[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6074381,"mediaKeyId","2984781-7334e5863a2021175518321ee32f37f3","parentId",2984781,"title","Civil Enforcement division seeks attorneys for consumer protection, privacy enforcement and Medicaid fraud work","audioSeconds",925,"startMs",4380000,"endMs",5305000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2984781-7334e5863a2021175518321ee32f37f3&start=4380&end=5305","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2984781-7334e5863a2021175518321ee32f37f3/thumbnail_4380000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6074381/Oregon/Civil-Enforcement-division-seeks-attorneys-for-consumer-protection-privacy-enforcement-and-Medicaid-fraud-work","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6074381-d055258388877061a5e9b19dabfec49e/orig.mp4?Expires=1770705659&Signature=JK0C5XhIAsp5NxEAxg7FH4krz~fUc1e754vaMrTV8YDo9OQmNFSllJKuLzTU-~a7NIFgZwDEFJekThCAd77P89xmAkanmkvB0YlP1hbQ6uYMus8pkpaRyCow6urjL7H7RDAN~AC5zHSYWWnQjUvyWdSKlBH~~5KV3UoqDtESv02kVI-m3PncQXq28HPh5Bk9SEXzUdxoNNkRavMi3FACdtLdZq6w34lUrKaCKxV88CBAuPWeoNf5ylkbWBUEMoauO-TNIepXyXyKelH2D0o050yITQSYy1-dWKcZFP~oiqevaKaMrD3~xCOed9RqKd5Up~5oVwkHsFLW1ZZpQa6uwA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Oregon State Legislature","date","2025-04-14T00:00:00Z","article","Claudia Groberg, chief counsel for the Department of Justice’s Civil Enforcement Division, told the Senate Committee on Public Safety Monday that the division needs additional positions to handle consumer protection, antitrust/false‑claims work, privacy enforcement under the Oregon Consumer Privacy Act (SB 619) and an increasing Medicaid fraud caseload.

Groberg described the consumer hotline and complaint process that resolves thousands of disputes annually. She said the division receives roughly 9,000 written consumer complaints each year and that telecommunications, imposter scams and auto sales were among the top complaint categories.

Groberg highlighted a recent settlement with Camping World in which the company will pay $3,500,000, of which she said $3,000,000 will be refunded to consumers and the remainder deposited into the Protection and Education Account. She said the division focuses enforcement resources on patterns of serious violations because the enforcement team is small and cases can take many years to resolve.

On privacy enforcement, Groberg said the department used resources enacted by Senate Bill 619 (2023) to stand up enforcement and outreach for the Oregon Consumer Privacy Act. The division received numerous complaints through a dedicated portal soon after the law took effect and, Groberg said, Oregon’s complaint volume is higher than several similarly sized states in the six months after implementation. The division created a privacy website, educational materials, and a consumer portal for reporting potential violations.

Groberg also described the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, a federally mandated program that investigates and prosecutes health‑care fraud in the Medicaid program and elder‑abuse and neglect. She said the unit is 75% federally funded, 25% funded from program recoveries, and that referrals have increased from 272 in 2020 to 492 in 2024. Groberg requested two attorneys and five staff for the unit to handle more complex schemes and rising volume; she said federal grant requirements tie staffing levels to Medicaid program expenditures.

The civil enforcement presentation reiterated that the division does not receive general fund for enforcement staff and instead relies on the Protection and Education Account and federal grants or recoveries for many functions. Committee members asked clarifying questions about staffing relative to neighboring states and about the return on prior investments; Groberg said additional positions would let the division take on more investigations and increase outreach to agencies to generate referrals.

