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May 2019, Washington State Governor Inslee signs into law, a non-compete bill, “raising the bar [that] employers will need to meet . . . controversial covenants” in non-compete agreements.
https://www.geekwire.com/2019/washington-state-legislators-pass-law-restricting-non-compete-agreements/

In 2020, Amazon files complaints against Carl Nelson, a real estate broker, who (with others) was involved in some kind of real estate deal, where Amazon feels that Amazon got the short end of the stick.

Amazon attempts to make a case that Carl Nelson was in violation of a non-compete agreement between Amazon and Carl Nelson.
https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/17338366/amazoncom-inc-v-wdc-holdings-llc/?page=1

On Thursday [April 6, 2023], U.S. District Judge Rossie Alston Jr. ruled that [Carl] Nelson and another Amazon employee did not breach their contract with Amazon. A ‘reasonable reading’ of that contract ‘undermines Amazon’s argument,’ Alston wrote.”
https://www.seattletimes.com/business/after-3-years-seattles-amy-nelson-still-fighting-amazon-and-doj/

On the other hand, Amazon was able to raise a stink about Carl Nelson’s real estate activities in the State of Virginia:

“The [Amazon] lawsuit [re non-compete] is riding sidecar to a Byzantine legal back-and-forth between Amazon and [Carl] Nelson, who is being investigated by the FBI after Amazon reported to the agency that he had orchestrated a kickback scheme related to data center leases in Northern Virginia — claims Nelson has strenuously denied.”
https://www.seattletimes.com/business/amazon/judges-ruling-adds-to-legal-saga-over-how-amazon-enforces-noncompete-agreements/

Carl Nelson is under the DoJ/FBI microscope:
https://www.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.vaed.500840/gov.uscourts.vaed.500840.1.0.pdf

To wit:

Carl Nelson is in trouble. See page 5 of that PDF file, for details on the mechanism(s) of the alleged scheme.