ca.gov/report.   

To learn more about your rights as a tenant, please visit here.   

Californians who are facing eviction or believe their landlord has violated their tenant rights should seek legal help immediately. If you cannot afford a lawyer, you may qualify for free or low-cost legal aid. To find a legal aid office near where you live, visit lawhelpca.org and click on the “Find Legal Help” tab. If you do not qualify for legal aid and need help finding a lawyer, visit the California State Bar webpage to find a local certified lawyer referral service, or visit the California Courts’ webpage for tenants facing evictions.

For graphics to use in your reporting, please see here for a map of some Nijjar properties. Please see here and here for a call to action in Spanish and English, respectively. 

Puede encontrar una copia de este comunicado de prensa en español aquí.

OAKLAND – California Attorney General Rob Bonta today co-led a coalition of 17 attorneys general in submitting an amicus brief opposing the Trump Administration’s executive orders targeting programs that promote diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA). These orders declare programs promoting DEIA to be illegal and discriminatory, and require executive agencies to certify that all their contracts and grants do not promote DEIA. In the brief, Attorney General Bonta and the coalition support nonprofit organization Chicago Women in Trades in its lawsuit challenging the orders as unlawful. The coalition urges the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit to uphold the preliminary injunction granted by a district court blocking the executive orders’ restrictions. 

“Supporting policies that promote diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility ensures all individuals can grow and thrive without unfair roadblocks, not just in California, but across the nation,” said Attorney General Bonta. “Trump’s continued attacks on these values not only threaten the data-backed economic and social benefits DEIA practices bring to communities, but also leverage federal funding to suppress state and private entities’ right to express their values. My fellow attorneys general and I will continue to support those standing up against Trump’s bully tactics and anti-American orders, and will fight to ensure safe and welcoming communities for all.” 

In January 2025, the Trump Administration issued two executive orders targeting DEIA and “equity-related grants or contracts.” While the anti-DEIA executive orders did not define these or other key terms, they directed: (1) executive agencies to terminate equity-related grants or contracts; (2) agencies to require contractors and grantees to certify that they do not run DEIA programs that, in the Administration’s view, violate federal anti-discrimination laws; and (3) the U.S. Attorney General to take steps to discourage private-sector use of DEIA, including deterring such initiatives and promoting compliance investigations.  

Chicago Women in Trades, an organization that addresses gender-based structural obstacles facing prospective trade workers, filed a lawsuit challenging these executive orders in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. The district court issued a preliminary injunction, concluding that the organization was likely to succeed on the merits of its claim that the executive orders’ certification requirement violates Chicago Women in Trades’ First Amendment rights. The Trump Administration appealed this decision to the U.S. District Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. 

In an amicus brief filed yesterday, Attorney General Bonta and the coalition argue that:

• Practices that promote DEIA are permitted and often even required under federal civil rights and anti-discrimination laws. Even when not required by law, research indicates that DEIA-related policies and practices lead to benefits such as economic growth and better educational outcomes, rather than creating the purported “disastrous consequences” asserted by the executive orders.
• The executive orders lack clarity around the proposed certification requirements, creating confusion and compliance burdens that harm states, individuals, and businesses alike. The executive orders do not provide clear definitions of key terms like “DEIA,” “diversity,” “equity,” “inclusion,” or “accessibility,” nor do they explain what aspects of such terms now constitute violations of federal law. This opaqueness creates a chilling effect for state and private entities, who must choose between broadly halting programs and services that their communities rely on or risk facing litigation or loss of crucial federal funding. 

Attorney General Bonta co-led the filing of today’s brief along with the attorneys general of Illinois and Massachusetts. They are joined by the attorneys general of Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington.

A copy of the brief can be found here.

Since the Attorney General’s Office opened a civil rights investigation in 2021, the Sheriff’s Department has made a number of reforms but remains obstinate on persistent civil rights violations at its jails.

LOS ANGELES – California Attorney General Rob Bonta today filed a lawsuit against the County of Los Angeles (County), Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD), and County Correctional Health Services (CHS) over unconstitutional and inhumane conditions at Los Angeles County jails. In 2021, the Attorney General’s Office launched an investigation into whether LASD had engaged in a pattern or practice of unconstitutional policing. Among other issues, the investigation revealed significant ongoing constitutional violations at Los Angeles County jails, including a significant increase in in-custody deaths, despite decreases in the jail population size; uninhabitable and overcrowded jail facilities with inadequate plumbing, sanitation, and temperature control, which has contributed to multiple deaths; and a failure to provide adequate medical and mental health care to people inside the jails. Following extensive engagement with the County and LASD, including Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna, during which they refused to agree to the comprehensive solutions necessary to improve conditions at all county jails, Attorney General Bonta today filed a lawsuit to compel much-needed reforms. 

