California Attorney General Bonta , together with 18 attorneys general, announced the formation of a multistate coalition to hold irresponsible firearms industry members accountable for their actions that proliferate gun violence. This innovative and groundbreaking multistate coalition has been established with the primary goal of addressing and reducing gun violence across various jurisdictions. By fostering collaboration among states, the coalition aims to leverage and enforce each state's existing civil liability and consumer protection laws, among other legal frameworks.
“Gun violence is a national issue that demands a united response, and we will work to eliminate reckless practices that endanger our citizens,” said Attorney General Bonta. “In response to the Trump Administration's disregard for gun safety measures, my fellow attorneys general and I stand united in our commitment to protect our communities. This effort aims to ensure national safety, not to limit responsible gun ownership. We will hold firearm industry members accountable for dangerous and illegal business practices that fuel gun violence and put profits over people’s lives and safety.”The states joining the coalition share the goal of holding members of the firearms industry—including manufacturers, distributors, and sellers—accountable when their business practices result in unlawful sales, gun trafficking, and other outcomes that put lives at risk.
Many of the offices joining the multistate coalition have pursued civil enforcement in their jurisdictions under their respective state law authorities:
- In 2021, California Attorney General Rob Bonta joined with the San Francisco District Attorney to sue three manufacturers and sellers of ghost guns kits. The parties entered a stipulated judgment in 2024 prohibiting the defendants from manufacturing or selling ghost gun kits in California and requiring them to pay $675,000 in civil penalties.
- In 2024, New Jersey, SAFE has sued gun stores for repeated sales to unverified buyers, a gun show operator and gun show vendor for targeting the sale of ghost gun products to state residents, and a gun store for failing to properly store its guns overnight as required by state law, which resulted in the theft of twenty weapons.
- In September, 2024, Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. Brown and District of Columbia Attorney General Brian L. Schwalb sued three federally licensed gun dealers for illegally selling dozens of firearms to a straw purchaser who then trafficked the weapons, mainly into Washington, DC.
- In 2020, the District of Columbia filed suit against Polymer80, a ghost gun manufacturer and distributor, for selling unserialized, untraceable firearms to Washington, DC residents. In 2022, the District won a landmark $4 million court judgement against the company, which was found liable for making false and misleading claims about the legality of its products.
- In 2022, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison sued the retailer Fleet Farm for repeated negligent sale of firearms to straw purchasers despite obvious warning signs.
- In 2022, Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson sued a gun retailer and its owner for unlawfully selling over 3,600 large-capacity magazines. The parties entered into a consent decree in 2024, with the defendants agreeing to pay the state $3 million for violating Washington law.
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