California urges court to compel Amazon to comply with coronavirus probe

REUTERS -California Attorney General Xavier Becerra on Monday petitioned a court to compel Amazon.com Inc to comply with outstanding subpoenas over a state investigation into the company's handling of the coronavirus pandemic.

The petition, filed with the Sacramento County Superior Court, accused Amazon of failing to adequately comply with the state's requests for information as part of the investigation into the company's coronavirus protocols and the status of COVID-19 cases at its California facilities.

"Amazon has delayed responding adequately to our investigative requests long enough," Becerra, President-elect Joe Biden's pick to serve as U.S. secretary of health and human services, said in the petition.

The subpoenas seek specific details about the nature and extent of Amazon's coronavirus prevention efforts, including sick-leave policies and cleaning procedures, as well as data on the number of infections and deaths at its California warehouses, the petition said.

Jodi Seth, an Amazon spokeswoman, said in a statement the company has been cooperating with Becerra's office for months.

"We're puzzled by the attorney general's sudden rush to court. ... Their claims of noncompliance with their demands don't line up with the facts," Seth said.

Seth added that the company has invested billions of dollars in equipment and technology, including building on-site testing for employees and providing personal protective equipment for workers during the pandemic.

(Reporting by David Shepardson, Nandita Bose and Jeffrey Dastin; Editing by Jonathan Oatis, Richard Chang and Will Dunham)