Attorney General Brian Schwalb

NEW: Political texting firm GetThru will pay $1 million to the District and overhaul its practices after a failure to pay DC sales taxes.

GetThru provides campaigns, advocacy groups, and nonprofits peer-to-peer texting and calling software and services.

Under District law, businesses that sell services to people or entities located in DC must collect and pay DC sales tax.

GetThru is subject to DC sales tax because it sells data processing services to organizations located in DC.

OAG brought this enforcement action based on a whistleblower complaint under DC's False Claims Act.

This law enables DC to hold individuals and companies accountable for failing to pay taxes — and incentivizes whistleblowers to come forward and report tax fraud.

The company cooperated with our investigation, agreed to pay $1 million to the District, and will collect and pay DC sales taxes moving forward.

Local sales taxes help fund essential public services.

We will not allow companies profiting from doing business in DC to evade paying their fair share or gain an unfair advantage.

If you suspect a person or company is submitting false claims or committing fraud against DC, contact our office at [email protected].

DC households that purchased electricity from third-party energy companies paid 70% more than standard PEPCO rates.

That's $17.8 million in overpayments in DC alone.

Some of these third-party energy companies are using predatory tactics to enroll new customers.

Now, Washington City Paper's reporting shows just how costly these tactics have been for DC residents.

Are you a District resident who has been deceived? OAG can help.

Report any deceptive sales tactics or scams you see to our office at 202-442-9828 or oag.dc.gov/complaint.

D.C. Third-Party Power Customers Paid 70 Percent More Than Pepco Rates, Costing Households Millions Low-income customers faced higher losses, while commercial users saved about $193 million, Department of Energy and Environment data shows.

May their spirits rest eternal and legacy never be forgotten.

This visit was long in the making and did not disappoint!

Thank you Pastor David Venable and Resurrection Baptist Church DC family for your incredibly warm welcome today. It was an honor to spend Memorial Day weekend with your congregation.

DC — don’t ride this heat wave with a broken AC!

I had the pleasure of running into the brothers of the DC Alumni Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc (DC Nupes) today!

In keeping with the proud KAΨ tradition of civic engagement, the Chapter was out in full force advocating for the needs of DC seniors and all our communities.

May they always strive for "Achievement in Every Field of Human Endeavor."

NEW: We won a $1.2 million court judgment against the former executive director of an H Street affordable housing nonprofit.

Kenneth Brewer illegally diverted $1.2 million of nonprofit funds to himself through improper bonuses.

Brewer was the director of both H Street Community Development Corporation (HSCDC) and its for-profit subsidiary the H Street Investment Corporation (HSIC) from 2010-2023.

In 2024, HSCDC sued Brewer for misappropriating nonprofit funds. After independently investigating, OAG intervened and filed its own lawsuit in 2025.

We alleged Brewer circumvented the HSCDC board and authorized process to award himself increasingly lucrative yearly bonuses:

💰 $150,000 in 2017
💰 $155,000 in 2018
💰 $250,000 in 2019
💰 $350,000 in 2021
💰 $350,000 in 2022

These bonuses significantly increased Brewer's total compensation.

We also alleged Brewer illegally sold HSCDC properties to fund his bonuses. Under DC law, proceeds from selling a charitable asset may not be diverted without a court order.

Finally, we alleged Brewer violated his duty to act in good faith and in the best interests of HSCDC.

The Court found Brewer improperly diverted nonprofit funds and violated his legal duty. It ordered Brewer to pay HSCDC back the full $1,225,000 in unauthorized bonuses he received.

The Court also created a constructive trust over Brewer's current assets so HSCDC can collect what it is owed.

We are clawing back the money so it can serve its original purpose: supporting affordable housing and economic opportunity on H Street.

DC Young Leaders Rising! ↗️ ↗️

Highlight of my week: hosting DC’s Youth Attorney General Zowie Boyd (Ward 5 resident) and Youth Mayor Rain’a Horn (Ward 6 resident) at OAG.

Rain’a was also one of our Right Direction Awards recipients last fall!

Thank you to Department of Employment Services’ Marion Barry Youth Leadership Institute for developing the next generation of changemakers!

DC HOUSING WIN: A developer will pay $400,000 to fix unsafe construction at a Ward 4 condo building.

The construction of 4022 Georgia Avenue NW was so faulty that it left the building physically swaying in the wind — endangering residents and damaging their homes

These DC residents' dream of owning a home turned into a nightmare.

After these problems were uncovered, the developer appealed a District order to fix the structural issues.

OAG went to court to stand up for these residents and won. In 2025, we successfully defended the order before the DC Court of Appeals.

Now, we have secured a settlement that delivers long-awaited relief for the residents.

Developer Steven Sushner will pay $400,000 to repair the building's structural issues.

In addition, proceeds from 4022 Georgia Avenue LLC's ongoing bankruptcy will also help fund these critical repairs.

No one should have to go through what these homeowners experienced. But now, after years of advocacy, help is on the way.