On Monday, April 24, 2023, attorney Andra Ruth Blondin voluntarily submitted her resignation to the Disciplinary Board of the Washington State Bar Association. The resignation came in light of charges brought against her, which alleged that she had withheld funds from individuals’ paychecks that were intended for federal employment taxes but failed to remit them to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) as mandated by law.
The case is entitled “In the matter of Andra Ruth Blondin” with case no. 23#00011.
In a formal complaint against the respondent, it was alleged that attorney Andra Ruth Blondin finds herself at the center of a legal storm as the Office of Disciplinary Counsel (ODC) of the Washington State Bar Association charges her with acts of misconduct. The charges, filed under the Washington Supreme Court’s Rules for Enforcement of Lawyer Conduct (ELC) and Rules of Professional Conduct (RPC), alleged that Blondin engaged in unethical behavior during her practice of family law.
Blondin, who was admitted to the State of Washington Bar in November 1998, employed Anna L. Brodt as a legal assistant from October 2014. However, during Brodt’s employment, Blondin is accused of withholding funds from Brodt’s paychecks meant for federal employment taxes and failing to remit them to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) as required by law. It is further alleged that Blondin did not file quarterly tax returns or pay the withheld funds, displaying willful non-compliance.
The complaint, initiated by Brodt’s grievance in November 2022, accuses Blondin of using the withheld funds for her own purposes. Additionally, Blondin’s lack of cooperation with the ODC’s investigation raised further concerns. Despite multiple requests for documents, including business tax returns, employment security returns, wage and tax statements, and correspondence with the IRS, Blondin failed to provide the requested materials.
The ODC escalated the investigation by issuing a subpoena duces tecum, demanding the production of the same documents. Before the deposition, Blondin partially complied by submitting some of the subpoenaed documents. However, the extent of her non-cooperation remains a significant point of contention.
In relation to this, attorney Blondin, on April 24, 2023, filed her resignation. According to her, she understands that her resignation is permanent and that any future application for reinstatement as a member of the association is currently barred.
The resignation states:
“I understand that, after my resignation becomes effective, it is rx•rmanent. I will never be eligible to apply and will not considered for admission or reinstatement to the practice of law nor will I be eligible for admission to any limited practice of law. I certify under penalty of perjury under the laws of the State of Washington that the foregoing is true and correct.”
Ms. Blondin practices in Longview, Washington. She is licensed in Washington. Her info can be found on avvo.com.
A copy of the original filing can be found here.
