News Releases - 2026 Archive

DES MOINES—Attorney General Brenna Bird announced today she has joined a bi-partisan lawsuit against Amazon for secretly and systematically overcharging small businesses for advertising on their platform since 2019. Based on internal documents describing its “hidden” “surcharges,” Amazon’s scheme has likely illegally extracted tens of billions of dollars from its advertising customers, including many small businesses who rely on Amazon.     Since 2019,...

DES MOINES—In a report issued today, the Iowa Attorney General’s Office has concluded that the July 26, 2026, fatal shooting of Keegan Dean Kennedy by Jefferson Police Department Police Officer Shaydon Thurman was legally justified.   The Attorney General’s conclusion was based on a review and investigation by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation....

DES MOINES—As students head back to school, Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird reminds Iowans about laws and tips to keep school kids safe.  “Passing a stopped school bus is not only illegal, but also dangerous,” said Attorney General Bird. “There’s lots of construction on our Iowa roads right now. It’s easy to get...

Meta to Make Sweeping Child-Safety Reforms on Instagram and Facebook and Pay Up to $17 Billion  DES MOINES—Today, Attorney General Brenna Bird announced a landmark $17.1 billion-dollar multistate settlement with Meta Platforms, Inc.—one of the largest state consumer protection settlements in history.  Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird filed a lawsuit against Meta on April 8, 2026,...

DES MOINES—Attorney General Brenna Bird announced today she joined a coalition of 16 state attorneys general raising concerns over potentially illegal financial reporting requirements by the “Big 4” accounting firms: Deloitte; Ernst & Young; KPMG; and PricewaterhouseCoopers. In a letter to the Big 4, the coalition questions their stated commitments for climate-related disclosures in financial reporting, contrary to...

DES MOINES— Attorney General Brenna Bird announced today her office has been awarded an almost $4 million grant from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to work together to aggressively target fraud and major financial crimes.   This grant will allow the Iowa Attorney General’s Office to hire and assign a total of five qualified prosecutors. These new prosecutors will serve as Special Assistant...

DES MOINES—Attorney General Brenna Bird today announced a victory for Iowa homeowners in a case before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit. The judge affirmed that Iowa’s laws banning residential contractors from acting as public adjusters are constitutional.  When storm damage hits a home, homeowners often find themselves caught between insurance companies and repair contractors. Iowa passed...

DES MOINES— Attorney General Brenna Bird announced the Medicaid Fraud Elimination Task Force held its second official meeting today. The 11-member task force was established by Governor Reynolds to enhance efficiency and safeguard taxpayer dollars within Iowa's Medicaid program.  The task force is chaired by Attorney General Bird and brings together leaders from state departments, law enforcement, and...

DES MOINES—Attorney General Brenna Bird announced today her office has teamed up with Meta in a public service announcement campaign to fight investment, romance, and user support scams that trick Iowans out of their hard-earned money on social media platforms.    The public service announcement campaign will include educational items that will be given away at the Iowa Attorney General’s booth in the Varied Industries Building at...

DES MOINES—Attorney General Brenna Bird announced today she is leading a coalition of 15 states demanding transparency and accountability from the AI company OpenAI, led by Sam Altman, for its complete lack of oversight and transparency in the hacking of Hugging Face, another AI company.    In July, OpenAI unleashed an experimental artificial intelligence model that, without reasonable controls or oversight, gained...