On October 14, 2026, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg Jr. announced the creation of a new Corporate Crime and Antitrust Task Force at his office.
The Task Force signals a growing commitment among state-level enforcers to pursue antitrust cases that federal authorities may not prioritise.
Investigators will focus on the “infrastructure of crime” and target the “high-level actors, corporations, and structures that enable and profit from crime,” according to the announcement.
Key areas of focus will include antitrust violations, healthcare fraud, and consumer fraud investigations, reflecting a broad mandate to tackle complex corporate wrongdoing.
The Task Force will be led by Matthew Bogdanos, a 40-year veteran of the Manhattan District Attorney’s office with extensive financial and complex white-collar crime experience.
Bogdanos, a senior trial counsel, will oversee a team of five Assistant District Attorneys and two investigators dedicated exclusively to the Task Force’s work.
One of the Task Force’s attorneys, Maia Lichtenstein, previously served as a trial attorney in the Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division, bringing significant federal enforcement experience to the unit.
Labor markets appear to be among the highest priorities for Bragg and the newly formed Task Force as it begins operations.
In 2023, Bragg created the first Worker Protection Unit at the District Attorney’s office to prosecute wage theft violations, establishing a clear pattern of labour-focused enforcement.
Early reporting suggests the Task Force will build on those efforts, ramping up antitrust investigations into conduct such as wage-fixing that reduces competition in labour markets.
The Task Force will initially target industries that Bragg believes are particularly vulnerable to employer collusion, including the healthcare, food service, and retail sectors.
The announcement reinforces a broader national trend of state prosecutors stepping into antitrust enforcement with renewed vigour and dedicated resources.