Nine state attorneys general, led by New York AG Letitia James, sued the U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) to stop two rules that preempt state laws requiring banks to pay interest on escrow accounts. The coalition argues the rules exceed OCC's authority under Dodd-Frank and the Administrative Procedure Act. The suit seeks a court order declaring the rules illegal and preventing their implementation.
The coalition seeks a court order declaring the OCC rules unlawful and an injunction preventing their implementation.
In-house legal teams should review mortgage servicing agreements, escrow account management contracts, and any agreements with banks or loan servicers to ensure compliance with state escrow interest laws. Specifically, they should examine clauses governing escrow payments, interest accrual, and any provisions that might attempt to preempt state consumer protection statutes. Additionally, they should assess whether their contracts contain provisions that could be affected by OCC preemption rules and whether opt-out or compliance mechanisms are aligned with existing state requirements.
Entity
Office of the Comptroller of the Currency
Industry
Financial ServicesOfficial Press Release
https://ag.ny.gov/press-release/2026/attorney-general-james-sues-trump-administration-protect-valuable-interest
oregon et al v office of the comptroller of the currency jon
https://ag.ny.gov/sites/default/files/court-filings/oregon-et-al-v-office-of-the-comptroller-of-the-currency-jonathan-v-gould-complaint-2026.pdf
New York Attorney General Enforcement Page
https://ag.ny.gov/press-releases
"U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC)"
"The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (Dodd-Frank) has strict limits on OCC’s ability to preempt state consumer protection laws"
"violating the Administrative Procedure Act (APA)"
"seeking a court order declaring the rules illegal and preventing them from being implemented"
Attorney General William Tong and a coalition of 10 attorneys general filed a lawsuit challenging a new OCC rule that preempts state laws requiring national banks to pay interest on homeowners' mortgage escrow accounts. The lawsuit argues the OCC ignored federal court decisions and bypassed safeguards, and seeks to block the rule.
Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield co-led a coalition of 10 states in a federal lawsuit against the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) to block a rule that invalidates state laws requiring mortgage lenders to pay interest on escrow accounts. The lawsuit argues the OCC's rule oversteps federal authority, gives national banks a competitive advantage over state-chartered banks, and takes money away from homeowners.
$2.6M
New York and Connecticut reached a settlement with Boston Children’s Health Physicians and its IT security provider, XTIUM, after a 2024 breach exposed private information of approximately 825,000 New York residents and 62,871 Connecticut residents. The companies will pay $2.64 million and implement enhanced cybersecurity measures; additional penalties are conditional on violating the settlement.
New York Attorney General Letitia James joined 16 other attorneys general in urging Congress to pass proposed legislation addressing the federal government’s release of Jeffrey Epstein-related records. The press release says DOJ has not fully disclosed the records required by the original law and that personal information of at least 43 victims was exposed in released files; this is a legislative advocacy announcement, not an enforcement action imposing a penalty or remedy.
$1.9M
New York Attorney General Letitia James secured a settlement after an investigation found Dollar General stores routinely charged customers more than advertised or posted prices and issued confusing receipts. Dollar General must donate $1.875 million in food and personal items to Foodlink and implement pricing, receipt, training, and audit reforms.
New York Attorney General Letitia James released an updated guide warning voters that AI-generated election content and chatbots may provide misleading information. This is public guidance, not an enforcement action, and the release describes no penalty or privacy violation.