On Friday, January 5, 2024, The Center Square reported that the Washington State Auditor’s Office had dismissed an ethics complaint against State Attorney General Bob Ferguson. The complaint had alleged that Ferguson improperly used $40 million from recent lawsuit settlements with chicken and tuna producers to send “$50 and $120” checks to over $402,000 Washington households in November.
The checks, which had Ferguson’s name as the payer, were said to have been an illegal use of public funds under state law to assist his gubernatorial campaign. However, in a January 3rd letter, the Auditor’s Office found that announcing the legal settlement was within Ferguson’s official duties as Attorney General. As such, the relevant section of the State Ethics Act would not apply in this case.
The original complaint was filed by Washington Coalition for Open Government President Emeritus Toby Nixon. In an email response, Nixon criticized the dismissal, arguing that allowing statewide elected officials to send checks with their names on them while campaigning goes against the intent of the law.
However, the State Auditor’s Office maintained its view that explicitly promoting a candidacy is required for a violation to have occurred. The ethics complaint against Ferguson has now been closed.
Source: The Center Square
