Whether a construction project qualifies as a “public work” and is subject to public works procurement and prevailing wage laws is a highly fact-specific inquiry. Relevant factors include whether the project receives substantial government funding, whether it has a public purpose, whether it is constructed on public land, whether a government entity maintains or eventually obtains ownership of the project, and whether the project requires the simultaneous use of public property.

March 9, 2026

Attorney General Nick Brown joined a coalition of state attorneys general urging the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) to withdraw a proposal that would effectively freeze future federal funding for electric vehicle charging infrastructure by imposing an unworkable and unreasonable requirement that they be made entirely with U.S. components.

Attorney General Nick Brown today released the following statement after the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit largely upheld a lower court order blocking the Trump administration’s illegal effort to categorically freeze trillions of dollars in essential federal funding to states:

Senior tenants who lived at certain properties managed by FPI will receive compensation and see their properties improved as part of a $7 million settlement between the state of Washington, California-based property management company FPI Management, and the owners of five low-income apartment complexes in Western Washington. 

For more than two decades, Sunshine Week has raised awareness about the importance of transparency in government. This year, the Attorney General’s Office celebrates its success in processing a record number of public records requests and a commitment for further improvement in open government practices in Washington. 

Attorney General Nick Brown and a coalition of 15 other attorneys general filed a lawsuit challenging unlawful actions by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), including threats to withhold funding from state and local fair housing enforcement agencies for abiding by state laws.
 
These actions threaten to weaken fair housing enforcement across the country and undermine states’ ability to ensure equal access to housing. If unchallenged, discrimination in housing is almost certain to increase.
 

AG Brown sues OneMain Financial for alleged bait-and-switch lending scheme

El procurador general Brown demanda a OneMain Financial por una presunta estafa crediticia

Attorney General Nick Brown and 12 other attorneys general today announced a lawsuit against OneMain Financial, Inc. and its related entities, alleging that the installment lender charged consumers nationwide hundreds of millions of dollars in hidden fees and interest.

Legislature passes AGO-request Immigrant Worker Protection Act

La Ley de Protección de los Trabajadores Inmigrantes fue aprobada por la Legislatura. El procurador general Nick Brown solicitó que se presentara este proyecto de ley para aumentar la equidad y la transparencia en el trabajo para los trabajadores inmigrantes. Ahora, se enviará al Gobernador para su promulgación. 

Lo que hará la ley si se promulga

La Legislatura aprueba la Ley de Protección de los Trabajadores Inmigrantes solicitada por la AGO

The Legislature has passed the Immigrant Worker Protection Act. Attorney General Nick Brown requested the bill to increase fairness and transparency in the workplace for immigrant workers. It now goes to the Governor to be signed into law. 

What the law will do if signed