| New reporting from the Seattle Times and Washington Post reveal that John Braun’s company was just hit with ANOTHER fine – nearly $13,000 – for “not protecting employees.”
The fine comes as a result of an 11-year-old machine hazard that resulted in one employee having two fingertips amputated in June. The Washington State Department of Labor and Industries noted in their report that “hazards of this nature” can lead to death or serious body harm, including permanent disability or chronic irreversible illness.
The fine comes just days after an initial investigation by the Post into Braun’s company revealed multiple child labor violations, that a 61-year-old worker was crushed to death, and that a teenager was injured on machinery she wasn’t trained to use. The son of the deceased worker has also called out Braun directly “for what he called a lack of support in the weeks after.” The Times first reported on the June injury.
DCCC Spokesperson Lindsay Reilly:
“John Braun is a danger to working Washingtonians and has no business being in Congress. Voters know Marie Gluesenkamp Perez for her tireless efforts to support jobs and grow the economy while keeping people safe, and that’s one of the many reasons they’ll send her back to Congress.”
Read the reporting for yourself…
Washington Post: Business run by Republican in key House district hit with new safety fine
- An ambulance manufacturer led by Republican House candidate John Braun received another fine this week, adding to the scrutiny of his business safety record in one of the most competitive races for control of Congress.
- The Washington State Department of Labor and Industries on Monday issued a nearly $13,000 fine against Braun’s company, Braun Northwest in Chehalis, for not protecting employees using a heavy duty Accurshear from a shear point hazard.
- One employee using the cutting machine, which had an inadequate guard, had two fingertips amputated in June, according to public records obtained by The Washington Post.
- The Post previously reported that Braun’s company, which manufactures emergency vehicles for government agencies, received three state citations for child labor violations in 2025 involving two teenagers hired through an apprenticeship program.
- The company’s safety practices also concerned some workers, according to interviews with seven former employees.
- Regulators said the machine hazard existed for at least 11 years and exposure to “hazards of this nature” can lead to serious injuries involving permanent disability, death or chronic irreversible illness, according to the records. The violation was corrected during the inspection.
- The summary of the inspection called the company’s safety practices into question, asserting that employees were putting their hands under the guard even though they met monthly to discuss safety rules. The summary also said the safety manager responsible for walking around the warehouse daily and correcting issues failed to notice the unguarded part of the shear machine.
- Other records from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration show that Braun has reported at least 27 work-related injuries and illnesses between 2023 and 2025, including lacerations, body strains and an accidental death, but the company did not receive citations for the vast majority of those cases. The injuries also include a 17-year-old’s finger fracture, which led to a child labor violation for allowing a minor to operate a drill press without a barrier guard.
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