No committee vote occurred at the informational hearing; Groberg said the division will provide further materials and case examples upon request.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Joint Committee On Ways and Means Subcommittee On Public Safety 04/14/2025 8:00 AM","oneSentenceSummary","The Department of Justice’s Civil Enforcement Division asked the Senate Committee on Public Safety for additional attorneys and staff to enforce the Unlawful Trade Practices Act, the Oregon Consumer Privacy Act (SB 619), and to expand the federally matched Medicaid Fraud Control Unit amid rising referrals and complex schemes.","taxTitle","Public Safety, Ways and Means, Joint, Committees, Legislative, Oregon","taxId",18852,"location","Oregon","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6074386,"DOJ outlines Internet Crimes Against Children work and proposes regional organized‑crime response teams",2204,2256000,4460000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2984781-7334e5863a2021175518321ee32f37f3&start=2256&end=4460","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2984781-7334e5863a2021175518321ee32f37f3/thumbnail_2256000.jpg","/articles/6074386/Oregon/DOJ-outlines-Internet-Crimes-Against-Children-work-and-proposes-regional-organizedcrime-response-teams","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6074386-820e35ab73be1ec314811886fbc0ab7b/orig.mp4?Expires=1770705659&Signature=HByrYcpQZyqTH-2klWtfuUcLyE~KQCi1kwnsrsnv1UanxuScABSIqOVRVFqbVG-FUEknP-w3-kiKy-J1owLwN9SuMnWWd5Cdv~v0Nt2GCy2iblR2roNTWp-fbIe7zBgztQpieHh0V57i8by96nUUp6WMIQZtJF0ZWUT7KwdbmQbA-CGRpO8OvGcFHSUF-Y3OzTzX1Msf7OsoUeqnpDqiLAzQqxOXF9EQystKasdOf-lp9dPURCN8DVU91ro5iv26BD5A7laKJcEqxd6sGZly4s9yZxH~WkQzbU-w7ZU-hmSgUPIwyhkHRW1xBHE1BGoiFPnOBiMuasTrHPDZaQ5CZQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Department of Justice described increases in investigative staffing for Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC), recent workload patterns, and a multi‑part request to expand regional capacity to address organized crime during Monday’s informational hearing on House Bill 5014.

Michael Slauson, Assistant Attorney General and chief counsel of the Criminal Justice Division, told the committee the division has 95 employees and described programs that support district attorneys and local law enforcement, including the District Attorney Assistance Program, the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and the Organized Crime section.

“We are 1 of 61 task forces in the country,” Slauson said of the ICAC program. He said ICAC staffing increased dramatically in recent biennia and that the division received nearly 10,000 cyber tips in 2024. Slauson explained that improved filtering at the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children changed the composition of tips, so referrals for visual exploitation decreased while tips related to online solicitation, sextortion and adult‑solicitation increased and require more investigative resources.

Slauson described a recent policy option package that would create four regional organized‑crime response teams. Each team would include a prosecutor, multiple special agents, an analyst, and supporting administrative and management staff. The regional teams are modeled on federal strike forces: prosecution‑led, multi‑agency, and intelligence‑driven. The proposed teams would be located in regions identified by the division to improve collaboration and prosecutorial continuity on multi‑jurisdictional investigations such as auto‑theft rings, human trafficking and organized retail theft.

Slauson also presented a separate pipeline proposal to recruit and deploy law clerks to county DA offices. Under that concept the Department of Justice would hire and train law‑certified clerks, deploy them to county offices during summer terms, and thereby provide short‑term capacity for lower‑level, high‑volume offenses while building a recruitment pipeline for criminal litigation in Oregon.

Slauson cited outcomes from a 2023 Legislature–funded Organized Retail Crime unit: the unit responded to 71 requests in 13 counties, supported 21 cases, produced about 70 arrests and recovered approximately $640,000 in property. He also described a multi‑state case involving stolen SNAP/EBT purchases and resale of baby formula; the state criminal case has 19 defendants and the federal case had 17, Slauson said, and the investigation involved more than a dozen law enforcement partners.

The division’s analytical unit (ACES) and fusion‑center functions were described as force multipliers that provide short‑turnaround analytical support, deconfliction of operations, strategic analysis and statewide information sharing. Slauson said ACES had responded to roughly 9,000 requests for assistance this biennium and issued more than 2,000 intelligence bulletins.

Committee members asked about federal‑state coordination, wiretap support, and the division’s role when DOJ acts temporarily as a district attorney. Slauson said DOJ often provides prosecution, investigatory and analytic support to smaller counties and can assume the DA role when a vacancy arises.

No formal action on the policy option packages occurred during the informational hearing; Slauson said the division will provide additional briefings and performance data as requested by the committee.

