Attorney General Brian Schwalb

08/19/2026

Yesterday, 6 members of the Metropolitan Police Department were arrested and will face public corruption charges for a widespread overtime fraud scheme.

In 2024 alone, they received $441,137 for work they did not do – exploiting both the District and the DC residents they took an oath to serve and protect.

They submitted hundreds of fake overtime claims by forging supervisory approvals and manipulating official records.

My office is committed to rooting out public corruption. No one is above the law, especially those entrusted with enforcing it.

Because DC is not a state, prosecutions of adult felonies such as this are usually handled by the federal government, through the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia (USAO). My office, however, is committed to protecting District resident’s tax dollars and ensuring that DC public officials who abuse their positions of power face consequences. As a result, OAG has entered into a partnership with USAO through which OAG attorneys are detailed to USAO to prosecute local fraud and public corruption cases.

District residents should report any instances of suspected public corruption to my office.

Six current and former D.C. police employees are facing fraud charges after prosecutors say they collectively received more than $441,000 in overtime pay that they did not earn.

08/07/2026

It is in everyone's best interest for front desk workers and receptionists in DC to have paid sick leave.

A D.C. staffing firm agrees to pay $400,000 to resolve allegations of denying paid sick leave to over 600 employees. Find the full story in the comments.

08/05/2026

DC WORKER WIN: A Maryland-based front desk staffing company will pay $400,000 and overhaul its policies after failing to provide paid sick leave.

District law requires employers to offer paid sick leave, but First Impression Staffing denied it to hundreds of its DC employees.

This settlement provides $250,927 in worker restitution and $149,072 in penalties.

Current employees will also be credited with retroactive paid sick leave, and the company will provide paid sick leave to all employees moving forward in accordance with District law.

OAG will monitor to ensure compliance.

Almost all workers in DC have a right to paid sick leave.

If your workplace rights are being violated, please contact our office at 202-724-7730 or [email protected].

We will not let companies illegally profit or undercut law-abiding competitors by denying basic protections to workers.

Workers should not have to choose between their health and their livelihood.

08/04/2026

We are putting polluters on notice and requiring major changes to protect DC’s rivers and streams.

07/31/2026

We are gradually saying goodbye to our 2026 OAG Summer Interns — and thanking them for all their hard work in service to DC residents.

(The interns from our Civil Litigation Division had the most fun with their group photo!)

07/31/2026

DC ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION: Fort Myer will implement sweeping environmental improvements to address water pollution at a facility in Ward 5.

It will also pay $450,000 in penalties, abide by strict monitoring, and face penalties for noncompliance.

In 2024, we sued Fort Myer Construction for illegally polluting DC waterways.

Fort Myer repeatedly discharged contaminated runoff, petroleum, and other pollutants into DC's stormwater system.

The discharge flowed through Springhouse Run stream at the National Arboretum and then into the Anacostia River.

After inspections, DC's Department of Energy and Environment issued multiple infraction notices, warnings, and orders — including to apply for a required EPA permit.

Yet the violations persisted. Over eight years, Fort Myer continued to neglect maintenance at its facility and pollute our waterways.

Under our consent order, Fort Myer will implement extensive environmental upgrades at its facility to curb pollution.

It will install new runoff control structures, upgrade drainage infrastructure, remove decommissioned equipment, perform regular maintenance, and more.

Fort Myer will also pay $450,000 in penalties — with $225,000 going to DC's water quality fund.

In addition, the company will be subject to rigorous monitoring over the next three years and face additional fines for any violations of the order.

These measures will help ensure Fort Myer makes the necessary and lasting changes to prevent further water contamination.

We will never hesitate to address threats to DC residents' health and safety and hold polluters accountable.

DC's rivers and streams must always be protected.

07/29/2026

Skyrocketing utility bills are making life in DC even less affordable.

Any gas pipe replacement plan that is approved must keep our communities safe from dangerous leaks, ensure funds are spent wisely by prioritizing the most urgent repairs, and protect ratepayers from excessive rate hikes.

D.C. regulators will hold a two-day rehearing on Washington Gas' pipeline plan following requests from city officials.

07/28/2026

DC HEALTHCARE UPDATE: Today, we secured an agreement that will enable OAG to complete its legally required review of the transfer of nonprofit Medical Faculty Associates, Inc (MFA).

