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New Jersey Division of Law Recovers Over $435.6 Million in 2022 Through Enforcement Efforts
Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin announced today that the New Jersey Division of Law has recovered more than $435.6 million in 2022 through civil enforcement efforts. These efforts involved lawsuits and investigations into consumer, securities, and other fraud, as well as environmental cases, taxation matters, and affirmative and debt recovery actions.
The amount recovered in 2022 is nearly five times the amount recovered in 2021. The $435.6 million does not include other forms of relief obtained in certain cases, such as restitution for defrauded consumers or investors, balance forgiveness, and debt relief.
In contrast, litigation-related settlements and judgments paid by the state in 2022 amounted to approximately $177.4 million, down from $196 million in 2021.
Attorney General Platkin praised the efforts of the New Jersey Division of Law, stating, "The attorneys of the New Jersey Division of Law consistently prove their commitment to protecting the State, its natural resources, and its residents from all manner of threats.”
He added that the Division of Law's attorneys work diligently to ensure that employees are properly categorized and compensated, polluters are held accountable for clean-up efforts, and companies that failed to protect New Jersey residents' private data are brought to justice.
Division of Law Director Michael T.G. Long echoed the sentiment, highlighting the Division's dedication to serving New Jersey citizens by pursuing monetary and other relief from those who have victimized them or compromised the State's resources.
He said, "Our lawyers are among the best in New Jersey, and the work that they do continues to preserve the State's environmental, economic, and other resources so that New Jerseyans can continue to thrive in our great State."
Notable recoveries obtained by the Division of Law in 2022 include Chipotle Mexican Grill for child labor law violations ($7.75 million), Credit Suisse for toxic mortgage-backed securities ($195 million), ExxonMobil for natural resource damages ($9.5 million), Google for location tracking ($17.79 million), Navient Corp. for misrepresentation ($3.01 million), Uber Technologies for driver misclassification ($99.99 million), Wawa for a data breach ($2.51 million), Weichert Co. for a data breach ($1.2 million), and Yellowstone Capital LLC for unlawful practices ($1.75 million).
