Washington’s attorney general said a King County judge ruled Albertsons violated the law by failing to address opioid diversion red flags at its pharmacies, ordering a $900 million judgment plus fees and costs. The state said pharmacies filled more than 6.5 million flagged prescriptions without documenting adequate review between 2006 and 2022; Albertsons was the sole remaining defendant.
Albertsons owns and operates more than 200 pharmacies in Washington under its Albertsons, Safeway, and Haggen banners. At trial, the AG’s office showed that between 2006 and 2022 these pharmacies unlawfully dispensed opioid orders without adequately investigating and documenting the resolution of red flags. In total, Albertsons pharmacies unlawfully filled red-flagged prescriptions for opioids more than 6.5 million times without documenting efforts to ensure that they were written for legitimate medical purposes despite the presence of such red flags. As a result, significant volumes of unlawful opioid prescriptions were filled and likely diverted into illicit use in Washington State.
The Attorney General’s Office prevailed on behalf of Washingtonians today in its case against Albertsons’ pharmacies after a King County Superior Court judge ruled the company failed to prevent the misuse of opioids, significantly contributing to the crisis that continues to kill thousands of Washingtonians every year.
A Business & Human Rights Resource Centre listing says Safeway supplier Humberto Castaneda violated “numerous” labor requirements for H-2A seasonal farmworkers. The excerpt does not provide a date or further details, and identifies Safeway as the supplier’s connection to Albertsons through ownership.
USA: Safeway supplier Humberto Castaneda violated "numerous" labour requirements for H2-A seasonal farmworkers; Safeway owner …
A Business & Human Rights Resource Centre listing reports that California’s workplace-safety agency, Cal/OSHA, found Safeway exposed workers to hazardous conditions at its largest warehouse in Tracy. The excerpt gives no date or further detail about the conditions or any subsequent outcome.
Cal/ OSHA finds Safeway exposed workers to hazardous conditions at its largest warehouse in Tracy
On October 11, 2023, Albertsons told IntraFish it had stopped buying flounder and yellowtail sole from Canadian supplier High Liner, citing the supplier’s ties to a fishery implicated in alleged forced labor in China. The company said it would reassess its position after its investigation.
"In light of High Liner Foods' ties to one of the alleged fisheries, we have made the decision to stop purchases of flounder and yellowtail sole from this supplier," Albertsons told IntraFish in a statement. "At the conclusions of our investigation, we will re-evaluate our position."...
The EEOC said Albertsons, LLC agreed to pay $8.9 million to 168 current and former workers and provide other relief to settle three lawsuits over alleged race, color and national-origin discrimination and retaliation at its Aurora, Colorado, distribution center. Albertsons also agreed to four years of court-ordered monitoring and management training.
DENVER – Albertsons, LLC, a national grocery chain, will pay $8.9 million and furnish other relief to settle three employment discrimination lawsuits filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the agency announced today. The EEOC had charged Albertsons with race, color, and national origin discrimination and retaliation at its Aurora, Colo., distribution center. The monetary relief will be distributed among 168 former and current employees.
The California Air Resources Board said Albertsons violated refrigerant rules at its California stores during 2016–2018, including inaccurate reporting, failures to audit and calibrate leak-detection equipment, and delays in certified repairs. In July 2021, Albertsons agreed to pay $5.1 million in penalties and implement a compliance plan; half the payment funds environmental projects.
An investigation by CARB found violations across all Albertsons stores in California between 2016-2018. Albertsons violated the RMP Regulation by submitting inaccurate annual reporting, failing to annually audit and calibrate automatic leak detection equipment, and failing to ensure that detected refrigerant leaks were repaired by a certified technician within 14 days of detection.
In March 2025, Kroger alleged that Susan Morris, then soon to become Albertsons CEO, secretly contacted planned divestiture buyer C&S, undermining Kroger’s strategy; Albertsons disputed Kroger’s account and said the proposed store package was inadequate. The dispute followed the deal’s collapse and the companies’ competing lawsuits. Earlier, the FTC had rejected their proposed divestiture plan.
