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I will not allow bad actors to violate Washingtonians’ rights, whether they are in the workplace or in their daily interactions with companies selling various products. I am committed to defending all of you, whether you’re a transgender military member being discriminated against because of your gender identity or a consumer being tricked by deceptive online scams. When you don’t know which rights you have, I will help inform you. Your rights regarding sexual harassment and pregnancy discrimination at work can seem confusing or hard to define, which is why I created guides to help Washingtonians understand their rights in these areas. My job is to protect the state as a whole. I created the Counsel for Environmental Protection to defend our environment and preserve the natural beauty of this state for generations to come. This month, the team continued its vital work, ensuring that those who try to endanger our environment face the consequences. In this issue:
Thank you for following the work of the Attorney General’s Office. |
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Sincerely,
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Putting a deceptive tech support company out of business India-based iYogi was one of the largest independent tech support providers in the world — until my office found that the “support” it offered was a scam. My investigators posed as consumers and had iYogi scan brand new computers with newly installed operating systems. The company still identified “infected files.” It often used this tactic to convince consumers to buy its tech support plans. It also posed as tech support for major technology companies like Microsoft and Apple. It did not affiliate with any major technology company. As a result of my lawsuit, King County Superior Court entered $6.3 million in judgments against iYogi, including $4 million in restitution. Since those judgments, iYogi has reported that its value dropped by more than $260 million, and its U.S.-based operation appears to have shut down entirely. My office is still determining how consumers will receive restitution. If you get a call from someone claiming to be with iYogi and collecting information for a refund, this is a scam. Hang up and let my office know about it. Let my office know if you receive an unsolicited call from an online tech support company. I want to send a message to tech support scammers: I will hold you accountable. You will not get away with deceiving Washingtonians.
KOMO News KING-5 The Seattle Times |
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It is important to know the rights you have in the workplace. This month, my office released two guides to help you understand those rights and the options you have if you feel your rights have been violated. The flyers are available in both English and Spanish. In 2017, with my support, the state Legislature passed a law that outlines the accommodations an employer must provide to pregnant employees. Employers with more than 14 employees must allow more frequent, flexible or longer restroom breaks and modify a no food or drink policy, among other things. If pregnant employees request an accommodation at work, employers may not retaliate against the employees, deny them opportunities for which they are otherwise qualified or require them to take leave if an alternative is available. I will enforce these important new protections to ensure employers treat pregnant employees fairly. Moreover, current discussions surrounding sexual harassment prompted my office to issue a flyer to assist those who experience sexual harassment. Sexual harassment is a form of illegal sex discrimination. Employees who witness or experience sexual harassment may reach out to any or all of a number of agencies, including my office, and/or communicate to the harasser or his/her supervisor that the behavior is unwelcome.
KXLY
Standing up for the Clean Air Act Nearly a decade ago, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) determined that methane and other greenhouse gases endanger public health and welfare by contributing to climate change. However, the EPA’s current agency head, Scott Pruitt, continues to delay a rule that would limit methane emissions from the largest industrial emitters in the nation — oil and natural gas facilities. Without explanation on March 2, 2017, Pruitt abruptly ordered the EPA to halt the process for establishing guidelines for existing oil and gas facilities without notice or opportunity for comment. Several other attorneys general and I sent a notice to the EPA warning Pruitt that if the EPA did not implement the rule, we would sue. The agency still refused, so I filed a lawsuit to ensure the EPA puts these important limits in place. Pruitt’s unreasonable delay increases the risk that dangerous pollutants will be released into our atmosphere. That harms Washingtonians, and I will hold the EPA accountable.
SeattlePI The Columbian The Everett Herald
Holding polluters accountable for threatening environmental health This April, my office successfully defended the environment when a court found a Renton man guilty of multiple felony charges for operating an illegal dump and wrecking yard on his property. Charles Pillon dumped piles of waste over much of his 10-acre property, some piles five stories high, as well as dozens of vehicles and hundreds of tires. Water and soil samples taken from the site contained multiple dangerous and hazardous wastes, including lead and arsenic. When I became Attorney General, the office did not prosecute environmental crimes. Crimes like these demonstrate why I created a Counsel for Environmental Protection in the Attorney General’s Office. On April 19, Pillon was convicted of two felony counts and one gross misdemeanor for his unlawful actions. Mr. Pillon’s illegal activity put hazardous materials in the water around his property. These materials are bad for the environment, and dangerous for people. I will continue to hold accountable those who harm our environment and put Washingtonians at risk.
KOMO News
Continuing the fight for transgender military members’ rights Last July, President Trump announced via Twitter that transgender individuals would no longer be able to serve in the armed forces. After several courts blocked the ban’s implementation, the Trump Administration created an implementation plan for it in February. The Administration presented the implementation plan as a brand-new, separate policy from the first ban, which I and nonprofit organizations Lambda Legal and OutServe-SDLN argued is not the case. This month, Judge Marsha Pechman with the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington agreed. Judge Pechman ruled that the plan is not new policy and that the ban must face the court’s highest level of scrutiny — strict scrutiny — as the case progresses. She wrote, “The Ban specifically targets one of the most vulnerable groups in our society, and must satisfy strict scrutiny if it is to survive.” I look forward to continuing to fight the discriminatory policy in court.
KNKX
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I always enjoy getting out into communities across the state and talking to people. This month, I made my way to Issaquah, Ellensburg, Wenatchee and Walla Walla, with stops in Cashmere and Quincy. My trip gave me the opportunity to speak to Washingtonians at Rotary clubs, Central Washington University and Whitman College. After that trip, I headed back to Seattle to talk to a group of informed and enthusiastic high school students at the Pacific Northwest Junior State of America Spring Convention. Later in the month, I spoke with talented university and law students who are part of the 9-month Global Leaders Program at the Slade Gorton International Policy Center.
KOHO-101 Daily Record Whitman Wire |
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Bob Ferguson
Dear Friends,