“In recent years, my office has successfully negotiated settlements with law enforcement agencies across California to reform their practices, including most recently, an agreement with the neighboring city of Torrance,” said Attorney General Bonta. "While the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and Sheriff Luna have made a number of reforms to patrol operations during the course of our investigation, they have remained obstinate on the issue of improving the unsafe and unconstitutional conditions at county jails. We’re going to court because we have no other choice —  we will not let Los Angeles County continue to ignore its responsibility to the health, safety, and well-being of the individuals under its care. Los Angeles operates the largest jail system in the United States — and one of the most problematic. When we’re talking about feces smeared on the walls and medical care denied to those in need, we’re talking about a disrespect for the basic dignity of our fellow humans and a violation of their most fundamental constitutional rights. We’re confident the court will agree."

The Attorney General’s investigation found that Los Angeles County jails are uninhabitable and under-resourced. People incarcerated in the Los Angeles County jails, many of whom are awaiting trial, are forced to live in filthy cells with broken and overflowing toilets, infestations of rats and roaches, and no clean water for drinking or bathing. They are provided spoiled, moldy, and nutritionally inadequate meals; little to no access to hygiene supplies, such as soap, toilet paper, and menstrual products; little to no clean clothing and bedding; and almost no time outside their cells. Many individuals suffer physical or mental deterioration in these punitive conditions but are unable to access necessary medical or mental health care. The lack of access to care contributes to the shocking rate of preventable in-custody deaths, such as suicides. According to LASD’s own data over the last three years, the number of preventable deaths inside the jails has continued to climb under Sheriff Luna. The lack of access to medical and mental health care also leaves incarcerated persons woefully ill-equipped to re-enter society at large and hinders any meaningful rehabilitation of those serving sentences. 

The County and LASD have been aware of the unconstitutional and deplorable conditions in their jails for decades. Yet instead of addressing root causes or devoting resources to resolving violations of state and federal law that they themselves acknowledge, the County and LASD have continued to resist oversight and accountability, spending millions of dollars to defend and settle litigation about abuses in the jails over the years, without making the necessary changes to their operations and policies and stymying the work of independent oversight bodies to provide some level of transparency and accountability. While LASD has made a number of improvements to its policing practices — especially in patrols — over the course of many years and multiple consent decrees, the County and LASD have failed to implement agreed-upon reforms designed to address similar constitutional violations that persist in the jails.  

In today’s lawsuit, Attorney General Bonta seeks injunctive and declaratory relief that would require the County, LASD and Sheriff Luna, and CHS and its Director to implement overarching reforms in county jails including, but not limited to: (1) providing constitutionally adequate medical, dental, and mental healthcare to incarcerated persons; (2) protecting incarcerated persons from an unreasonable risk of harm; (3) providing habitable, humane, and safe conditions of confinement; (4) respecting the dignity and health of incarcerated persons; (5) ensuring health care requests are addressed promptly and fully; (6) providing reasonable accommodations and equal access to programs, services, and activities for incarcerated persons with disabilities; and (7) providing access to multilingual, interpretation, and translation services for incarcerated persons with limited English proficiency.

Attorney General Bonta is committed to strengthening accountability in local law enforcement as one key part of the broader effort to increase public safety for all Californians. Last month, Attorney General Bonta announced an enforceable agreement requiring Torrance Police Department (TPD) to engage in a comprehensive set of reforms — which TPD voluntarily entered into — to improve TPD’s organizational health and relationship with the community. In 2024, Attorney General Bonta announced the conclusion of DOJ oversight of the San Francisco Police Department (SFPD), after SFPD achieved substantial compliance with recommended reforms to its policing policies and practices. He secured a settlement agreement with the City of Vallejo and the Vallejo Police Department requiring reforms to the department’s policies and practices. Attorney General Bonta is also engaged in ongoing pattern or practice investigations into the Antioch Police Department stemming from allegations of bigoted text messages and other potentially discriminatory misconduct, the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department following allegations of excessive force, and the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office relating to conditions of confinement in jail facilities.