Kroger and Albertsons, in an attempt to assuage the FTC’s concerns about the deal, last year unveiled a plan to divest at least 413 stories to Piggly Wiggly chain owner C&S Wholesale Grocers Inc. A Kroger spokesperson said the grocery giants “took considerable steps to position C&S to continue to successfully operate divested stores,” adding that no stores will close as a result of the merger.
Kroger said in a news release Tuesday that Susan Morris, the soon-to-be CEO of Albertsons, had “secretly communicated” by phone and email with C&S Wholesale Grocers, the small, family-owned East Coast grocery supply company that Albertsons and Kroger had planned to sell hundreds of stores to in order to appease regulators.
Merging companies in the past offered to sell off some assets, or divest, in order to assuage regulators’ concerns about monopoly power or other harms from their deal. But some of those selloffs went off the rails. For example, Albertsons in a 2015 deal with Safeway agreed to divest grocery stores that then went bankrupt.
The Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s Corporate Equality Index 2023 report lists Albertsons Companies among businesses. The supplied excerpt describes the index’s LGBTQ+ workplace and community-engagement criteria, but does not provide Albertsons’ individual score or specific policies, benefits, or actions.
At an industry panel in September 2024, Albertsons Privacy Counsel Andrew Tobel said retailers were shifting away from identifiable information toward broader personal data, including pseudonymous identifiers, and needed to understand privacy-law requirements. He cautioned that data clean rooms are not a way around those laws and said consumer expectations matter.
Retailers have moved away from collecting identifiable information from consumers, but need to be aware of requirements for the personal data they do collect, an Albertsons privacy official said.
After mass shootings in El Paso and Dayton in 2019, Albertsons asked customers not to openly carry firearms in its stores, except for authorized law enforcement officers. The company said the request was intended to help stores feel safe and welcoming. The report said it was unclear how retailers would implement or enforce such policies.
Albertsons has joined a list of supermarkets and stores that have asked shoppers to not openly carry firearms. (iStock)
A lobbying filing lists Albertsons’ issues as pharmacy benefit manager reform, including S.526, the Pharmacy Benefit Manager Transparency Act of 2025, and Food is Medicine programs. It identifies activity involving the U.S. Senate and House and names Samantha Kemp as a lobbyist; the excerpt does not specify the filing period or particular actions.
Issues related to PBM Reform. S.526 - Pharmacy Benefit Manager Transparency Act of 2025. Issues related to Food is Medicine programs.
In a February 12, 2009 interview about her positions on social issues, Meg Whitman said she was pro-choice but wanted to see the number of abortions reduced.
– Whitman said she is pro-choice but would like to see the number of abortions reduced.
In a February 2009 interview, Meg Whitman supported cutting corporate taxes and reducing the state workforce by 10%, while opposing much of a proposed $42 billion budget. She said job creation should be the state’s priority but was vague on how to achieve it, and argued that Republican ideals remained relevant despite damage to the party’s brand.
– “The Republican brand is somewhat damaged right now,” but the party’s ideals – such as smaller government and letting families “make their own decisions” – are more relevant than ever.
A lobbying disclosure identified efforts concerning organized retail crime and listed the U.S. Senate and House as congressional targets. It named Samantha Kemp as a lobbyist associated with the issue; the filing excerpt does not specify a particular proposal or outcome.
Issues related to combatting organized retail crime.
On its Q3 2025 earnings call, CEO Susan Morris said Albertsons was working with Google, OpenAI and Databricks and plans to apply AI to customer experiences, merchandising, labor and supply-chain operations. Morris said the company’s Ask AI search tool increased grocery-basket use by 10% among customers using it.
Albertsons is making a strategic investment in AI, looking to integrate the technology in just about every facet of its business.
