Our Voice: Attorney General is now a money maker for the state

Washington is no stranger to strong individuals holding the office of attorney general.

Over the years, the elected head litigators for the citizens of Washington have tackled the occasional national headline-making news case. Big tobacco comes quickly to mind.

But our current Attorney General Bob Ferguson is in a league of his own.

Drop your politics and consider how this man has quickly, and not so quietly, turned what was once a staid state office into a business driven to protect the citizens who live here.

He is building a thriving law practice that is feeding our state with millions of dollars with court victories.

Ferguson is unafraid to tackle even the most daunting of cases, and his boyish looks and glasses have had him compared to Harry Potter in the most flattering way, taking on giants including the president of the United States. And winning.

Whether you agree with his challenge of President Trump’s travel ban or not, he made that move in order to protect those who live here. He’ll do the same on issues you care about too. In fact, he probably already has.

He has challenged predatory lending practices by companies managing student loans, taken on telecommunications giants and a Richland florist who refused to sell flowers to a same-sex couple who was preparing to marry.

Ferguson, 52, is passionate about the law and people’s rights. Like it or not, if the people have voted and approved something, he’s going to fight to defend it.

And he’s done something we don’t often see in government: He’s running his office like a business.

Through his shrewd management, Ferguson has reinvested in staff with some of the dollars his office has brought in with its victories. The consumer protection division has grown. When Ferguson took office, the state had just one trial in 17 years in a consumer protection case.

That particular department is focused on protecting us from predatory practices. Energy drink manufacturers, gyms and cable companies are among those that have felt the wrath of Ferguson’s team when they have wronged Washingtonians.

The Attorney General’s Office is able to keep money earned in a settlement. So rather than just keeping the staff at status quo and covering costs, Ferguson has added employees as well. More attorneys mean more bad actors can be brought to justice. And it’s not costing the state a dime. The office is earning the money it needs to operate and expand on its own. And then giving the surplus to the state.

Money from court judgments goes to the state coffers, including the $18 million record-setting penalty against the Grocery Manufacturers Association for intentionally violating state campaign finance laws in its effort to defeat the GMO initiative a few years ago. For a state struggling to balance a budget, that’s no small change.

With many uncertainties facing states under the new administration in the other Washington, Ferguson stands at the ready to defend our state’s laws. Should the federal government decide, for example, that it will crack down on states that have legalized marijuana, Ferguson will defend the initiative approved by Washington voters.

Ferguson was just re-elected in 2016, and we expect he will continue to build his office into a powerhouse that sends a warning to those businesses that want to prey on our citizens and to anyone at any level who would take actions not in the best interest of our state and contrary to the law.

This story was originally published March 29, 2017 at 4:06 AM with the headline "Our Voice: Attorney General is now a money maker for the state."