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