Federal records identify the Albertsons Companies PAC as an active corporate PAC. OpenSecrets reports $182,568 raised and $373,235 spent in 2023–24, with 56.05% of contributions to the PAC attributed to Democrats and 43.15% to Republicans. FEC records show $148,609.35 in receipts and $98,947.14 in disbursements for Jan. 1, 2025–Oct. 14, 2026.
56.05% to Democrats, 43.15% to Republicans</td> <td>$248,000</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Contributions to this PAC from individual donors of $200 or more (list donors)</td> <td>$88,695</td> </tr> </tbody> </table>
The EEOC charged that an Albertsons manager at a La Mesa, California, store harassed Hispanic employees, particularly those with limited English, for speaking Spanish. Albertsons LLC agreed to pay $210,000 to settle the lawsuit. A two-year consent decree also requires policy review, training and compliance reporting; the allegations were charges by the agency.
The EEOC’s lawsuit charged that Albertsons allowed a manager to harass Hispanic employees, particularly limited English-speaking employees, because they spoke Spanish, at an Albertsons store on Lake Murray Blvd. in La Mesa, California, formerly Store No. 6785.
The Albertsons Foundation says eradicating childhood hunger is a national priority and seeks organizations helping children access a healthy breakfast. Charter schools and nonprofits may apply online year-round; the Foundation may invite applicants to a fall annual RFP process. Award amounts vary by neighborhood.
Eradicating childhood hunger is priority of the Albertsons Foundation on a national level. Specifically, the Foundation actively seeks out organizations that work to ensure that every child in America has access to a healthy breakfast every day. Each of the compay's regions also has its own priorities. If apply, submit an online application. Upon review of your application, the Foundation may invite you to participate in its annual RFP process in the fall.
OSHA recorded a serious citation against Albertsons Companies Inc. after finding employees exposed to fall hazards on or about July 8, 2024, when oil leaking from drums left slippery material on rear-loading-dock stairs. The citation was issued September 3, and an informal settlement reduced the penalty from $6,914 to $3,400 on September 27, 2024.
29 CFR 1910.22(a)(3) - The employer did not ensure that walking-working surfaces are maintained free of hazards such as sharp or protruding objects, loose boards, corrosion, leaks, spills, snow, and ice: Location - Rear Loading Dock On or about 07/08/24, employees were exposed to slip, trip and fall hazards from a staircase with steps covered in slippery material caused by leaking drums of oil.
On October 2, 2003, Albertsons and the EEOC announced a national voluntary mediation agreement. Eligible employment-discrimination charges naming Albertsons or a subsidiary would be referred to EEOC mediation when appropriate, with either side able to opt out case by case. CEO Larry Johnston said the company endorsed mediation and had previously mediated several EEOC cases.
BOISE, Idaho - The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and Albertsons, Inc. today announced a national partnership agreement to submit all appropriate charges of employment discrimination filed with the EEOC to the federal agency's voluntary mediation-based Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) program.
A charge filed December 12, 2024, alleged Albertsons Companies violated labor law by repudiating or modifying a contract through unilateral changes. The NLRB case, assigned to Region 27, was closed; its docket lists a dismissal letter issued by the agency’s general counsel on January 27, 2026. The evidence gives no further disposition details.
8(a)(5) Repudiation/Modification of Contract [Sec 8(d)/Unilateral Changes]
Lever News reported that Safeway, owned by Albertsons, dropped Star Farms as a supplier in October after The Denver Post reported on the farm’s record. Albertsons did not participate in the Fair Food Program. The article also said Albertsons declined to answer specific questions about its reliance on tomato supplier Mastronardi.
Albertsons also doesn’t participate in the Fair Food Program, though the company has demonstrated some concern about vendor malfeasance. Safeway, a grocery store owned by Albertsons, dropped Star Farms as a supplier in October after The Denver Post reported on the farm’s record. Kroger made no such commitment.
OpenSecrets records show Albertsons Companies filed lobbying reports in the 118th Congress addressing legislation including the 2024 Farm Bill, credit-card competition, organized retail crime, pharmacy benefit managers and patient access to pharmacies. The listing gives report counts by bill but does not specify the company’s position or the lobbying outcomes.