A copy of the lawsuit, filed today in the Los Angeles County Superior Court, is available here. 

Travel agent failed to offer refunds for trips cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic

OAKLAND — California Attorney General Rob Bonta and San Mateo District Attorney Stephen Wagstaffe today announced a settlement with Nawas International Travel Service (Nawas), a California travel agency focusing on religious travel, for failing to provide full refunds to consumers whose trips were cancelled during the COVID-19 pandemic. The settlement today, pending court approval, includes at least $567,138 in full restitution of cancellation fees to affected California travelers, $560,000 in civil penalties under the California’s Unfair Competition Law and Seller of Travel Act, and strong injunctive terms that prohibit Nawas from imposing cancellation fees that violate California law. 

“We are proud to announce that today, in partnership with the San Mateo District Attorney, we’ve secured full refunds for hundreds of Californians who were harmed by the illegal practices of Nawas International Travel Service. Travel agents operating in California must comply with California’s strong consumer protection laws, which includes providing timely refunds for cancelled travel,” said Attorney General Rob Bonta. “Today's settlement provides important restitution for those harmed by Nawas's attempt to disregard California law and a reminder to the travel industry that all California Sellers of Travel need to play by the rules."  

“California law provides protections for consumers when purchasing travel from Sellers of Travel. My office was pleased to work with the Attorney General’s Office in this case to ensure these laws were enforced,” said San Mateo District Attorney Stephen Wagstaffe. 

Nawas is a seller and provider of tours to religious sites around the world, including sites in the Middle East and Europe. Nawas markets its tours largely through clergy and many of Nawas’s travelers are senior citizens. In 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Nawas cancelled hundreds of international tours. After the cancellation, rather than refunding the full amount of the travelers’ deposits and tour payments, Nawas unlawfully withheld “cancellation fees” of between $200 and $1,150 per traveler. In all, Nawas withheld approximately $560,000 in what they termed cancellation fees from approximately 600 California travelers. Nawas’s withholding of those funds violated the California Seller of Travel Act, which requires sellers of travel to provide full refunds for any travel that they are unable to provide, with certain limited exceptions that do not apply here. Although Nawas claimed to travelers that it was allowed to withhold cancellation fees under its own terms and conditions, the Seller of Travel Act expressly prohibits this where, as here, the seller of travel is unable or unwilling to provide the purchased travel. 

The Attorney General’s Office operates the Seller of Travel Program, which registers travel agents and certain other travel businesses operating in California. The attorney general and district attorneys can bring enforcement actions against sellers of travel for violations of the law. We encourage any Californian who believes they have been wronged by a seller of travel to contact their local district attorney and file a complaint with our office at ‪www.oag.ca.gov/report.

Attorney General Bonta is committed to investigating and remedying harm to consumers affected by unlawful and deceptive business practices, including in the travel industry: 

Earlier this year, Attorney General Bonta announced securing a nine-year jail sentence against Iqbal Randhawa for defrauding more than a dozen members of the South Asian immigrant community in Northern California. Between 2017 and 2020, each victim hired Randhawa, a travel agent, to purchase airline tickets, paying him between $1,100 and $12,000. Instead of buying the tickets, Randhawa provided fraudulent itineraries and stole the funds. Also last year, Attorney General Bonta and San Diego District Attorney Summer Stephan announced the sentencing of Marie Martin, a San Diego-based travel agent and registered seller of travel, who embezzled travel funds from more than 150 parents who paid for eighth-grade school trips to the East Coast. After the school trips were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Martin refused to provide refunds to the parents, instead spending funds on personal expenses. In 2021, Attorney General Bonta announced a settlement  with Voyageurs International, resolving allegations that the Colorado-based travel agent offered only partial refunds for a cancelled European trip for California high school students and improperly pocketed their clients’ remaining fees. The settlement required Voyageurs to provide a full refund to its 130 California consumers, for a total of approximately $247,000 in restitution.  

A copy of the complaint and proposed settlement can be found here and here. The settlement is pending court approval. 

