Showing posts with label state attorney general. Show all posts
Showing posts with label state attorney general. Show all posts

AG Ferguson defeats first attempt to block Washington’s ban on the sale of assault weapons

Wednesday, June 7, 2023

Photo courtesy KCSO
SEATTLE — A federal judge today agreed with Attorney General Bob Ferguson and rejected an attempt to block Washington’s new law banning the sale of assault weapons.

U.S. District Court Judge Robert Bryan rejected a request in Hartford et al v. Ferguson et al to grant a preliminary injunction blocking the implementation of House Bill 1240

Judge Bryan is an appointee of President Ronald Reagan. Ferguson and Gov. Jay Inslee jointly requested the bill.

Ferguson first proposed a ban on the sale of assault weapons in 2017 in the wake of the 2016 mass shooting at a Mukilteo house party. The shooter used a military-style assault rifle and a high-capacity magazine. (See previous story)

This was the second time Inslee joined Ferguson to call for a ban on the sale of assault weapons.

The new law went into effect immediately after Inslee signed it on April 25. Legal challenges began the same day.

“We remain undefeated against the gun lobby in court,” Ferguson said. “This common-sense gun reform will save lives by restricting access to the preferred weapon of mass shooters.”

The new law prohibits the sale, manufacture, and import of assault weapons in Washington state while allowing reasonable exemptions for manufacture and sale to law enforcement and the military. The law does not prohibit the possession of assault weapons.

Washington is the tenth state to adopt similar legislation banning these weapons. Multiple federal courts upheld these public safety laws as constitutional.

Two other challenges to HB 1240 are pending, one in state court and one in federal court.

The Attorney General’s Office is undefeated in defending state law from attacks by the gun lobby:
  • Northwest School of Safety v. Ferguson: Plaintiffs including the Second Amendment Foundation challenge to Initiative 594, which required background checks on all gun sales.
  • Mitchell v. Atkins: Plaintiffs including the National Rifle Association and the Second Amendment Foundation challenge to Initiative 1639, which restricted the sale of assault weapons to individuals over the age of 21, and imposed background check requirements.
  • Slone v. Washington: Plaintiffs including Gun Owners of America challenge to I-1639.
  • Silent Majority Foundation, et al. v. Jay Inslee, et al: Plaintiffs including the Silent Majority Foundation challenge to House Bill 1705, banning ghost guns.
The Attorney General’s Office has also successfully brought cases to enforce firearms safety laws:
  • State of Washington, et al., v. U.S. Department of State et, al: Defendants including Defense Distributed and the Second Amendment Foundation, sought to distribute 3D-printable gun files.
  • State of Washington v. Federal Way Discount Guns: Defendants represented initially by the Silent Majority Foundation sold high-capacity magazines in violation of Washington law.


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AG Ferguson’s lawsuit forces Google to pay nearly $40M over deceptive location tracking

Friday, May 19, 2023

Attorney General Bob Ferguson today announced Google will pay $39.9 million to Washington state as a result of his office’s lawsuit over misleading location tracking practices. Google will also implement a slate of court-ordered reforms to increase transparency about its location tracking settings.

Ferguson’s lawsuit against Google asserted that the tech giant deceptively led consumers to believe that they have control over how Google collects and uses their location data. In reality, consumers could not effectively prevent Google from collecting, storing and profiting from their location data.

Ferguson investigated Google’s conduct as part of a multistate effort. Instead of joining a multistate settlement, Ferguson’s office independently filed its own lawsuit and obtained this resolution. The Attorney General’s Office estimates Washington received more than double the amount it would have received under the wider multistate settlement.

“Google denied Washington consumers the ability to choose whether the company could track their sensitive location data, deceived them about their privacy options, and profited from that conduct,” Ferguson said. “Today’s resolution holds one of the most powerful corporations accountable for its unethical and unlawful tactics.”

In addition to paying nearly $40 million, the legally binding consent decree, filed in King County Superior Court, requires Google to be more transparent with consumers about how it tracks and uses consumer data. Under this consent decree, Google must:Show additional information to users whenever they enable a location-related account setting by describing the sources, purposes and retention of relevant location data;
  • Ensure users see information about location tracking; and
  • Give users detailed information at an enhanced “Location Technologies” webpage about the types of location data Google collects and how it will use that data.
Ferguson investigated Google’s conduct as part of a multistate effort to hold it accountable for its location tracking practices in the wake of reports of the company’s misleading “Web and App Activity” setting. 

Ferguson’s office independently filed a lawsuit and obtained a resolution separate from a multistate legal action. As a result, the Attorney General’s Office estimates Washington received double the amount it would have received under the wider multistate settlement.

