Minnesota attorney general outlines consumer‑protection work, hotline and case volumes

Attorney General Keith Ellison told the House Commerce and Finance Policy Committee on March 11 that the Office of the Attorney General operates four main lines of business—representing state agencies, supporting criminal prosecutions and Medicaid fraud matters, serving on state boards, and enforcing Minnesota's consumer protection, antitrust and charities laws.

Ellison said the office’s consumer help line remains the public’s first point of contact. “If you call that number, somebody from the consumer action division is gonna pick up the phone,” he said, and he provided the committee the office’s complaint line: (651) 296‑3353. He described the office as “the people’s lawyer” whose work aims to help Minnesotans “afford their lives and live with dignity, safety and respect.”

Why it matters: The consumer action division fields tens of thousands of public contacts each year and resolves many cases before litigation. Those interactions both inform enforcement priorities and return money to consumers without protracted court proceedings.

Ellison gave committee members a snapshot of the office’s workload and outcomes for 2024: the consumer action division handled 59,017 calls and about 5,984 staff hours (equivalent to roughly 249 staff days). The division opened more than 18,000 cases (a roughly 20% increase from the prior fiscal year) and, Ellison said, secured about $14,000,000 in settlements for Minnesota consumers (more than a 50% increase year over year).

Ellison also summarized how the office is organized: the consumer protection section is overseen by two deputies (Jessica Whitney and James Canaday), split into eight specialized divisions, and includes a consumer action unit staffed by non‑attorney personnel who help callers with questions, direct complaints, and locate other government resources when appropriate.

The attorney general emphasized that the office’s consumer enforcement work operates in both cooperative and complaint‑driven modes. “We are a complaint driven system,” Ellison told the committee. He said the office may open investigations based on consumer complaints, pursue coordinated enforcement with other state and federal agencies, or litigate high‑priority cases when necessary.

The presentation also noted coordinated, multi‑state enforcement partnerships with the Federal Trade Commission, Department of Justice and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau on matters ranging from deceptive marketing to data privacy and junk fees. Ellison said those partnerships and legislative changes in 2024 — including the Debt Fairness Act and new rules on price transparency and deceptive vaping — helped shape the office’s caseload.

Ellison concluded by stressing often overlooked consumer work: ratepayer representation at the Public Utilities Commission. He said the office regularly intervenes to oppose or limit utility rate increases because “everybody pays these bills,” and that those issues can have significant effects on Minnesotans on fixed incomes.

Ellison and Deputy Attorney General Jessica Whitney offered to supplement the record with additional data at the committee’s request.