","The Department of Justice told the Senate Committee on Public Safety about expanded Internet Crimes Against Children staffing, the elimination of investigation backlogs, and a policy proposal to create regional organized‑crime response teams and a law‑clerk pipeline to support district attorney offices across Oregon.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6074391,"Committee hears overview of House Bill 5014, Oregon Department of Justice budget request",5265,43000,5308000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2984781-7334e5863a2021175518321ee32f37f3&start=43&end=5308","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2984781-7334e5863a2021175518321ee32f37f3/thumbnail_43000.jpg","/articles/6074391/Oregon/Committee-hears-overview-of-House-Bill-5014-Oregon-Department-of-Justice-budget-request","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6074391-6dafa638f2f4a292be11cf69e0eb936e/orig.mp4?Expires=1770705659&Signature=OfLeyNtiN288qMdJuXLq6vFiGf4PUCQXV3dy1DKd2f-1cSPCkXYVB56muFfcZJPy4gWOgD1za~awHPTXWOPP5nYNGkXingYAoL1j5EggTugJeXciJU3dHEUMLUSerWvS9-pUhqUJJwFbKhLY9361K9hwNBuu55FBEvtJwheawQoXEduob4szmNoro7Is0j6yqntrF495-ljVkc~gx9~z4~cbrUYkHoB4QloNApXA~LNqYGXuvOW-mpdYQMQMJlocVwLwJLNG5nd3ZjZKhWucn6mZmSKoi1WWyOXunIkPG1sHUVmFKYj7Nt1GevY9pYs042LWleKwzUCc5qPtR7nx1w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Senate Committee on Public Safety held an informational hearing Monday on House Bill 5014, the Department of Justice’s primary budget bill for the 2025–27 biennium.

The presentation laid out the department’s spending mix, key budget pressures and the governor’s recommendations, including continuing the Legal Tools Replacement project, backing federal Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) shortfalls with state general fund, increasing in‑house litigation capacity to reduce outside counsel costs, and paying LTR debt service from the Protection and Education Account.

The Department of Administrative Services’ policy and budget analyst Stacey Chase provided the opening overview. Chase said the agency’s current service‑level budget for the 2025–27 biennium is presented across general fund, other funds and federal funds and that other funds — largely legal billings to client agencies — are the department’s primary revenue source. Chase noted the governor’s budget assumes a legal billing rate of $322 per hour for the biennium and that the governor’s package includes pay‑go for LTR debt service and funding to backfill a shortfall in VOCA grant revenue.

“Ongoing issues affecting DOJ include the Legal Tools Replacement project, wrongful conviction litigation, increasing caseloads requiring use of outside counsel, and Victims of Crime Act funding reductions,” Chase said during her overview.

Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield described the department as a large agency and explained priorities that informed the attorney general’s request. Rayfield said the department manages more than $900 million in total funds and more than 1,500 full‑time equivalent positions statewide. He highlighted three broad priorities: solidifying administrative and human resources capacity, expanding in‑house litigation to reduce reliance on outside counsel, and supporting public safety work including organized‑crime and Internet Crimes Against Children efforts.

“We're spending too much money on outside counsel. We really believe that we can save the state money by bringing more of this work in‑house,” Rayfield said. He also said the office has spent about $267,000 of attorney work time to defend federal funding streams and estimated the work protected roughly $1.6 billion in funding that was at risk in recent litigation or federal actions.

Chase and Rayfield both described how changes in bargaining costs and policy option packages affect the legal billing rate. Deputy Attorney General Lisa Edlund and other DOJ presenters outlined programmatic shares of the agency budget: Chase and Edlund said roughly 27% of expenditures are related to the Division of Child Support and that over 60% of department spending represents legal representation of the state in civil and criminal matters. They noted the governor’s budget uses a mix of general, other and federal funds and that the proposed general‑fund increases are intended to backfill VOCA reductions and to fund targeted initiatives such as a special prosecutor for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons.

The committee and DOJ staff discussed how client agencies pay for DOJ legal services, the merits of the hourly billing model versus assessment or subscription models, and the complexity of separating general‑fund and other funding that state agencies use to pay for DOJ representation.

Chase and Edlund said the legal rate for the current biennium is $275 per hour and that contractual obligations and statewide bargaining increases have driven most of the proposed rate increase. They explained some policy option packages — for example, adding attorneys in the trial division — could lower the hourly rate by spreading billable time over more capacity.

The hearing concluded with committee members asking clarifying questions about funding sources, split of funds by program, and the potential for different client‑funding models. No formal vote on the bill occurred during the informational hearing.

Looking ahead, committee members signaled interest in more detailed budget notes and follow‑up briefings on specific DOJ programs in subsequent days of the informational hearings.

","The Senate Committee on Public Safety held an informational hearing on House Bill 5014, the biennial budget request for the Oregon Department of Justice, which includes funding to continue the Legal Tools Replacement project, backfill federal Victims of Crime Act shortfalls, expand in‑house litigation staff and pay related debt service.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Civil Enforcement division seeks attorneys for consumer protection, privacy enforcement and Medicaid fraud work

DOJ outlines Internet Crimes Against Children work and proposes regional organized‑crime response teams

Committee hears overview of House Bill 5014, Oregon Department of Justice budget request