In 2024, NIH awarded $5.15 billion in grants and contracts that directly supported 55,324 jobs and $13.81 billion in economic activity in California

OAKLAND — California Attorney General Rob Bonta today co-led 16 attorneys general in filing a lawsuit against the Trump Administration, the Department of Health and Human Services, and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for failing to disperse grant funds and for unlawfully terminating existing grants for medical and public health research institutions across the country. Despite Congressional direction, the NIH has drastically reduced its funding to advance the United States' understanding of human disease and potential treatments. As a result, California universities have begun curtailing biomedical research and delaying the hiring of new staff and students who depend on NIH funding.

“In their unlawful withholding and terminating of medical and public health research grants, the Trump Administration is upending not only the critical work being done today, but the promise of progress for future generations,” said Attorney General Rob Bonta. “Through research, we save lives, improve public wellbeing and create new economic opportunities that support a vibrant economy. Let me be clear: in California, NIH funding creates over 50,000 jobs and billions of dollars in economic activity. Over the decades, this funding has brought humanity the eradication of polio, discovery of the gene that causes breast and ovarian cancer, and the transformation of HIV from a fatal disease into one people can live with. Gutting NIH funding is a deep loss to innovation and progress built upon for decades — and it’s illegal. My office is proudly leading the charge to demand that the Trump Administration immediately restore funding to the important work being done in labs, schools, and hospitals across the nation.”

"The American research enterprise is the most successful, important, and impactful in the world,” said UC President Michael V. Drake, M.D. “We must continue to do all we can to develop treatments and cures for the serious medical conditions that threaten us all."

“We applaud the attorney general for filing this lawsuit. NIH funding is vital to the CSU’s ability to offer immersive student learning and discovery through distinctive research programs that directly benefit the health of all Americans,” said Ganesh Raman, Assistant Vice Chancellor for Research at the California State University. “These grants not only support research, but they also provide stipend and other funding that impact hundreds of CSU students, staff and faculty who engage in meaningful, and career-defining work. Terminating these federal grants will cause irreparable harm, undermine scientific progress and our collective capacity to innovate and lead California’s economy.”

NIH is the federal agency responsible for biomedical and public health research. Over 80% of Congressional funding supports NIH research and training at external labs, schools, and hospitals. It is estimated that every $1 invested in NIH research generates $2.56 of economic activity.

Over the years, NIH-supported research has had a profound impact on the health and wellbeing of the American people. NIH scientists pioneered the rubella vaccine, eradicating a disease that, in the 1960s, killed thousands of babies and left thousands more with lifelong disabilities. NIH studies led to the discovery of the BRCA mutation, helping countless Americans reduce their risk of breast and ovarian cancer. NIH research fueled the development of treatments for HIV and AIDS, transforming what used to be a fatal disease into one with a nearly normal life expectancy.   

The termination of NIH funding for research interventions to prevent or treat the spread of diseases like HIV/AIDS, Covid and other virus families of pandemic concern — including emerging diseases such as Dengue, Chikungunya, and Zika — increases the risk of and incidence of these diseases in California. The terminations have specifically targeted some of the most vulnerable Californians, including women experiencing domestic violence, children at risk of suicide, and underserved communities at a higher risk of chronic or infectious diseases.

Yet the Trump Administration has frozen the highly competitive process for approving new NIH grants. The Administration has also terminated existing NIH grants without any reasonable explanations after those grants were funded based on their scientific merit and potential innovative impact and appears to have terminated grants based on the projects' perceived connection to "DEI,” "transgender issues,” "vaccine hesitancy," or other topics disfavored by the Trump Administration. Similarly, training grants directed to increase diversity in the research work force have been pulled from review. NIH claims that these grants “no longer effectuate agency priorities.” 

In today’s lawsuit, the attorneys general argue that the Trump Administration’s actions are arbitrary and capricious. The Trump Administration does not have the authority to unilaterally decline spending congressionally appropriated funds. 

In February, Attorney General Bonta filed a lawsuit against the Trump Administration’s unlawful attempt to cut “indirect cost” reimbursements at every research institution throughout the country. Indirect cost reimbursements refer to expenses that are necessary to support research but are not easily linked to a specific research project. 

In bringing today’s lawsuit Attorney General Bonta and the attorneys general of Massachusetts, Maryland, and Washington lead the attorneys general of Arizona, Colorado, Delaware, Hawaii, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, and Wisconsin. 

A copy of the complaint can be found here.

