SEATTLE- Attorney General Christine Gregoire today announced that Washington with 22 other states and the Federal Trade Commission, have reached a $1 million settlement with four auto manufacturers that promises to change the way auto leases are advertised nationwide.

The settlement with General Motors, Honda, Isuzu and Mitsubishi involves deceptive "O down" and "nothing down" auto leasing advertisements that offer consumers a new car with no down payment.

SEATTLE - State Attorney General Christine Gregoire signed a letter of agreement today with America Online, an online service provider headquartered in Virginia, resolving allegations that AOL had violated Washington's Consumer Protection Act in marketing their new pricing and service plan.

AOL had planned to bill its subscribers at a new $19.95 rate for unlimited service without their positive assent to it. If subscribers failed to tell AOL they didn't want the service, they would have automatically been billed for it.

OLYMPIA -- Secretary of State Sam Reed and Attorney General Rob McKenna urge citizens to watch out for scam artists playing off legitimate charitable efforts following the tragic shootings at Virginia Tech.

"Following devastating tragedies such as this, scam artists often strike and mimic official charities that raise money for victims,” cautioned Reed. “Washingtonians are very generous - we just want to make sure citizens are careful who they give to.”

OLYMPIA -- The State Attorney General's Office today announced it will appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court the recent ruling by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals limiting the application of Washington's ban on assisted suicide.

"This is a significant issue for the nation," said Attorney General Christine Gregoire. "It is a watershed issue of public policy that requires the review and analysis of our nation's highest court."

The role of the Washington Attorney General's Office in this case has been to defend the state law, which was initially enacted by the legislature in 1854.

OLYMPIA – Washington Attorney General Rob McKenna today announced that he is teaming up with the Governor’s Office and the Department of Community, Trade and Economic Development to investigate factors that influence gas prices in the state.

SEATTLE – Washington State Attorney General Rob McKenna today announced a settlement with three California-based businesses that resolves allegations they installed software that took control of a consumer’s computer by launching aggressive and persistent pop-ups that demanded payment for a movie download service. The software was installed after users signed up for a seemingly anonymous free trial for the service.

OLYMPIA -  Gov. Gary Locke, Attorney General Christine Gregoire and Washington State Department of Ecology Director Tom Fitzsimmons today announced that the state has taken legal action to stop the U.S. Department of Energy from shipping additional quantities of radioactive waste to the Hanford site near Richland. The suit results from the Department of Energy's failure to develop a plan for the eventual removal of the waste from the state.

 State of Washington v. U.S. Department of Energy

Transuranic Waste Shipments to Hanford
Question and Answer
March 4, 2003

On March 4, 2003, the state of Washington filed a lawsuit to stop the U.S. Department of Energy (USDOE) from sending additional shipments of transuranic waste to Hanford from other states.

Q:Where is the lawsuit being filed?

OLYMPIA…Attorney General Rob McKenna will join Gov. Chris Gregoire at 10 a.m. Tuesday in her executive conference room as she signs a bill they jointly requested to improve public notice in eminent domain cases and takes action on two of his other attorney-general request bills: