The Attorney General's Office today warned consumers throughout Washington that charity scams have gotten an early jump on the holiday giving season. Consumers in the Seattle area are currently being called by "Operation Holidays - Set the Table Food Basket Drive," which asks for donations to buy gifts for holiday baskets they claim will be distributed by Northwest Harvest and Seattle Emergency Housing.

Olympia - March 27, 2001 - A new Surgeon General's report on women and smoking underscores the need for effective anti-smoking efforts to counter the tobacco industry's marketing to women and girls, Attorney General Christine Gregoire said today.

TACOMA -3/28/02 - U.S. District Court Judge Franklin Burgess today ruled that the blanket primary, used in Washington since 1936 to determine major candidates on the state general-election ballot, is constitutional.

The judge's decision came in a case initially filed in July 2000 by the state's Democratic Party, which was quickly joined by the Republican and Libertarian parties. Burgess granted a summary judgment motion filed by the state asking the court to dismiss the case.

Olympia - March 23, 1998 - Washington Attorney General Chris Gregoire said new figures released by the White House today indicate passage of a comprehensive tobacco bill by Congress could cut the number of teen smokers in Washington by 48,000 over the next five years.

Since about one out of three teens who smoke will die a premature death, the comprehensive tobacco bill is predicted to save about 16,000 Washington children from dying an early death.

Seattle -- Washington state, along with seven other states and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), today filed settlement papers that clear the way for the merger of Phillips Petroleum Company and Conoco, Inc.

Today’s settlement was reached after the companies made major concessions, including agreeing to sell a gasoline terminal in Spokane; a refinery and related retail outlets in Utah and Colorado; natural gas gathering and processing properties and other related assets in Texas and New Mexico; and propane and retail outlets in Missouri.

OLYMPIA -- The state Attorney General's Office filed suit late yesterday against the National Education Association for illegally using fees paid to it by non-members for political purposes.

The suit, filed in Thurston County Superior Court, alleges that the NEA violated a state law that bars unions from using non-member fees for political purposes without prior permission.

Olympia -March 21, 2000- Obviously I am discouraged by the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision today. It is very significant that both the majority and the dissenting opinions bluntly acknowledge how deadly and what a devastating social problem tobacco is.

SPOKANE - Felony drug charges today were filed against a former Spokane County medical examiner who prosecutors say maintained a marijuana growing operation in his home and stole prescription medications from his job.

In papers filed in Spokane County Superior Court, prosecutors with the Attorney General's Criminal Justice Division accused George Richard Lindholm of two counts of drug possession.

March 20, 1997 -Olympia - Washington state Attorney General Christine Gregoire and more than 20 other state Attorneys General today have signed a precedent-setting settlement with the Liggett Group, a Delaware-based cigarette maker.  

"This settlement will finally begin to change the conduct of the tobacco industry and provide the public with information it has a right to know," Gregoire said.  

OLYMPIA -June 10, 2002 - The U.S. Supreme Court today announced it will review a Washington Supreme Court rule that requires lawyers and real estate closing officers to place client funds that cannot earn net interest for the client into a pooled account, the interest from which is then used to provide legal services to low-income persons.