AG's Litigation Has Reclaimed $1 Billion For WA

OLYMPIA, WA — Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson and his team are celebrating a milestone as their six affirmative litigation divisions have now officially reclaimed over $1 billion dollars for everyday Washingtonians.

Actually, the total is about $1.14 billion, to be more precise, and was pushed over the edge by a recent victory over Purdue Pharma. In that case, Ferguson's refusal to take a lower settlement netted the state a total of $183 million— much of which will go to help Washingtonians harmed by the opioid epidemic.

“My office takes on powerful special interests that refuse to play by the rules and puts money back in the pockets of Washingtonians,” Ferguson said in a news release announcing the milestone. “As the people’s attorney, I will continue fighting every day for Washingtonians.”

Other recent successes include lawsuits against McKinsey, Monsanto, Greyhound and Navient. In the past two years alone, the Consumer Protection Division has brought home more than $300 million. That's a pretty good return on investment for taxpayers: according to the Attorney General's Office, the AG's six affirmative litigation divisions — the Consumer Protection Division, Antitrust Division, Wing Luke Civil Rights Division, Environmental Protection Division, Medicaid Fraud Division and Complex Litigation Division — earn Washingtonians $40 for every $1 they cost to operate.

Four of the six were founded by Ferguson himself, shortly after he first took office in 2013. Today, they employ more than 100 assistant attorneys general, plus about a hundred investigators and staff members. The $1.14 billion they've earned in the years since can be broken down as:

• $161.5 million in consumer restitution, which is paid directly back to victims.
• $354 million in relief for consumers, including debt relief and loan modifications.
• $87.8 million in money back to consumers through the office’s non-litigation complaint resolution process.
• $512.1 million to Medicaid, the state general fund, or other state agencies.
  • This money includes $196.5 million reclaimed from Purdue Pharma and McKinsey which will be used to battle the opioid crisis, and $95 million from Monsanto to help the struggling chinook salmon and Southern Resident Killer Whale populations.
• $23.8 million in recoveries to tribal governments or non-profits