The Center for Constitutional Responsibility Asks District of Columbia Court to Consider Legality of Consumer Protection Law

Arlington, VA (February 28, 2025) – The Center for Constitutional Responsibility has asked the District of Columbia Superior Court to grant its request to intervene in Environmental Working Group v. Tyson’s Food Inc., a case in which EWG alleges that Tyson’s nationwide marketing and representations unlawfully deceived D.C. consumers in violation of the D.C. Consumer Protection Procedures Act.

The case involves claims brought by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) under a provision of the Consumer Protection Procedures Act (CPPA), which allows uninjured plaintiffs to act as private attorneys general and obtain broad recovery for others while receiving attorneys’ fees for itself. The Center argues that EWG, as an unelected and unaccountable entity, is using this authority to pursue a broader ideological agenda rather than focusing on genuine consumer harm in Washington, D.C. This raises significant concerns about the integrity and accountability of civil enforcement.

“Enforcement of our nation’s laws should be carried out by government officials who are accountable to the public, not private organizations with their own agendas,” said Karen Harned, Executive Director. “The Center believes that DC’s consumer protection law violates the separation of powers and the Due Process Clause of the Fifth Amendment by delegating enforcement authority to uninjured public interest organizations and we are hopeful the court will hear our claims.”

Read the Center for Constitutional Responsibility’s motion here.