OAKLAND — California Attorney General Bonta today issued a statement on the U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island’s decision granting a temporary restraining order that immediately restores $11 billion in critical public health funding to state and local public health agencies across the country, including $972 million to California.

“Two days after filing our 9th lawsuit against the Trump Administration, we have secured a temporary order that restores public health funding and ensures communities nationwide are prepared for public health threats,” said Attorney General Bonta. “As our lawsuit continues, we remain steadfast in our commitment to ensure state and local health agencies have what they need to keep Americans healthy and safe.”

Beginning on March 24, 2025, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) abruptly, with no advance notice or warning, issued termination notices to state and local public health agencies across the country, purporting to end federal funding for grants that provide essential support for a wide range of urgent public health needs, including identifying, tracking, and addressing infectious diseases; ensuring access to immunizations; and modernizing critical public health infrastructure. The federal funding was appropriated by Congress to ensure the United States is better prepared for future public health threats.

On Tuesday, Attorney General Bonta announced co-leading a coalition of 23 states and the District of Columbia in filing a lawsuit against the Trump Administration’s HHS and HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. over the unlawful termination of public health funding. Today, the court responded by granting the requested temporary restraining order. 

The order temporarily restores essential public health funding and vital programs that serve millions of Californians, including children, rural communities, and nursing homes, including: 

• Over $800 million that the California Department of Public Health intended to use, in part, to vaccinate 4.5 million children statewide and assist hospitals in directing injured and ill patients to available health facilities during all types of emergencies, where efficient routing saves lives. 
• $119 million to the California Department of Health Care Services which supports key programs, including substance use disorder prevention and early intervention services for youth in at least 18 counties. 
• $45 million to the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health to use in part, to strengthen the County’s efforts to prevent the spread of measles, and seasonal and avian influenza. 

A copy of the order can be found here. 

In addition, DOJ has sent more than 700 price gouging warning letters to hotels and landlords

LOS ANGELES — California Attorney General Rob Bonta today announced the filing of charges against a Southern California real estate agent and a landlord for price gouging a victim who was evacuated due to the Eaton Fire. This investigation began when a complaint was filed with the California Department of Justice (DOJ) after the victim took steps to rent a Hermosa Beach home after the Governor’s Emergency Order, which protects against price gouging, went into effect. The investigation revealed that after the Emergency Order was in place, the defendants increased the rental price by 36%, which exceeded the 10% limit laid out in Penal Code section 396. The charge carries a potential penalty of a $10,000 maximum fine and the possibility of 12 months in jail. 

“The California Department of Justice remains focused on putting a stop to price gouging,” said Attorney General Bonta. “Following the devastating fires in Southern California, I have been urging the public to report price gouging to local authorities, or to my office at oag.ca.gov/report or by reaching out to our hotline at (800) 952-5225. Today, we’ve announced price gouging charges against both a real estate agent and a landlord for price gouging in the wake of the Eaton Fire. DOJ will continue relentlessly pursuing those who are trying to capitalize off of the chaos and pain of Southern California’s natural disaster.”  

As part of Attorney General Bonta's work to protect Californians following the Southern California wildfires, DOJ has also sent more than 700 warning letters – and counting – to hotels and landlords who have been accused of price gouging. In addition, the office has more active criminal investigations into price gouging underway.
 
Working alongside our District Attorneys, City Attorneys, and other law enforcement partners, DOJ has opened active investigations into price gouging as it continues to ramp up deployment of resources to Los Angeles County to investigate and prosecute price gouging, fraud, scams, and unsolicited low-ball offers on property during the state of emergency. DOJ has been working diligently to tackle this unlawful and unscrupulous conduct since a state of emergency was declared on January 7, 2025, and to further those efforts, the launch of a website dedicated to its response: oag.ca.gov/LAFires.
 
California law – specifically, Penal Code section 396 – generally prohibits charging a price that exceeds, by more than 10%, the price a seller charged for an item before a state or local declaration of emergency. For items a seller only began selling after an emergency declaration, the law generally prohibits charging a price that exceeds the seller's cost of the item by more than 50%. This law applies to those who sell food, emergency supplies, medical supplies, building materials, and gasoline. The law also applies to repair or reconstruction services, emergency cleanup services, transportation, freight and storage services, hotel accommodations, and long- and short-term rental housing. Exceptions to this prohibition exist if, for example, the price of labor, goods, or materials has increased for the business. 