The Attorney General’s Office will use money from the resolution to continue enforcement of the Consumer Protection Act and take more actions to protect Washingtonians’ data privacy. The Consumer Protection Division receives minimal general fund support and largely funds itself through recoveries in cases like this.



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AG Ferguson, Rep. Mena bill protecting Washingtonians from utility shut-offs during extreme heat signed into law

Sunday, April 23, 2023

AG Ferguson, Rep. Joe Nguyen, Rep Sharlett Mena stand with Gov. Inslee as he signs their bill
Photo courtesy AG Office

OLYMPIA — Gov. Jay Inslee signed into law a bill Attorney General Bob Ferguson partnered on with Rep. Sharlett Mena, D-Tacoma, to ensure a utility operator cannot shut off Washingtonians’ power or water when the National Weather Service issues a heat-related warning or alert.

The bill, House Bill 1329, does not relieve Washingtonians of their obligation to pay their utility bills. It protects human health and safety by preventing electricity shutoffs for failure to pay during extreme heat. It does not prohibit utilities from shutting off power to prevent or mitigate damage from forest fires.

It passed the Senate on April 10, 2023 with a 29-20 vote. The House passed the bill with a bipartisan 64-31 vote in late February.

Sen. Joe Nguyen, D-White Center, sponsored a companion bill in the senate.

“This will provide a tangible, important, life-saving benefit to Washingtonians,” Ferguson said.

“Extreme heat is risky for seniors, people with disabilities, folks who work outside, and anyone who can’t afford their utility bill;” Rep. Mena said. “Power and water can be a matter of life and death during a heat wave. This legislation will ensure that every Washingtonian has the ability to protect themselves against extreme heat.”

The bill places a moratorium on utility shutoffs for inability to pay during a Weather Service heat-related warning or alert. The legislation protects all Washingtonians’ access to electric fans, working refrigerators and running water during extreme heat, as well as air conditioning for residents with access.

More information here



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AG Ferguson, Rep. Slatter bill creating health data privacy protections passes Legislature

Tuesday, April 18, 2023

Photo by Irwan @tweetbyirwan on Unsplash
On Monday, April 17, 2023 the Legislature passed a bill Attorney General Bob Ferguson partnered on with Rep. Vandana Slatter, D-Bellevue, to close the gap on health data privacy protections.

The bill will provide Washingtonians more control of their health data and protect those who come from out of state to access reproductive and gender-affirming care.

The vote follows a Northwest Progressive Institute poll that showed 76% of Washingtonians support stronger privacy protections for their health data. 

The language in the poll mirrored the wording in the bill, HB1155.

The House approved the bill with a 57-39 vote in March. The bill passed the Senate with a 27-21 vote on April 5, but with amendments. The House agreed to those amendments today. It will now head to Gov. Inslee for his signature.

Sen. Manka Dhingra, D-Redmond, sponsored the companion bill in the Senate.

The new law will:
  • Require entities that collect Washingtonians’ personal health data to publish a distinct privacy policy to disclose how they use that health data;
  • Prohibit entities from collecting and sharing Washingtonians’ health data without their consent;
  • Protect Washingtonians’ sensitive health data from being sold to third parties without valid authorization;
  • Guarantee Washingtonians the right to withdraw consent and request their data be deleted; and
  • Restrict geo-fencing around health care facilities to send Washingtonians messages.

The bill creates two ways to enforce the law: either the Attorney General’s Office can investigate violations and pursue litigation, or Washingtonians can bring their own civil lawsuits, using a private right of action. This legislation is one of the only data privacy bills in the nation that includes a private right of action.

“This law provides Washingtonians control over their personal health data,” Ferguson said. “Washingtonians deserve the right to decide who shares and sells their health data, and the freedom to demand that corporations delete their sensitive health data — and will now have these protections.”

More information here


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AG Ferguson, Rep. Leavitt bill providing accountability for illegal robocalls passes legislature

Wednesday, April 12, 2023

OLYMPIA — On April 5, 2023, the Legislature passed a bill Attorney General Bob Ferguson partnered with Rep. Mari Leavitt, D-University Place, to help combat illegal robocalls.

Washington’s current anti-robocalling law is weak and out-of-date. 

The bill will modernize state laws by:Mirroring federal law to prohibit solicitations to people on the Do Not Call Registry, and providing the Attorney General’s Office authority to enforce this prohibition in state court;
  • Making it illegal to deliberately falsify a caller ID display to disguise a caller’s identity; and
  • Creating accountability for voice service providers by making it a violation to knowingly facilitate illegal robocall solicitations. 
Voice providers are in a unique position to stop the flow of robocalls because they know the origin, frequency and the duration of calls on their service. This new law creates an incentive for providers to be a partner in blocking illegal robocalls. 