<table> <thead> <tr> <th>Bill Number</th> <th>Congress</th> <th>Title</th> <th>No. of Reports & Specific Issues*</th> </tr> </thead> <tbody> <tr> <td>H.R.8467 </td> <td>118</td> <td>Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2024</td> <td>3</td> </tr> <tr> <td>S.1838 </td> <td>118</td> <td>Credit Card Competition Act of 2023</td> <td>2</td> </tr> <tr> <td>S.2131 </td> <td>118</td> <td>Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2024</td> <td>2</td> </tr> <tr> <td>H.R.3561 </td> <td>118</td> <td>PATIENT Act of 2023</td> <td>2</td> </tr> <tr> <td>H.R.3881 </td> <td>118</td> <td>Credit Card Competition Act of 2023</td> <td>2</td> </tr> <tr> <td>S.139 </td> <td>118</td> <td>Organized Retail Crime Center Authorization Act of 2023</td> <td>2</td> </tr> <tr> <td>H.R.4386 </td> <td>118</td> <td>To amend title 28, United States Code, to change the residency requirements for certain officials serving in the District of Columbia, and for other purposes.</td> <td>2</td> </tr> <tr> <td>S.2052 </td> <td>118</td> <td>Protect Patient Access to Pharmacies Act</td> <td>2</td> </tr> <tr> <td>S.1038 </td> <td>118</td> <td>Drug Price Transparency in Medicaid Act of 2023</td> <td>2</td> </tr> <tr> <td>S.1339 </td> <td>118</td> <td>Pharmacy Benefit Manager Reform Act</td> <td>2</td> </tr> <tr> <td>H.R.895 </td> <td>118</td> <td>Combating Organized Retail Crime Act of 2023</td> <td>2</td> </tr> </tbody> <tfoot> <tr> <td colspan="4">*Each quarterly filing is treated as a separate report.</td> </tr> </tfoot> </table>
A federal lobbying filing lists issues related to the American Relief Act, 2025, agriculture, SNAP, WIC and the Farm Bill. It also covers food-industry supply chains, competition, nutrition, production, processing, labeling and food-as-medicine programs. The filing identifies the Senate, House, USDA and White House among the institutions contacted.
Issues related to food industry including supply Chain. Issues related to Food is Medicine programs. agriculture, nutrition and food production, processing and labeling, food as medicine, supply chain and competition.
In a 2009 account of her positions, Meg Whitman supported California’s Proposition 8, which banned same-sex marriage, saying civil unions provided gay and lesbian couples the rights and remedies they needed. She also said couples who married while same-sex marriage was legal should be allowed to remain married.
– Supported Proposition 8, the gay marriage ban that voters approved in November. Says she believes civil unions “provide all the rights and remedies that gay and lesbian couples deserve and need.”
OpenSecrets’ figures, based on reported contributions of $200 or more, show Albertsons Companies giving to federal candidates and political parties across multiple election cycles. In 2024, the total was $784,539: 51.93% went to Democrats and 48.07% to Republicans. The data was released by the FEC on February 6, 2025.
The Human Rights Campaign’s Albertsons Companies profile displays an overall score of 5 out of 5, with component scores of 25/50, 10/25 and 5/20, and lists “No Penalty.” The supplied evidence does not identify the scoring period or explain the criteria.
In 2002, Meg Whitman donated $30 million to Princeton University, her alma mater, to establish Whitman College, a residential college. She also served on the university’s board of trustees for a time. Her other listed education grantees included Teach for America, Summit Public Schools, and Rhodes Trust.
EDUCATION: In 2002, Whitman donated $30 million to Princeton University, her alma mater, to establish Whitman College, a new residential college. She also served on the university’s board of trustees for a time. Other grantees have included Teach for America (Whitman sits on the board), Summit Public Schools, and Rhodes Trust. Griffith was a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford.
