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Amazon Inc (NASDAQ: AMZN) filed a lawsuit against Letitia James the New York State (NYS) Attorney General (AG) on Friday. The tech giant argued that Mrs. Letitia exceeded her authority when she tried to penalize Amazon for alleged failures in the pandemic safety protocols and workers treatment. The company filed the lawsuit on February 12 in Brooklyn federal court.

The Seattle-based tech giant said that AG Letitia’s office has threatened to file a lawsuit if Amazon fails to accomplish a list of demands that the NYS Attorney General’s office provided them. The list of demands included reducing production targets of workers in the company’s warehouses and supporting public bus service.

Consequently, Amazon asked for a court order that would block the NYC AG from regulating Amazon’s actions amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, the company added that workers who protested about working conditions are the federal government’s responsibility.

“Amazon has been intensely focused on COVID-19 safety and has taken extraordinary, industry-leading measures grounded in science, above and beyond government guidelines and requirements, to protect its associates from COVID-19,” Amazon said in its complaint.

Letitia James quickly replied saying: “Throughout this pandemic". Amazon employees have been forced to work in unsafe conditions. All while the company and its CEO made billions off of their backs,” she said in a statement. “This action by Amazon is nothing more than a sad attempt to distract from the facts and shirk accountability for its failures to protect hardworking employees from a deadly virus.”

Amazon accused of taking revenge from workers

Amazon’s problems with U.S. regulators first started when workers at the tech giant’s Staten Island facility protested against the company amid the corona-virus pandemic. Workers accused the tech company of lacking COVID-19 safety protection.

In return, Amazon fired one of the protest organizers, Chris Smalls — alleging him of violating quarantine order because he was exposed to a contaminated colleague. Smalls accused the company of being “immoral and inhumane” and said that Amazon wanted to revenge.

Meanwhile, the New York Attorney General asked in the complaint to payback Smalls and Derrick Palmer who has also sued the company — accusing it of putting him and his family at risk. However, a federal judge dismissed Palmer’s case and said that he should have contacted the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration instead.

“Let me be clear: We will not be intimidated by anyone. Especially corporate bullies that put profits over the health and safety of working people. We remain undeterred in our efforts to protect workers from exploitation. We will continue to review all of our legal options.” Letitia James said in the lawsuit.