For example, a voice provider that has an overseas customer making millions of short duration calls a day into the United States, using caller IDs with area codes that match the called number, are clear indications of illegal robocalls. 

In addition, when a consumer (or a screening service) receives a known illegal robocall, that call can be traced backed to the originating provider. At which point, the provider has received actual knowledge that the content of the call is a scam, and that its customer is a scammer.

This law makes providers accountable so that they stop doing business with known bad actors, and so that they implement robocall mitigation measures to monitor for bad actors and stop those robocalls.

The bill, House Bill 1051, passed the Senate with a unanimous 48-0 vote. With a unanimous 96-0 vote in late February, the state House also passed the bill. It will now head to Gov. Inslee for his signature.

The legislation is part of Attorney General Ferguson’s anti-robocalling initiative to combat fraudulent, harassing and illegal robocalls.


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AG Ferguson wins $35 million and counting for Washingtonians from co-conspirators in chicken price-fixing case

Tuesday, April 11, 2023

Attorney General Bob Ferguson announced the recovery of $35 million and counting as a result of his lawsuit over price-fixing on chicken products. 

Fourteen of the 19 chicken producers named in the lawsuit paid $35 million to resolve claims against them. Ferguson’s office is working on a plan to distribute recoveries from this lawsuit to assist impacted Washingtonians.

Ferguson filed the lawsuit in King County Superior Court in October 2021. A trial against the remaining co-conspirators is scheduled for October 2024.

The conspiracy harmed an estimated 90 percent of Washingtonians, or approximately seven million individuals. Broiler chickens are used for everything from chicken breasts consumers purchase at the grocery store, to chicken nuggets and chicken sandwiches individuals buy at fast food restaurants. Consequently, the scheme impacted virtually everyone who consumes chicken products.

“If you bought chicken in the last several years, you paid more for that chicken than you should have because of the illegal conduct from these companies,” Ferguson said. 
“This is yet another milestone in our case against the companies involved in this conspiracy — but we are not done. They drove up the price of chicken and cheated hardworking Washingtonians. Antitrust laws protect consumers when company executives conspire to rig the system. I will hold all of the conspirators accountable.”

The Attorney General’s Office asserts all 19 chicken producers drove up the price of chicken since at least 2008, causing consumers to overpay by millions of dollars. The lawsuit asserts a widespread illegal conspiracy to inflate and manipulate prices, rig contract bids, illegally exchange information and coordinate industry supply reductions to maximize profits.

Two other states, Alaska and New Mexico, filed similar antitrust cases against national chicken producers. Washington is the first state to hold chicken production companies accountable for their roles in the price-fixing conspiracy.

The resolutions involve three of the country’s four largest chicken producers — Perdue Farms, Tyson Foods and Pilgrim’s Pride. In reaching these settlements, the Attorney General's Office considered all of the evidence in the case, including the defendants' liability, sales in Washington and the monetary harm caused by the conspiracy.

More information here


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Senate approves AG Ferguson, Gov. Inslee legislation banning sale of assault weapons

Sunday, April 9, 2023

Ban on sale of assault weapons
OLYMPIA — Both chambers of the Washington State Legislature have now approved a historic ban on the sale of assault weapons in Washington state.

House Bill 1240, requested by Attorney General Bob Ferguson and Gov. Jay Inslee and sponsored by Rep. Strom Peterson, D-Edmonds, passed the House of Representatives on March 8, 2023 and the Senate on April 8, 2023 in historic votes. 

Amendments in the Senate make a concurrence vote necessary in the House. The bill will head to Gov. Inslee for his signature after concurrence.

Ferguson first proposed a ban on the sale of assault weapons in 2017 in the wake of the 2016 mass shooting at a Mukilteo house party. The shooter used a military-style assault rifle and a high-capacity magazine. (See previous article) (See follow up article)

Peterson has sponsored the House version of the proposal every year Ferguson requested it. Sen. Patty Kuderer, D-Bellevue, also a longtime champion, sponsored the companion bill in the Senate.

“Stop and think for a moment that firearms are now the leading cause of death among children in the U.S.,” Kuderer said. 

“Not traffic accidents. Not cancer or other illnesses. Not poisoning. Firearms. To ignore the seemingly endless instances of gun violence in our country would put us on the wrong side of history. 

"These weapons of war have no place in our schools, places of worship, our streets or in our communities. Banning assault weapons marks a victory for common sense and will help us move toward a safer future for Washingtonians.”

