Olympia – October 24, 2001 - A settlement with the state will require King County to change its payroll deduction procedures, provide training on the new procedures, educate other public employers on proper payroll deduction procedures and pay a monetary penalty to settle claims that it illegally withheld money for political activities from employees’ paychecks.

"I’m pleased that we could reach an agreement with King County that saved the taxpayers the cost of a lawsuit on these issues," Attorney General Christine Gregoire said.

Olympia - September 12, 2001 - Jack G. Johnson, chief civil attorney in the Seattle City Attorney's Office, will become the new chief of the state Attorney General's University of Washington Division, Attorney General Christine Gregoire announced today.

Johnson has worked for the city attorney's office since 1990, managing 45 lawyers and 30 support staff.

Olympia - November 8, 2000 - A Pierce County clean-up contractor and junk hauler was sentenced in Pierce County Superior Court Wednesday for dumping dangerous waste onto the property of a 66-year-old Lakewood woman.

Dell L. Merritt, Jr. pleaded guilty July 20 after being charged by the Attorney General and the Pierce County Prosecutor with second-degree malicious mischief and with criminally violating the Washington Hazardous Waste Management Act.

Seattle - July 19, 2000 - The Washington state Attorney General’s office has completed its review of the proposed sale and merger agreement between Providence Health Systems and Swedish Health Services and will not oppose the plan. The Attorney General's approval of the plan came after the parties agreed to certain modifications in their agreement to ensure continued competition between the two entities.

Olympia - March 15, 2000 - Significant progress in settlement talks between the states and BP Amoco and Arco, have resulted in the postponement of the proceedings challenging the proposed merger of the two oil companies.

The state of Washington joined the Federal Trade Commission and the states of California and Oregon in requesting a stay to allow time to pursue settlement negotiations that were bolstered with constructive new proposals from the oil companies.

Olympia - February 2, 2000 - The Washington State Attorney General’s Office today announced its intention to file a lawsuit to stop BP Amoco and ARCO from merging their companies. The Federal Trade Commission and state of Oregon also announced their intention to file lawsuits today. California is also reviewing its litigation options.

Olympia - February 1, 2000 - The Attorney General's Office today recommended that the proposed merger between US West and Qwest Communications be denied unless strong service quality conditions are imposed.

According to written testimony filed with the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission (WUTC), the Attorney General's Public Counsel Office has concluded that US West is "substantially out of compliance" with most Washington service-quality rules. In addition, "customer complaints are high and service-quality trends are not favorable," the testimony stated.

Olympia - Sept. 22, 2000 - Brian Malarky has been named executive director of the Washington State Executive Ethics Board by Attorney General Christine Gregoire.

Malarky, who currently is an investigator with the city of Seattle’s Ethics and Elections Commission, will assume his new post on Oct. 19.

The Executive Ethics Board provides training to executive branch employees, conducts investigations of alleged ethics violations, and offers guidance on ethics compliance.

OLYMPIA -- Two major pharmaceutical companies will reimburse the state of Washington $5.2 million to settle claims they illegally manipulated prescription-drug price information in order to avoid paying rebates to the state Medicaid program, Attorney General Christine Gregoire announced today.

Olympia -- The judge exercised his option to balance important interests in setting the appeal bond. As we suggested to the court, the new appeal bond will avoid adverse impact on the states and still be sufficient to protect the interests of Illinois consumers.

The Judge accepted an appeal bond of $6.8 billion which includes a $6 billion note and $800 million cash to be paid in $200 million quarterly payments beginning in September 2003.