Other LanguagesSEATTLE — A federal court of appeals ruled that the Trump Administration violated the law when it attempted to override state regulations governing the number of crewmembers needed to safely operate a train. Attorney General Bob Ferguson, along with two other states and national workers’ unions, brought the challenge in 2019 — when the Trump Administration published its deregulatory rule without any notice, and in the wake of a catastrophic and deadly derailment involving a crude-oil train staffed by only one crewmember.
OLYMPIA — The Attorney General’s Office is continuing its review of the Manuel Ellis case. While we are limited in what we can say about that review, we wanted to provide a short update of our work, and the anticipated timing of our decision.
SEATTLE — Attorney General Bob Ferguson announced a judge ruled that StarKist, a canned tuna manufacturer, engaged in a price-fixing scheme from November 2011 through December 2013. In a prior and unrelated federal case against StarKist, a federal judge sentenced the company to pay a $100 million criminal fine — the maximum allowed by law — for its role in a nationwide conspiracy to manipulate the price of canned tuna to benefit the company and its executives.
Attorney General Bob Ferguson today announced that PurEnvironment, a Utah-based mold remediation company, pleaded guilty to environmental crimes charges Ferguson brought regarding the company’s false claims that its products could provide “90+ day protection” against COVID-19. King County Superior Court Judge Gregg H. Hirakawa sentenced the company to a year of probation, ordered to pay a $15,000 fine, and come into compliance with state and federal regulations.
Attorney General Bob Ferguson today announced that Great Columbia Berry Farms LLC, a blueberry grower in Walla Walla County, will pay $350,000 as a result of his office’s civil rights enforcement action. The lawsuit asserts one of the company’s managers, Jose Luis Contreras Ramirez, raped at least one female worker, sexually harassed several female workers over the course of years and retaliated against those workers who spoke out against his conduct. At least four women were affected by Contreras’s conduct.
El Procurador General Bob Ferguson hoy anunció que Great Columbia Berry Farms, LLC, un cultivador de arándanos del condado de Walla Walla, pagará $350,000 como resultado de una acción de derechos civiles por su oficina. La demanda afirma que uno de los mayordomos de la compañía, José Luis Contreras Ramírez, violó al menos a una empleada, acosó sexualmente a varias empleadas durante años y tomó represalias contra dichas empleadas por denunciar su conducta. Al menos cuatro mujeres fueron afectadas por la conducta de Contreras.
SEATTLE — Attorney General Bob Ferguson issued the following statement today after a federal judge in Seattle blocked the federal government’s plan to expedite the sale of Seattle’s National Archives facility and ship the un-digitized records out of the region. Judge John C. Coughenour, Senior Judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington, said he will issue a preliminary injunction next week in which he will rule that Ferguson’s coalition was likely to prevail in its lawsuit asserting that the federal government acted unlawfully when it moved to sell the National Archives facility and scatter the archival records thousands of miles away.
OLYMPIA — Attorney General Bob Ferguson offers the following statement on a Thurston County Superior Court decision that Tim Eyman intentionally committed numerous violations of campaign finance law:
OLYMPIA — Attorney General Bob Ferguson issued a warning today that scammers posing as members of the Washington Medical Commission (WMC) are calling medical providers to claim the WMC suspended their license.
SEATTLE — As a result of an investigation launched by Attorney General Bob Ferguson, McKinsey, a multinational consulting firm that worked with Purdue Pharma, will pay $13,465,833 to the Washington State Attorney General’s Office. Ferguson is directing the entire amount to be invested in treatment, prevention and other efforts to address the opioid epidemic in Washington.