“The Senate today put public safety above the interest of the gun lobby,” Ferguson said. “The devastation of mass shootings extends far beyond the casualties and injuries. Mass shootings traumatize entire communities. We must stop selling these weapons of war in Washington.”

“Time and again we’ve seen the carnage these weapons allow people to unleash on communities," said Inslee. 'Time and again we’ve watched the NRA and politicians defend, normalize and even celebrate these weapons. But now the time is here when the majority’s will prevails and we put the lives of our children first.”

Our nation is averaging well over one mass shooting every single day and have been for years,” Peterson said. 
“Gun violence cuts short too many lives, leaves survivors with a lifetime of trauma and forces our kids to live every day with the fear of an active shooter. We need to do more to slow gun violence and with today’s vote, we are taking that next important step to protect the people we love.”

This legislation prohibits the sale, manufacture, and import of assault weapons in Washington state while allowing reasonable exemptions for manufacture and sale to law enforcement and the military. The legislation does not prohibit the possession of assault weapons.

Washington becomes the tenth state to adopt similar legislation banning these weapons. Multiple federal courts upheld these public safety laws as constitutional.



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AG sues Food and Drug Administration for excessively burdensome regulation on abortion drug

Saturday, February 25, 2023

Attorney General Bob Ferguson announced today he is leading a multistate federal lawsuit against the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) accusing it of singling out one of the two drugs used for medication abortions for excessively burdensome regulation, despite ample evidence that the drug is safer than Tylenol.

Today’s lawsuit is Ferguson’s tenth case filed against the Biden administration. Of those cases, Ferguson’s office has four legal victories and has yet to lose a case.

The lawsuit, co-led by Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson and Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum, was filed in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Washington. Nevada, Delaware, Arizona, Illinois, Connecticut, Colorado, Vermont, New Mexico, Michigan and Rhode Island also joined the lawsuit.

“The federal government has known for years that mifepristone is safe and effective,” Ferguson said. 
“In the wake of the Supreme Court’s radical decision overturning Roe v. Wade, the FDA is now exposing doctors, pharmacists and patients to unnecessary risk. The FDA’s excessive restrictions on this important drug have no basis in medical science.”
More information here



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AG: New website available for Washingtonians seeking pro bono legal services regarding their reproductive rights

Friday, February 24, 2023

SEATTLE — Attorney General Bob Ferguson announced today that health care providers, seekers, and helpers in Washington have a new avenue to obtain pro bono legal assistance to facilitate abortion access.

Help can be found at a new legal services website managed by the Lawyering Project — abortiondefensenetwork.org

Washingtonians seeking help through the website will be connected to attorneys in a nationwide pro bono network, including several Washington law firms recruited by the Attorney General’s Office, to provide free legal guidance and resources.

Advocacy organizations have also partnered with the law firms and the Attorney General’s Office to connect Washingtonians to these important legal services. The ACLU of Washington, Legal Voice and If/When/How provided training to Washington attorneys.

“Radical laws in other states are creating chaos for providers, out-of-state patients and individuals assisting their friends and family to access health care,” Ferguson said. 
“The changing legal landscape is causing providers and others to question whether they face legal jeopardy by helping someone come to Washington for legal abortion care. This resource will help them navigate these important issues and protect their freedoms.”

“Know Your Rights”
Ferguson also produced a “know your rights” brochure and a specific form for Washingtonians to file complaints about violations to their reproductive rights. The brochure, available on the Attorney General’s website, is a guide to Washington state law’s protections for abortion and contraception access. The two-page document covers Washington’s guaranteed right to choose abortion, access for pregnant people from other states, insurance coverage for abortion care, emergency contraception access and more.

Anyone with complaints or concerns about violations of reproductive rights under state law is encouraged to file a complaint with the Attorney General’s Office.

Background
Following the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Center, overturning Roe v. Wade, the nearly five-decade-old opinion that recognized abortion as a constitutional right, some states continue to protect abortion rights. Others have enacted restrictive and punitive anti-abortion laws, raising unprecedented legal questions for health care providers and people seeking reproductive health care. Amid this shifting legal landscape, confusion, uncertainty and misinformation threaten to chill access to abortion care — even in states like Washington, where the right to choose abortion and provide health care is protected.

The website, managed by the Lawyering Project, connects individuals with legal support in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision. Backed by a nationwide network of trained attorneys, it is designed to help providers and patients around the country understand their legal rights. Ferguson convened law firms and advocacy organizations in Washington to ensure that attorneys are available to advise anyone who is seeking legal guidance about providing or receiving abortion care in Washington state.

According to a friend of the court brief Ferguson filed in August, clinics in Eastern Washington have seen a “massive influx” of patients from Idaho, which has severely restricted abortion access after the Dobbs decision.

