Dear Friends,
Hope you had a Happy Halloween yesterday.
I’m proud to share major actions we took in October to improve affordability for Washingtonians, protect youth mental health, defend small businesses, and hold powerful interests accountable.
Fighting corporate monopolies that jack up prices on prescription drugs. Together with a bipartisan coalition of attorneys general, we won more than $49 million so far in lawsuits against major drug manufacturers that conspired to illegally raise prices on hundreds of generic drugs. Washingtonians who bought generic drugs during the conspiracy are eligible to get the amount they overpaid returned to them through a claims process. What individuals will receive will be determined once all the cases are complete. If you purchased generic prescription drugs between 2010 and 2018, you may be eligible for restitution from this resolution or future resolutions. To determine your eligibility, visit www.AGGenericDrugs.com, call 1-866-290-0182, or email [email protected]. To learn more about the case: https://www.atg.wa.gov/news/news-releases/ag-ferguson-bipartisan-coalition-win-49-million-and-counting-over-generic-drugs
Protecting youth mental health. I filed a lawsuit against TikTok for putting profits before the well-being of millions of its most vulnerable users by creating a platform that is addictive to youth. This lawsuit is part of a nationwide bipartisan effort, with 13 other attorneys general filing their own similar lawsuits. I assert TikTok violated the state Consumer Protection Act by targeting youth with features that encourage compulsive and excessive use to get them hooked on the platform. More about that case here: https://www.atg.wa.gov/news/news-releases/ag-ferguson-files-lawsuit-against-tiktok-harming-youth-mental-health
In a similar case I filed against Facebook and Instagram owner Meta, a federal judge denied Meta’s attempt to dismiss my lawsuit. Meta intentionally targeted millions of children and teens with harmful features to get them hooked for life. More about that decision here: https://www.atg.wa.gov/news/news-releases/ag-ferguson-statement-defeating-meta-s-attempt-dismiss-his-lawsuit-accusing-it
Two big victories fighting for small businesses. A King County Superior Court judge sided with my office in a case against the Michigan-based owner of Labor Law Poster Service. The judge ruled the company and one of its owners broke the law nearly 600,000 times sending scam solicitations targeting Washington businesses. The deceptive solicitations were designed to dupe business owners into purchasing workplace posters they are not obligated to buy. My case against the company’s co-owners continues. If you suspect you have been targeted by this or other scams, please contact the Attorney General’s Office. You can file a complaint online at atg.wa.gov/file-complaint or call the office toll-free at 1-800-551-4636.
As a result of another consumer protection lawsuit, a Pierce County judge ordered a local business owner to pay more than $360,000 in penalties and restitution for unlawfully charging gas station owners for unfinished, unnecessary or shoddy work on underground fuel storage tanks. The judgment includes full restitution, plus interest, for nine gas station owners — all but one of whom identify as Korean or South Asian — who were scammed by Northwest Environmental Services and Core Environmental Group. Kevin Wilkerson, the owner, collected payment from the small businesses for work he did not perform or performed so poorly the businesses had to pay thousands more to other companies for the same services. More about that decision here: https://www.atg.wa.gov/news/news-releases/pierce-county-business-owner-must-pay-360k-scamming-local-gas-station-owners (The press release is also available in Korean and Punjabi.)
Improving public safety and standing up for survivors. My lawfully owed DNA project continues to ensure evidence collected lawfully helps law enforcement solve crimes. The initiative has now helped law enforcement collect and log 3,000 DNA profiles of serious criminal offenders to the national DNA database. This initiative helped close the gap in DNA collection since it launched in October 2019. Of the new profiles added, 105 of the samples led to a “hit,” or a match between the DNA provided and evidence already on file with the national Combined DNA Index System. These hits in the national DNA database can help identify serial rapists, link cases across the country, shed new light on cold cases and provide answers for crime victims and their families. DNA evidence can also exonerate individuals who were wrongfully convicted. More about this milestone here: https://www.atg.wa.gov/news/news-releases/ag-ferguson-dna-collection-project-adds-3000-dna-profiles-serious-criminal
We also won a legal victory for sexual assault survivors and successfully defended Washington’s law banning for-profit, at-home sexual assault kits – kits that are rarely if ever admissible in court. You can read more about that victory here: https://www.atg.wa.gov/news/news-releases/ag-ferguson-washington-successfully-defends-ban-sale-and-distribution-diy-rape
We will continue to seek justice and protect the health and safety of all the people in Washington state. I hope you all have a happy Thanksgiving.
Sincerely,
Bob Ferguson
Washington State Attorney General
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