Schwalb Provides Overview of OAG's Enforcement Efforts to Protect D.C. Residents
July 13, 2026
Brian Scarpelli of the Antitrust and Consumer Law Community (left) and D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb
D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb addressed nearly 50 attendees at a hybrid event last week hosted by the D.C. Bar Antitrust and Consumer Law Community, discussing efforts by Schwalb's office to protect District residents from unfair business practices during a period in which the cost of living has increased dramatically.
"People don't always appreciate the scope of the work that we do," Schwalb said as he spotlighted litigation, mediation, outreach, and other efforts undertaken by the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) to address areas of concern.
In addition to high-profile litigation on behalf of consumers and tenants, for example, OAG's mediation hotline leverages the power of the office to resolve disagreements without the expense and delay of a lawsuit. "Last year alone we recovered about $2 million for D.C. residents in small claims," he said.
Schwalb noted that graduates of the Mayor's Office on Returning Citizen Affairs–Georgetown Paralegal Program help staff OAG's Consumer and Tenant Response team. Participants complete a paralegal certification program to then provide assistance to residents in what Schwalb called a "virtuous cycle," enabling the formerly incarcerated to develop professional skills and meaningfully contribute to their community.
Schwalb also discussed the imbalance between OAG's limited resources and the number of concerns raised by residents, saying that collaboration with the private bar and attorneys general across the nation helps allocate resources effectively. These partnerships are increasingly important in a context where the federal government has reduced or withdrawn its regulation, according to Schwalb.
"My directive to the teams is to focus on having the maximum impact for D.C. residents," he said. Schwalb called attention to OAG's successful lawsuit against RealPage and some of D.C.'s largest landlords for colluding to inflate rent prices.
During the program, Schwalb noted that advanced technology has complicated many efforts to curb unlawful commercial activity. "We are in a world, right now, where so much of what is illegal is being done not by humans, but by platforms, or apps, or AI," he said, observing that some industries perceive that they are not culpable for the acts of technology that would be unlawful if undertaken by human agents. "This has been a challenge for us as enforcers, and for the private bar, to try to figure out how well-established principles in consumer protection and antitrust apply to new industry and new innovation."
Schwalb went on to talk about additional efforts by OAG to protect District residents, including young people — on whose behalf his office has fought against flavored nicotine products, vaping, and e-cigarettes — and the elderly, who he said are increasingly targeted by scammers. He cited OAG's September 2025 lawsuit against Athena Bitcoin, one of the country's largest operators of bitcoin ATMs, for allegedly charging exorbitant fees and for failing to implement sufficient anti-fraud measures to protect the public.
Schwalb said contending with the volume of emerging issues will require broad participation. "We want to hear good ideas. I have high schoolers in the office doing policy work on the hardest issues facing kids because they are the experts," he said.
Schwalb also underscored the crucial role of the private bar. "We want to know what you are seeing," he said.