Planned Parenthood told Crosscut that 62% of patients at its Pullman clinic were from Idaho in June. The following month, that number jumped to 78% — nearly double the rate from the previous year. The Pullman clinic is just 10 miles from the Idaho border. After it closed its Boise, Idaho, clinic, Planned Parenthood also reported seeing Idaho patients at its Kennewick and Walla Walla clinics, more than four hours away from Boise.

Washington Department of Health data show that between May of 2020 and the end of October of 2022, there were just short of 1,400 emergency department visits in Washington state where abortion was used to treat an emergency medical condition, including life-threatening pregnancy complications. More than a third of those visits — 508 — happened in the last year.

For more information about accessing abortion in Washington state, visit the state Department of Health’s abortion information page.

First Assistant Attorney General Kristin Beneski coordinated the AGO’s outreach to participating firms and organizations.



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Attorney General: $9.3M in stolen unemployment money recovered for Washington state

Tuesday, January 24, 2023

OLYMPIA — Attorney General Bob Ferguson recently announced that his office recovered another $9.3 million stolen as part of a massive fraud perpetrated against states across the country. 

The money had been deposited by fraudsters into Bank of America accounts, and last week a King County Superior Court judge ordered Bank of America to return the stolen funds to Washington state.

Ferguson’s Complex Litigation Division has now used forfeiture laws to recover $33.7 million stolen from the Employment Security Department. Essentially, the Attorney General is recovering stolen money sitting in accounts at banks and other institutions such as PayPal. 

While multiple states suffered substantial losses, Attorney General Ferguson remains the only state attorney general to exercise state asset forfeiture powers to recover these taxpayer dollars.

During the pandemic, sophisticated fraud rings used identity data harvested from data breaches to steal tens of billions of dollars from at least 11 states, including Washington.

Attorney General Ferguson initiated a unique investigation searching for bank accounts where fraudsters had not yet withdrawn all stolen funds, and launched a legal effort to reclaim these funds for the state. 

To date, financial institutions across the country have cooperated with the Attorney General’s investigation. The Attorney General’s Office anticipates additional recoveries from other financial institutions in the months ahead. The recovered resources go back to the state and federal unemployment systems.

“Our initiative is delivering results for taxpayers,” Ferguson said. “Fraudsters parked this money in accounts with banks and financial institutions all over the country. We’re going directly to those institutions to get it back. We are not slowing down.”

More information here



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AG Ferguson files lawsuits against three national pharmacy chains

Thursday, December 22, 2022

Photo by Stephen Foster on Unsplash
Attorney General Bob Ferguson filed a lawsuit today against Albertsons, Krogers and Rite Aid, whose pharmacy chains helped fuel Washington state’s opioid epidemic. 

Ferguson asserts the pharmacies served as the last line of defense in the opioid supply chain and failed in their collective responsibility to prevent the overuse of opioid prescriptions.

Ferguson also announced today resolutions with five other companies that produced or sold opioids. This will bring Washington state’s total recoveries to more than $1.1 billion for funding opioid abatement and treatment programs.

These announced resolutions are not final until certain conditions are met: Each company will evaluate the number of states that join then decide whether to proceed with notices to local governments.

“Opioids tore apart Washington families, overburdened our health care system and caused an epidemic of addiction we are still struggling to contain,” Ferguson said. 
“My office won a billion dollars to help fund recovery efforts, but I am not done. I will continue to hold accountable the corporations that enriched themselves off the suffering of Washington families.”

More information here



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AG Ferguson files lawsuit against Federal Way gun retailer and its owner for unlawfully selling high-capacity magazines

Thursday, December 8, 2022

Federal Way Discount Guns
Photo courtesy AG Office
Attorney General Bob Ferguson today announced a consumer protection lawsuit against Federal Way Discount Guns and its owner, Mohammed Reza Baghai, for illegally selling high-capacity magazines despite the ban on such products in our state. 

Ferguson is also seeking an injunction that would block the store from selling high-capacity magazines. The defendants face a maximum penalty of $7,500 every time the store offered a high-capacity magazine for sale and $7,500 every time it illegally sold a high-capacity magazine.

The lawsuit follows a statewide sweep of gun dealers conducted by investigators in Ferguson’s office. 

Attorney General investigators visited 25 firearms retailers across Washington to confirm that the retailers were complying with the new law. by attempting to purchase the unlawful magazines. Only two retailers did not comply, including Federal Way Discount Guns. The investigation into the other retailer is ongoing.

