SEATTLE − An attorney for Washington state opened the antitrust case against the proposed $25 billion Kroger merger with Albertsons by unleashing a torrent of harsh language: he quoted the emails, texts and other messages of grocery executives,

Albertsons and Kroger own more than 300 grocery stores in the state and control more than half of grocery sales there. Under a plan to ease regulators’ concerns, Kroger and Albertsons would sell 579 overlapping stores,

The Federal Trade Commission is currently fighting the merger in federal court in Oregon, where closing arguments are expected Tuesday. Colorado has also sued to block the merger. But if the merger goes through,