Federal grant to fund new project to obtain DNA of known offenders, identify serial criminals

OLYMPIA — Attorney General Bob Ferguson today announced that his office won an additional $2.5 million in federal grants to fund Washington’s Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI) program, part of a statewide initiative to end Washington’s rape kit backlog.

SEATTLE — Attorney General Bob Ferguson, along with California Attorney General Xavier Becerra and New York Attorney General Letitia James, led a coalition of 22 states and the District of Columbia in filing a comment letter opposing the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) proposed rule which would unlawfully curtail state authority under Section 401 of the Clean Water Act.

The letter is available here.

AG’s office to hold veterans clinic in Spokane on Friday, Oct. 25

SPOKANE — On Friday, Oct. 25, the Attorney General’s Office will offer its third free legal clinic for Spokane-area military service members and veterans in need of legal help with basic will preparation, driver’s license restoration and select family law issues.

Department of Education has approved only 1 percent of applicants

OLYMPIA — Attorney General Bob Ferguson is urging Washington student loan borrowers who have had trouble with public service loan forgiveness to submit a complaint to the Attorney General’s Office. According to the U.S. Department of Education, it has only approved 1 percent of applications for loan forgiveness under the program.

AG Ferguson prevented company from illegally taking funds from customers

OLYMPIA — Attorney General Bob Ferguson today announced that, as a result of his lawsuit, Kirkland- and Portland-based Real Estate Investment Network, LLC (REIN) will be required to dissolve and pay up to $85,000 for scamming foreclosed homeowners out of equity in the form of surplus funds remaining after the sale. These surplus funds can amount to tens of thousands of dollars.

Rule change targets immigrant families lawfully in the US

SPOKANE — A federal judge in Eastern Washington today blocked Trump Administration from implementing its changes to the “public charge” rule nationwide while a lawsuit brought by Attorney General Bob Ferguson and a multistate coalition progresses.

OLYMPIA — Attorney General Bob Ferguson filed a lawsuit today against the Evergreen Freedom Foundation, alleging campaign finance violations based on a referral from the state Public Disclosure Commission (PDC).

Ferguson’s initiative has now eliminated no-poach agreements at more than 147,000 locations nationwide

SEATTLE — Attorney General Bob Ferguson today announced his initiative to end the use of no-poach clauses nationwide has reached 100 corporate chains.

Some of the former employees are owed thousands of dollars in back pay

OLYMPIA — The Attorney General’s Office has filed felony criminal charges against two former Auburn residents, alleging they failed to pay more than $33,000 in wages to 24 employees of their house cleaning businesses in 2017 and 2018. Several employees are owed thousands of dollars in unpaid wages.

Citizen Solutions held liable for role in kickback scheme

OLYMPIA — A Thurston County Superior Court judge late yesterday ordered for-profit signature gathering firm Citizen Solutions and its principal, William Agazarm, to collectively pay more than $1 million for their role in deceiving Washingtonians by funneling campaign donations to Tim Eyman.

Attorney General Bob Ferguson filed a campaign finance lawsuit against all three defendants in 2017, accusing Citizen Solutions and Agazarm of unlawfully concealing a $308,185 payment to Eyman.