More information here



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AG Ferguson: Appeals court upholds campaign finance ruling against Tim Eyman

Wednesday, December 7, 2022

Tim Eyman loses appeals
OLYMPIA — A Washington state appeals court today upheld virtually all of the ruling against initiative promoter Tim Eyman in the campaign finance case brought by Attorney General Bob Ferguson.

In 2021, a Thurston County Superior Court judge ruled that Eyman intentionally committed “numerous and blatant violations” of Washington’s voter-approved campaign finance laws. On multiple occasions, the state caught him illegally and intentionally concealing hundreds of thousands of dollars in campaign contributions that ended up in his personal bank account.

Following a trial, the court ordered Eyman to pay a civil penalty of $2.6 million. In addition, the court ordered Eyman to pay $2.9 million to cover the state’s costs and fees associated with investigating and prosecuting the case. Eyman subsequently appealed, resulting in today’s decision.

“Yet another court determined that Tim Eyman engaged in an intentional conspiracy to conceal political contributions and kickback payments to himself,” Ferguson said. 
“We appreciate that the Court unanimously upheld the overwhelming majority of the trial court’s ruling, including affirming Eyman’s numerous egregious and intentional violations, and keeping in place key court orders to make it harder for Eyman to engage in future illegal conduct. 
"Importantly, the Court of Appeals ruled that the State is the ‘predominantly prevailing party’ in this appeal. Consequently, the court ordered Eyman to reimburse the costs we incurred responding to his appeal. This is in addition to the $2.9 million in attorneys’ fees he must already pay, which the Court of Appeals upheld.”

Highlights from the court’s detailed ruling here



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AG Ferguson pursues funding for organized retail crime unit

Friday, November 25, 2022

Break in at Shoreline business.
Photo courtesy KCSO
Attorney General Bob Ferguson announced that he is pursuing funding from the Legislature to establish an Organized Retail Crime Unit in his office.

Organized Retail Crime involves a group of individuals that steal products not for their own personal use, but to resell them for a profit. 

This does not include general retail crimes like petty theft, shoplifting or poverty-driven crimes.

Ferguson convened an Organized Retail Crime Task Force this year to improve coordination and collaboration among law enforcement agencies to address these multi-jurisdictional crimes that endanger employees and cause significant economic harm to our state. 

The Task Force is focused on sophisticated, organized crime rings that account for almost $70 billion in retail losses across the country. More than 100 individuals attended the first Task Force meeting, including retailers, workers, small business owners and state, local and federal law enforcement. 

A consistent message at the meeting was the need for additional resources to address these sophisticated crimes.

Kenmore break in.
Photo courtesy KCSO
The Organized Retail Crimes Unit will be able to assist with investigations — including coordinating them across multiple jurisdictions — and deploy resources where they are most needed. 

The unit will also be able to prosecute cases referred the office by county prosecutors. Without such a referral, the Attorney General’s Office has no jurisdiction over criminal matters.

“Washington law enforcement agencies have limited resources to tackle these sophisticated crimes,” Ferguson said. 
“A modest investment in a centralized statewide organized retail crimes unit will hold criminals accountable and deter crimes which cause significant economic harm to our state.”

“As the retail industry continues to recover from the pandemic, there has never been a more critical time in Washington state to address the growing impacts of organized retail crime on public safety and the safety of our customers and retail employees,” said Renée Sunde, president and CEO of the Washington Retail Association. 

“Funding the unit is an important part of a multi-pronged approach to coordinate the efforts of state and local law enforcement, prosecutors, retailers and policymakers at multiple agencies and levels of government.”

“Organized retail crime harms workers in communities across our state,” said Faye Guenther, president of UFCW 3000. “A centralized unit in the Attorney General’s Office focused on combating this problem will improve the lives of Washingtonians.”

UFCW 3000 is the largest UFCW local union in the country with over 50,000 members working in grocery, retail, health care, meat packing, cannabis and other industries across Washington state, northeast Oregon and northern Idaho.

To fund the 10 full-time positions, the Attorney General’s Office is asking for approximately $1.5 million per year.

Nine other states have a task force dedicated to organized retail crime. Multiple states recently established similar units in their state attorney general’s office, including Arizona and Michigan.



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Judge grants AG Ferguson’s request for maximum $24.6M penalty against Facebook parent Meta

Wednesday, October 26, 2022

OLYMPIA — A King County Superior Court judge today issued the maximum penalty of $24.6 million against Facebook’s parent company, Meta, in Attorney General Bob Ferguson’s campaign finance transparency lawsuit. Ferguson had requested the maximum penalty be imposed.

Judge Douglass North ruled that Meta intentionally violated Washington law 822 times. Because the violations were intentional, the court had the option to triple the penalty, for a maximum of $30,000 per violation.

