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Attorney general highlights multistate settlements, data‑breach and vaping enforcement as priority revenue sources
Summary
Charity Clark described recent consumer-enforcement work — including cases against Blackbaud, Juul and large data-breach settlements — and explained how settlement receipts are used to replenish office spending authority before any legislative transfers.
Attorney General Charity Clark summarized the attorney general’s recent consumer-enforcement activity to the Senate Appropriations Committee, describing data‑breach, vaping and opioid litigation as key enforcement priorities that produce recoveries to benefit Vermonters.
Clark listed several high-profile matters the office has pursued, saying the office “sued Meta and TikTok for their harms against… teens and their mental health,” has pursued action against manufacturers of PFAS, and sued companies including Blackbaud for data‑security failures. She told the committee Vermont served as lead state on some multi‑state actions and that lead‑state participation can increase recoveries to Vermont: “when we do get to be the lead state, we get more money,” she said.
Clark said the Blackbaud matter produced a multi‑state distribution that yielded roughly $3 million to Vermont, and she contrasted that with a neighboring state that received a smaller share on a per‑capita basis. She said similar themes in recent enforcement work include data breaches (Marriott, Morgan Stanley), vaping and online tobacco sales (Juul and related settlements), and opioid litigation (Johnson & Johnson listed among 2025 matters).
On how settlement money is handled, the committee heard that settlement proceeds first replenish the office’s spending authority and complex‑litigation funds used to cover litigation costs; any remaining amounts are subject to legislative appropriation. Clark and staff explained that each settlement’s terms and the governing statutes determine distribution and that fund transfers are subject to statutory and administrative controls.
Clark also described federal funding lines, including for the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) task force and the Medicaid Fraud Unit; she said most federal dollars were personnel costs tied to those units. Several committee members asked how the state verifies compliance with consent‑judgment terms; Clark said court orders and reporting provisions, together with agency monitoring in referrals such as environmental enforcement, provide oversight and the prospect of civil penalties where violations occur.
No formal action was taken during the presentation.
