Jul 20 2020
Attorney General Bob Ferguson today filed a federal lawsuit in Seattle challenging an unlawful U.S. Department of Education rule that will deprive Washington’s public elementary and secondary schools from receiving emergency relief funds. Congress included the emergency funds for schools in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief & Economic Security (CARES) Act. Ferguson also intends to file a motion for preliminary injunction in the case, asking a judge to immediately block the Department of Education’s restrictions on the grants.
Jul 16 2020
OLYMPIA — Attorney General Bob Ferguson today announced a lawsuit challenging the Trump Administration’s new rule vastly limiting anti-discrimination protections under the Affordable Care Act. Among many other changes, the rule removes explicit protections against discrimination on the basis of gender identity and sex stereotyping. This allows for discrimination against LGBTQ patients — particularly transgender patients.
Jul 15 2020
OLYMPIA — Attorney General Bob Ferguson today issued the following statement after President Trump announced sweeping and unjustified revisions to longstanding environmental review processes under the National Environmental Policy Act, or NEPA — a move that undermines public health and the environment and conflicts with federal law. President Nixon signed NEPA into law in 1970 after it passed Congress with bipartisan support.
Jul 13 2020
SEATTLE — Attorney General Bob Ferguson today asked a federal judge to put an immediate stop to a Trump Administration plan to revoke visas for international students while Washington litigates its case seeking to have the rule permanently vacated. Three state universities and three community colleges (along with the head of the community college board) filed declarations with the office. If the judge does not put the rule on hold, it goes into effect on July 15. This motion follows a lawsuit filed on July 10.
Jul 10 2020
SEATTLE — Attorney General Bob Ferguson announced he will file a lawsuit today in federal court in Seattle challenging the Trump Administration’s proposed visa rule for international students. Approximately 27,000 international students attend higher education institutions in Washington state and spend approximately $1 billion in state each year.
Jul 8 2020
In the latest action of his office’s Honest Fees Initiative, Attorney General Bob Ferguson announced today that Frontier Communications Northwest will pay $900,000 to the State of Washington. The payment resolves an Attorney General’s Office investigation that Frontier Northwest did not adequately disclose fees when advertising and selling its products, and misled subscribers about internet speeds it could provide. Frontier’s unlawful deception impacted thousands of Washington consumers.
Jul 1 2020
OLYMPIA — Attorney General Bob Ferguson’s Multidisciplinary Hate Crime Advisory Working Group released its report to the Legislature and Gov. Jay Inslee today, outlining a comprehensive approach to better address hate crimes in Washington. The group calls on the state to improve training for law enforcement, create new avenues for prosecutors to charge crimes and for schools and employers to better educate people about hate and bias.
Jun 30 2020
OLYMPIA — Attorney General Bob Ferguson today released a report to the Washington State Legislature recommending policies that require law enforcement to report information about incidents involving deadly force. The report also recommends that the state create a centralized, publicly accessible website with information about these incidents.
Jun 26 2020
OLYMPIA — Attorney General Bob Ferguson filed a consumer protection lawsuit against the national debt collection corporation Convergent Outsourcing for pushing consumers into “settlements” to resolve old debts that were past the statute of limitations for a collection lawsuit. These “settlement” offers created a deceptive impression that Convergent could sue consumers when it could not, and implied Convergent was prepared to sue consumers if they did not pay.
Jun 24 2020
Attorney General Bob Ferguson announced today that California-based technology company Super Basic LLC and its parent company Maple Media LLC will pay $100,000 to resolve an investigation by the Attorney General’s Office. Ferguson’s investigation found the companies’ social media platform, “We Heart It,” allowed children to create accounts, collected their personal information and allowed third-party advertisers to collect data from them, all without legally required parental consent.