Today, Judge North ordered Facebook to pay the maximum penalty: $24,660,000. This represents the largest campaign finance penalty anywhere in the country — ever.

Judge North also ordered Facebook to reimburse the Attorney General’s costs and fees, and ordered that those attorneys’ fees should also be tripled “as punitive damages for Meta’s intentional violations of state law.” 

That amount will be determined at a later date, but Ferguson’s office is requesting a total of $10.5 million, which includes the treble damages. The court ruled that Meta must pay 12 percent interest per year on the total judgment, starting from when the payments are due. By law, campaign finance penalties go to the State Public Disclosure Transparency Account.

“I have one word for Facebook’s conduct in this case — arrogance,” Ferguson said. 
“It intentionally disregarded Washington’s election transparency laws. But that wasn’t enough. Facebook argued in court that those laws should be declared unconstitutional. 
"That’s breathtaking. Where’s the corporate responsibility? I urge Facebook to come to its senses, accept responsibility, apologize for its conduct, and comply with the law. If Facebook refuses to do this, we will beat them again in court.”

This law requires campaign advertisers, including entities such as Meta that host political ads, to make information about Washington political ads that run on their platforms available for public inspection in a timely manner. The state asserted that Meta violated the law repeatedly since December 2018 and committed hundreds of violations.

The Attorney General’s campaign finance enforcement has in recent years resulted in two other findings of intentional violations: One against the Consumer Brands Association, formerly known as the Grocery Manufacturers Association, totaling $9 million, the other against initiative promoter Tim Eyman for $2.6 million.

More information here



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AG Ferguson seeks maximum $24.6M penalty against Facebook parent Meta for violating Washington's campaign finance transparency law

Saturday, October 15, 2022

OLYMPIA — Attorney General Bob Ferguson announced today he has filed a motion seeking the maximum penalty of $24.6 million against Facebook’s parent company, Meta, over its 822 intentional violations of Washington’s campaign finance transparency law.

On Oct. 6, King County Superior Court Judge Douglass North ruled that Meta violated Washington law 822 times, and that its violations were intentional. Because the violations were intentional, it allows the court to triple the penalty, for a maximum of $30,000 per violation. By law, campaign finance penalties go to the State Public Disclosure Transparency Account.

At a Sept. 2 hearing, Judge North rejected assertions by Meta that complying with the law was too burdensome, saying: “The only … information that has to be made available is the information that Meta is already collecting. They necessarily collect it in order to be able to run the ads that they’re running. So all they have to do in order to display it is essentially press a button.”

“We have penalties for a reason,” Ferguson said. “Facebook is a repeat, intentional violator of the law. It’s a sophisticated company. Instead of accepting responsibility and apologizing for its conduct, Facebook went to court to gut our campaign finance law in order to avoid accountability. If this case doesn’t warrant a maximum penalty, what does?”


This law requires campaign advertisers, including entities such as Meta that host political ads, to make information about Washington political ads that run on their platforms available for public inspection in a timely manner. The state asserted that Meta violated the law repeatedly since December 2018 and committed hundreds of violations.

The judge concluded that Meta repeatedly and intentionally violated the law and must pay penalties. The exact amount of penalties will be determined at a later date. Under state law, the court can assess a civil penalty of up to $10,000 per violation. 

In addition, because Meta’s violations are found to have been intentional, the court may triple the amount of the judgment as punitive damages. By law, campaign finance penalties go to the State Public Disclosure Transparency Account.

More information here



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AG Ferguson: 59% of Washingtonians may have been duped into subscription plans

Tuesday, October 11, 2022

OLYMPIA — Attorney General Bob Ferguson released the results of a consumer survey revealing that 59% of Washingtonians may have been unintentionally enrolled in a subscription plan or service when they thought they made a one-time purchase, highlighting a problem that may be impacting millions of Washingtonians. 

The U.S. Census Bureau estimates that just over 6 million adults live in Washington state. Consequently, 59% represents 3.5 million Washingtonians. Respondents reported that pre-check boxes constitute a significant source of the problem.

The survey also reveals that approximately 100,000 Washingtonians may have been unable to cancel the unwanted subscription because it was too difficult.

The Attorney General’s Office recently commissioned the online survey of 1,207 adult Washington consumers. The survey is part of the Attorney General’s Honest Fees Initiative.

Attorney General Ferguson urges consumers to file a complaint with his office if they inadvertently signed up for a subscription while attempting to make a one-time purchase. The Attorney General’s Office responds to every consumer complaint. 

