Auto insurance companies made investigation public by fighting to quash inquiry into use of credit history to choose customers and price car insurance

OLYMPIA — Attorney General Bob Ferguson today issued the following statement after a King County Superior Court commissioner granted Ferguson’s motion for a nationwide temporary restraining order blocking Albertsons’ $4 billion dividend payment.

The order is available here.

SEATTLE — Attorney General Bob Ferguson filed a lawsuit today to block Albertson Companies Inc. from enriching its shareholders with a $4 billion payout before a proposed merger with The Kroger Co. can be reviewed by state and federal antitrust enforcers.

Judge finds 15,000+ Washington businesses harmed by the schemes, estimated to be eligible for more than $1.27 million in restitution

SEATTLE — A King County Superior Court judge has ordered two companies and their owners to pay more than $24.8 million for their unlawful conduct targeting small business owners. The judge determined that both companies’ “entire business model was based upon deceiving small business owners.”

Rhonda Sue Ackerman faces prison time, paying restitution following AG prosecution

OLYMPIA — Attorney General Bob Ferguson announced today that former Spokane County worker Rhonda Sue Ackerman has pleaded guilty to one count of first-degree theft. Ackerman was employed as a liability claims technician and stole $1.38 million over the course of a decade from Spokane County by filing fake claims.

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 rejects SPU’s arguments that its hiring practices are immune from state law

OLYMPIA — Attorney General Bob Ferguson today announced that a federal judge dismissed Seattle Pacific University’s attempt to stop his office’s investigation into potential illegal discrimination by the university’s administration.

Nation’s largest chicken producer to pay largest resolution to date; lawsuit continues against 16 co-conspirators

SEATTLE — Attorney General Bob Ferguson announced today the largest chicken producer in the nation will pay $10.5 million as a result of the Attorney General’s Office lawsuit over price-fixing on chicken products. Today’s announcement is the third and largest resolution in Ferguson’s lawsuit against 19 broiler chicken producers. The claims against the remaining 16 companies continue.

Legislation will protect Washingtonians’ most sensitive health data — including data on reproductive and gender-affirming care — in wake of Dobbs decision

OLYMPIA — Attorney General Bob Ferguson announced today that he is partnering with Rep. Vandana Slatter, D-Bellevue and Sen. Manka Dhingra, D-Redmond, to propose legislation in the 2023 legislative session to increase data privacy protections in the wake of the Dobbs Supreme Court decision and empower Washingtonians with more control over their health data.

Violations could result in millions of dollars in penalties

OLYMPIA — A federal judge has ruled that Crown Resources committed thousands of violations of the Clean Water Act in its operation of the Buckhorn Mountain gold mine in Okanogan County. The order comes as part of Attorney General Bob Ferguson’s ongoing environmental citizen suit against Crown Resources and Kinross Gold.