This will also facilitate continuity of medical care for DC patients during our review.

MFA is the largest nonprofit medical practice in the District and is controlled by George Washington University.

It employs over 700 providers and serves thousands of patients daily at dozens of locations across DC. Some of its doctors also teach and conduct research at GW's School of Medicine and Health Sciences.

For decades, MFA has benefited from taxpayer support through its nonprofit status.

Now, due to financial shortfalls, GW proposes to transfer MFA to a nonprofit controlled by Universal Health Services (UHS), a for-profit corporation.

Under District law, the transfer of nonprofit healthcare assets to a for-profit entity requires OAG review and approval.

The Healthcare Entity Conversion Act directs our office to ensure the nonprofit’s assets are protected and its nonprofit purpose is preserved.

This is a critical and mandatory safeguard for healthcare services in DC.

In fact, the DC Council enacted this safeguard in direct response to UHS (a for-profit) acquiring GW Hospital (formerly a nonprofit) in 1997.

The agreement we secured enables the deal to operationally close on July 31 but preserves OAG's right to modify or reject it through at least September 30.

This will allow us to conduct a thorough review of the transaction with the cooperation of the parties, who will also fund the experts OAG retained for assistance.

In addition, UHS will pay a $610,000 fine for delays in the review process.

Once our review is completed, OAG will determine whether to approve the transaction, disapprove it, or approve it with conditions.

We will keep working diligently to ensure this transfer protects MFA's nonprofit mission: providing high-quality, affordable healthcare for DC patients.

07/28/2026

NEW: We secured a $81,064 judgment against the former ANC 8C treasurer for misappropriating public funds.

The discrepancies were uncovered by the Office of the DC Auditor (ODCA) and investigated by the District of Columbia Office of the Inspector General (OIG) before we filed suit in 2024.

From 2017-18, Rhonda Edwards-Hines wrote and cashed seven checks to withdraw ANC funds in order to purchase cell phones, computers, and a printer for the ANC.

OCDA audited ANC 8C's purchases and discovered that the defendant had obligated $14,188 of ANC funds without authorization from ANC 8C.

Then, OIG investigated the defendant's actions as treasurer. It discovered that the defendant never provided the equipment she claimed to purchase to ANC 8C, could not produce purchase receipts, and did not return the money to the ANC.

OAG filed a lawsuit in 2024 under the False Claims Act.

The defendant failed to respond to the District's discovery or the court's orders compelling her to do so.

On July 24, the Court awarded $81,064 in damages and penalties. We will now work to enforce this judgment and recover the misused funds.

The misuse of taxpayer dollars violates civic trust and will not be tolerated. Public money should serve the public.

07/27/2026

DC UTILITY ACTION: We are calling on the DC Public Service Commission to reject Washington Gas' wasteful, $215-million pipe replacement plan.

Even as skyrocketing utility costs are making life harder in DC, Washington Gas wants to hike utility rates again to pay for an outdated and ineffective gas system.

We secured a hearing on July 27-28 to reconsider the plan. OAG will be there to oppose the plan and stand up for DC residents.

Washington Gas' District SAFE gas pipe replacement plan used to be called PROJECTpipes.

The first two phases of the project spent almost $400 million of DC customers' money but only replaced a small share of old, leak-prone pipes in the system.

In fact, even as the project moved forward from 2014-2022, dangerous Grade 1 gas leaks increased by 40%. This has raised doubts that Washington Gas is prioritizing the most urgently-needed pipe repairs.

DC residents' gas bills spiked about 13% in 2026 — with 37% of that hike caused by this project.

This third phase of the project would cost DC residents another $215 million through surcharges on our gas bills.

Not only is the project costly, slow, and inefficient — its scope also conflicts with reality.

DC is quickly reducing its reliance on gas, and District law requires dramatic reductions in greenhouse gas emissions over the next 20 years.

Massive investments in gas infrastructure make little sense.

A scaled-back version of Washington Gas' plan was approved in March.

Undeterred, OAG, D.C. Office of the People's Counsel, and the Sierra Club DC Chapter filed a motion for rehearing that was granted and scheduled for July 27-28.

We will be there next week to again ask the Public Service Commission to reject this plan and lower costs for DC residents.