It fields approximately 24,000 complaints annually, and returns approximately $18 million per year to consumers through its informal complaint resolution process, which involves working with businesses to resolve consumer complaints pre-investigation or litigation.




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AG Ferguson: Half-billion dollars to fight opioid epidemic will start flowing December 1

Saturday, October 8, 2022

SEATTLE — Attorney General Bob Ferguson announced that Washington state is set to receive the maximum $518 million under a resolution with three companies found to have played key roles in fueling the opioid epidemic.

All 125 eligible local governments signed onto the half-billion dollar opioid resolution stemming from Ferguson’s lawsuit.

The completion of the resolution ends Ferguson’s lawsuit. The first payments will begin flowing to Washington communities Dec. 1.

After rejecting a national settlement, Ferguson went to trial against McKesson Corp., Cardinal Health Inc. and AmerisourceBergen Drug Corp. in King County Superior Court on Nov. 15, 2021.

The trial lasted six months, and led to a resolution requiring the three Fortune 15 companies to pay a total of $518 million — $46 million more than Washington would have received under the national settlement. 

Ferguson is directing the additional $46 million be used to provide substance abuse treatment and support other strategies to address the opioid crisis, including housing and other wrap-around services.

All 125 jurisdictions joined the resolution, ensuring that the maximum recovery would come to Washington. Local governments will receive a total of $215 million, divided per an agreement negotiated amongst themselves

The state will also receive $215 million to fund opioid remediation, plus the additional $46 million Ferguson is directing to that purpose. In all, more than $476 million will be directed to addressing the opioid epidemic in Washington, paid over a period of 17 years.

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AG Ferguson seeks to stop Seattle business scamming immigrants

Thursday, September 29, 2022


SEATTLE — Attorney General Bob Ferguson has filed a lawsuit against a Seattle business and its owner for preying on new immigrants by making deceptive promises to help them with legal assistance for immigration needs then later abandoning them in courtrooms after charging thousands of dollars.

Ana Caroline Pinto do Nascimento, who owns ACN and Associates, LLC, targets Portuguese-speaking immigrants from Brazil. 

Nascimento is not a licensed attorney in Washington state nor does she have an educational background in the law. According to consumer complaints, Nascimento tells families she will represent them in immigration courts, but she has never appeared in any courts because she is not an attorney. When families ask for their money back, Nascimento refuses or delays.

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Washington’s consumer protection laws protect everyone who lives in our state. The Attorney General’s Office is here to help all consumers. We will not ask about your immigration status.
  • Notify the Attorney General’s Office if you were in contact with someone who:
  • Advertised as a “notario público,” “notario,” immigration assistant, consultant or specialist.
  • Charged you a fee for referring you to an immigration attorney.
  • Charged you a fee for U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services forms, or to file the forms.
  • Asked you to sign a form that contained false information.
  • Proposed they can “find” you a sponsor or spouse to get you a green card.
Do not agree to pay anyone for legal advice or assistance in an immigration matter until you confirm that he or she is a licensed attorney or federally accredited representative authorized to provide such services.



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AG Ferguson: Judge rules Facebook parent Meta intentionally violated campaign finance laws

Monday, September 5, 2022

OLYMPIA — Attorney General Bob Ferguson recently announced that a King County Superior Court judge ruled that Facebook parent company Meta repeatedly violated Washington’s campaign finance transparency law. The judge also denied Meta’s attempt to gut Washington’s campaign transparency law.

In July, Ferguson filed a summary judgment motion against Meta arguing that the tech giant committed hundreds of intentional violations of Washington state’s campaign finance transparency law. At a hearing today, the judge granted the state’s motion for summary judgment against the company.

This law requires campaign advertisers, including entities such as Meta that host political ads, to make information about Washington political ads that run on their platforms available for public inspection in a timely manner. The state asserted that Meta violated the law repeatedly since December 2018 and committed hundreds of violations.

The judge concluded that Meta repeatedly and intentionally violated the law and must pay penalties. The exact amount of penalties will be determined at a later date. Under state law, the court can assess a civil penalty of up to $10,000 per violation. In addition, because Meta’s violations are found to have been intentional, the court may triple the amount of the judgment as punitive damages. By law, campaign finance penalties go to the State Public Disclosure Transparency Account.

The judge also denied Meta’s motion for summary judgment, which asked the court to strike down a key provision of Washington’s decades-old, best-in-the-nation law. Meta tried to strike down the law despite repeatedly stating publicly that it is committed to “providing transparency during elections.”

“We defeated Facebook’s cynical attempt to strike down our campaign finance transparency law,” Ferguson said. “On behalf of the people of Washington, I challenge Facebook to accept this decision and do something very simple – follow the law.”

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