Violators of the price gouging statute are subject to criminal prosecution that can result in a one-year imprisonment in county jail and/or a fine of up to $10,000. Violators are also subject to civil enforcement actions including civil penalties of up to $2,500 per violation, injunctive relief, and mandatory restitution. The Attorney General and local prosecutors can enforce the statute.

TIPS FOR REPORTING PRICE GOUGING, SCAMS, FRAUD AND OTHER CRIMES:

1. Visit oag.ca.gov/LAfires or call our hotline at: (800) 952-5225.
2. Include screenshots of all correspondence including conversations, text messages, direct messages (DMs), and voicemails
3. Provide anything that shows what prices you were offered, when, and by whom.
4. If you’re on a site like Zillow, you can also send screenshots of the price history and a link to the listing. 
5. Include first and last names of the realtors, listing agents, or business owners you spoke to. Be sure to include phone numbers, email addresses, home and business addresses, websites, social media accounts.
6. Don't leave out any information that can help us find and contact the business or landlord.

Californians who believe they have been the victim of price gouging should report it to their local authorities or to the Attorney General at oag.ca.gov/LAfires. To view a list of all price gouging restrictions currently in effect as a result of proclamations by the Governor, please see here.

A copy of the complaint can be found here. 

OAKLAND — California Attorney General Rob Bonta today, alongside the U.S. Department of Justice and a bipartisan coalition of 10 attorneys general, filed an amended complaint against RealPage and the nation’s largest property management companies for maintaining an unlawful pricing alignment scheme that artificially raised rents and increased rent revenue across the board. Today’s amended complaint names five of the previously unnamed property management companies as defendants — including Camden, Cushman & Wakefield/Pinnacle, LivCor, Willow Bridge and Greystar — and seeks claims under California’s Unfair Competition Law against all defendants. Last August, the Attorney General filed a lawsuit against RealPage, alleging that its unlawful pricing alignment scheme and illegal sharing of confidential pricing and supply information harmed consumers by decreasing competition among landlords, limiting price negotiation, and increasing prices in the rental housing industry. This price alignment scheme affected rental housing throughout the country including in California —especially in multifamily buildings in Southern California including in Orange County, Anaheim, Santa Ana, Irvine, Los Angeles, Long Beach, Glendale, Riverside, San Bernardino, Ontario, Corona, Rancho Cucamonga, Upland, Temecula, Murrieta, San Diego, Coronado, and Carlsbad.

“When it comes reducing the cost of living for Californians, the California Department of Justice is all in. Today’s amended complaint against RealPage and some of the largest property management companies in the country, alleges that the companies artificially inflated rent prices and illegally maintained a minimum pricing floor against market trends, and that not only RealPage, but the landlords that profited from this scheme must be held accountable,” said Attorney General Bonta. “If you are in the renting business you are responsible for knowing and abiding by California laws. The housing affordability crisis hurts renters and those with the lowest incomes the hardest; the profits from these illegal schemes come out of the pockets of the people that can least afford it. California is stronger when we protect tenants and a competitive economy."

RealPage is in the business of generating rent increases and growing revenue for landlords by using algorithmic models to recommend price increases to subscribers. It does so by amassing competitively sensitive data from competing landlords through its pricing algorithms and sharing this data among subscribers. Landlords understand that their nonpublic data will be used to recommend prices not just for their own units, but also for competitors who use the programs, and agree to provide this information because they understand they will benefit from the information of their rivals. In other words, RealPage knows what competing landlords are charging and can increase profits for landlords by using that information to recommend landlords set or raise their prices uniformly, thereby eliminating competition, and leaving renters no choice but to pay artificially high prices.

Over the last four decades, housing needs have significantly outpaced housing production in California. Housing costs have skyrocketed, making it harder for Californians to keep a roof over their heads. California's 17 million renters spend a significant portion of their paychecks on rent, with an estimated 700,000 Californians at risk of eviction.    

The amended lawsuit filed today alleges that RealPage, Camden, Cushman & Wakefield/Pinnacle, LivCor, Willow Bridge and Greystar’s conduct violates both federal antitrust laws and California’s Unfair Competition Law. 

In filing the amended lawsuit, Attorney General Bonta joins the U.S. Department of Justice and the attorneys general of Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina, Oregon, Tennessee, and Washington.

The amended complaint can be found here.