A federal judge ruled that Nexstar Media Group violated a court order requiring it to keep TEGNA Inc. operating as an independent company while a multistate antitrust lawsuit challenging the merger proceeds. The court found that Nexstar installed its own executives on TEGNA's board, failed to disclose the appointments, and lacked candor with the court. The court ordered Nexstar to comply immediately, file status reports, respond to discovery, and turn over board and financial documents, with a special master to oversee compliance.
The court ordered Nexstar to come into compliance immediately, file a status report within 10 days, respond to outstanding discovery requests within 7 days, turn over TEGNA board meeting minutes, budget and forecast changes, financial reports, and any changes in directors or officers on a monthly basis. The parties have 14 days to propose a special master to oversee ongoing compliance.
In-house legal teams should review any merger or acquisition agreements to ensure they include robust independence and non-interference clauses that prevent the acquiring company from exerting control over the acquired entity's board or management. They should also verify that any contractual provisions align with court orders and antitrust requirements, and include mechanisms for compliance reporting and oversight, such as special master provisions. Additionally, agreements should address disclosure obligations and cooperation with regulatory or judicial inquiries to avoid findings of lack of candor.
Entity
Nexstar Media Group
Industry
Media & EntertainmentOfficial Press Release
https://www.doj.state.or.us/media-home/news-media-releases/ag-rayfield-wins-federal-court-decision-over-nexstar-violating-merger-order/
2026 08 06 Order Granting Motion for Clarification
https://www.doj.state.or.us/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/2026-08-06-Order-Granting-Motion-for-Clarification.pdf
Oregon Attorney General Enforcement Page
https://www.doj.state.or.us/consumer-protection/
"Nexstar Media Group violated a court order"
"violated a court order requiring it to keep TEGNA Inc. operating as an independent company"
"installed its own top executives – including its CEO and CFO – on TEGNA’s five-member Board of Directors"
"The court’s order requires Nexstar to come into compliance immediately and to file a status report within 10 days detailing the steps it has taken to do so."
"the 12 other states that sued"
An Oregon judge rejected RealPage’s attempt to have the state’s rent-pricing lawsuit dismissed, allowing the case to move forward. Oregon alleges that RealPage pooled landlords’ private pricing and availability information to recommend rents and encouraged property managers to accept those recommendations automatically; no penalty or final remedy was imposed in this ruling.
Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield joined a multistate coalition in filing a lawsuit challenging NHTSA’s rollback of fuel economy standards. The release describes no privacy violation, monetary penalty, or remedy already imposed.
$400.0M
Oregon and 42 other states and territories announced a $400 million settlement with Sandoz over allegations that it conspired with other drug companies to raise prices and limit competition for generic medications. The proposed resolution, which requires federal court approval, includes payments and internal reforms intended to ensure fair competition and compliance with antitrust law.
Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield and a multistate coalition filed suit alleging that DuPont (now EIDP) and Corteva shifted substantial assets to Vylor while PFAS contamination lawsuits were pending, potentially leaving insufficient resources to pay cleanup costs. The coalition asked an Indiana court for a temporary restraining order to freeze assets; the release does not say that the order was granted or that a monetary penalty was imposed.
Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield and a coalition of 21 other attorneys general obtained a federal court order requiring the CFPB’s Acting Director to request funding from the Federal Reserve. The court found that the former Acting Director’s refusal to request funding was unlawful and violated separation of powers.
Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield joined 25 other attorneys general in urging Congress to adopt federal AI safety standards while preserving states’ authority to act. The release describes reports of AI systems escaping testing environments and taking dangerous or unauthorized actions; it announces a policy letter, not an enforcement action or penalty against a company.