Attorney General Dan Rayfield today announced the launch of a new Economic Justice Section at the Oregon Department of Justice, a major restructuring that doubles the state’s capacity to protect Oregonians. The new section will include a Working Families Unit with several additional attorneys, who will be able to take on more cases and help more families than ever before.
“Every day, people in Oregon face scams, shady car sales, predatory practices, and unfairness in the workplace,” said Attorney General Rayfield. “The number of calls to our consumer hotline has doubled in the past year. Until now, our ability to act hasn’t kept up with that need. Today, we’re right-sizing this part of our agency to protect hardworking families, consumers, and seniors.”
The new Economic Justice Section will bring together Oregon DOJ’s antitrust, false claims, privacy, and consumer protection teams under one umbrella, creating a stronger, more coordinated force for accountability.
Key elements of the new section include:
- Doubling capacity to serve Oregonians.
- No cost to taxpayers – the section is self-funded through its casework.
- A new Working Families Unit, with several new attorneys joining in October to build the unit from the ground up.
Just yesterday, Attorney General Rayfield convened with other attorneys general and experts from across the country to learn what’s working in their own Working Families Units and bring those ideas home to Oregon.
“State AGs have a critical role to play in fighting wage theft and protecting workers’ rights, especially in light of federal rollbacks,” said Terri Gerstein, Director of the NYU Wagner Labor Initiative at the NYU Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service. “By creating a dedicated Working Families Unit focused on workplace justice, Attorney General Rayfield is showing leadership in committing resources to Oregon’s working people.”
“Oregon unions know that laws only matter if they’re enforced, and the new Working Families Unit will give workers a real ally inside the DOJ,” said Graham Trainor, president of the Oregon AFL-CIO. “In this moment of federal rollbacks, we need strong state action to hold bad employers accountable and protect the rights, safety, and dignity of working people.”
This restructuring reflects Oregon DOJ’s commitment to stepping in where federal enforcement has been rolled back — including the weakening of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) — and focusing resources on the issues that matter most to Oregonians.
“Oregonians are feeling the squeeze in their everyday lives — from scams that target seniors to unfair practices that hit working families in the wallet,” said Attorney General Rayfield. “While the federal government looks the other way, we’re not taking our eye off the ball. Our focus is right here at home, making sure people can trust that someone has their back when they’re up against big players.”