In a February 12, 2009 account of her education positions, Meg Whitman called education a priority for California’s economy. She opposed private-school vouchers, favored expanding charter schools, and supported merit-based teacher pay and bonuses for science and math teachers. She said she would follow Jeb Bush’s lead on standardized testing.
– Considers this a top priority for revitalizing California’s economy and making the state more globally competitive. Otherwise, she says the state won’t have the necessary workforce for the next generation of companies.
In April 2023, Albertsons Companies settled with the California Air Resources Board after a leak detected at Store 2136 in January 2022 was not repaired within the required 14 days. The company had voluntarily disclosed the failure, cooperated with the investigation and returned to compliance; it agreed to pay $4,000 for eight days of violation.
In 2022, Albertsons voluntarily disclosed to the Enforcement Division that it failed to repair a refrigerant leak within the allowable timeframe, as specified in California Code of Regulations, title 17, section 95386(b). CARB’s investigation documented the violation as failure to repair a refrigerant leak detected in January 2022 in Albertsons’ Store 2136 within the allowable 14-day timeframe. To settle the case, Albertsons agreed to pay a penalty of $4,000 for eight days of violation.
Meg Whitman gave $1.15 million to a campaign to protect 572 acres near Telluride, Colorado, from development into condos and a golf course. In 2010, she and Griffith also bought 800 acres threatened by a luxury-home project; Whitman has said she does not plan to develop that property. Their environmental giving also included the Environmental Defense Fund.
ENVIRONMENT: Whitman gave $1.15 million to a campaign to protect 572 acres of pristine land from development into condos and a golf course near Telluride, Colorado. Back in 2010, she and Griffith purchased an additional 800 acres in the area, rescuing the land from a real estate developer that had planned to create a community of luxury homes, and has said she has no plans to develop the property. In 2015, Whitman joined a pool of investors in backing Bill Gates’ new Breakthrough Energy Coalition, an organization looking to develop affordable methods of being sustainable. The couple has also given to the Environmental Defense Fund.
Meg Whitman and her husband, Griffith, established the Griffith R. Harsh IV and Margaret C. Whitman Charitable Foundation in 2006 with 300,000 shares of eBay stock, then valued at just under $10 million. A philanthropy profile says the foundation gave about $6.8 million in a recent year, without specifying which year.
OVERVIEW: In 2006, Meg Whitman and her husband, Griffith, established the Griffith R. Harsh IV and Margaret C Whitman Charitable Foundation with 300,000 shares of eBay stock, which were valued at just under $10 million at the time. In a recent year, the foundation gave away about $6.8 million.
Reports published in June 2010 said Young Mi Kim alleged Meg Whitman pushed or shoved her at eBay in June 2007; Whitman’s account was that she physically guided Kim out. Sources said eBay paid a confidential six-figure settlement after mediation. Kim called it an unfortunate incident that they resolved; Whitman described it as a professional disagreement.
In June 2007, an eBay employee claimed that Ms. Whitman became angry and forcefully pushed her in an executive conference room at eBay’s headquarters, according to multiple former eBay employees with knowledge of the incident. They spoke on the condition of anonymity because the matter was delicate and was deemed to be strictly confidential.
In June 2007, an eBay employee claimed that Ms. Whitman became angry and forcefully pushed her in an executive conference room at eBay’s headquarters, according to multiple former eBay employees with knowledge of the incident. They spoke on the condition of anonymity because the matter was delicate and was deemed to be strictly confidential.
The incident reportedly occurred in June 2007 at the company’s San Jose headquarters, as EBay communications employee Young Mi Kim was helping Whitman prepare for an interview with Reuters. The story was based on interviews with current and former employees at the online auction firm who declined to give their names because the matter was “deemed to be strictly confidential,” the paper said.
A charge filed against Albertsons Companies, Inc. on June 3, 2025, in San Marcos, California, was categorized as “8(a)(1) Coercive Rules.” The NLRB docket shows the case closed after the agency’s general counsel approved a withdrawal request on July 14, 2025; the docket does not establish the underlying allegation’s merits.