New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin announced today that civil enforcement efforts in 2023 resulted in nearly $596 million in recovered funds, marking a 37% increase over the previous year’s total.
The majority of the recovered money—$458.7 million—came from New Jersey’s share of nationwide opioid settlements with major pharmacy chains, drug manufacturers, and distributors. The remaining funds came from cases related to consumer protection, data breaches, environmental violations, and other state matters.
“These recoveries are about protecting New Jersey residents and holding powerful entities accountable,” said Attorney General Platkin. “We are fighting for families devastated by the opioid crisis, for consumers scammed out of their hard-earned money, and for kids targeted by social media companies putting profits over their well-being. I am proud to see our efforts delivering real results.”
New Jersey’s largest recoveries stemmed from national opioid-related lawsuits. The State secured hundreds of millions from pharmaceutical companies and pharmacy chains accused of fueling the opioid epidemic:
- CVS Health and CVS Pharmacy: $131.4 million
- Walgreens: $142.9 million
- Walmart: $74.4 million
- Teva Pharmaceuticals: $99.8 million
- Allergan: $59.4 million
- Mallinckrodt: $4.5 million
These funds are designated to combat the opioid crisis, including funding prevention, treatment, and recovery programs.
- JUUL Labs: The e-cigarette company paid $33.6 million for its marketing practices, which allegedly targeted underage users. JUUL opted to pay the full settlement in 2023, ahead of schedule.
- Dollar General: The retail chain paid $1.2 million to resolve allegations of repeated overpricing violations in its stores across New Jersey.
New Jersey also secured significant payments from companies involved in data security incidents:
- Morgan Stanley: Paid $1.2 million following a data breach affecting over 755,000 New Jersey residents.
- EyeMed Vision Care: Paid for a breach that impacted more than 52,000 residents.
- Blackbaud: Paid just over $1 million for poor data security practices that led to a ransomware attack.
The largest environmental justice penalty in the State’s history—$8 million—was imposed on Newark-based MJ & Sons and its affiliates for an illegal dumping scheme that caused widespread harm.
On the other side of the ledger, settlements and judgments paid out by the State totaled $121.5 million in 2023, significantly lower than the $177.4 million paid in 2022 and $196 million in 2021.
Michael C. Walters, Acting Director of the Division of Law, praised the efforts of the State’s legal team: “Our attorneys are relentless in holding accountable those who violate laws or harm New Jersey’s residents and taxpayers.”
The funds recovered in 2023 reflect New Jersey’s ongoing commitment to protecting its citizens, safeguarding public resources, and holding corporations and other violators accountable.